What makes Secrets of Paris different, and how is it funded?
Secrets of Paris is written by Heather Stimmler, a journalist living in Paris since 1995—not an influencer or an anonymous marketing agency. It’s 100% independent and ad-free, meaning:
- No sponsored posts
- No affiliate links
- No ads or brand partnerships
- No content written to please algorithms
- And no content written by AI!
Heather writes for readers, not for brands. The site is funded primarily through membership support and Heather’s travel consulting fees, not by selling products or promoting whatever’s trending on social media. The goal is honest, experience-based advice and useful recommendations—not clicks or commissions. 👉 Read more about our mission and values.
What’s the difference between the free newsletter or becoming a member, and how do I sign up?
The free Secrets of Paris newsletter is emailed to subscribers on the first of the month, with Heather’s selection of insider tips, recommendations, and “secrets” for both visitors and residents in Paris. Like the website, there are no ads, sponsors, or generic fluff! 👉 Subscribe here
Looking for more? Become a Member of the Secrets of Paris Community for access to exclusive articles, behind-the-scenes updates from Heather, France road trip videos, access to the Community Forum, and extra perks like invitations to monthly Zooms and meetups in Paris. 👉 Join here
Can I get personal travel advice or help planning my trip to Paris?
Heather no longer offers one-on-one travel planning as a paid service—but if you’re a Secrets of Paris Premium level member, you get much more than a generic itinerary. Membership includes a personal Zoom or phone session with Heather to talk through your plans, ask specific questions, and get honest advice (including recommended private tour guides). You’ll also have the option of a welcome meetup in Paris during your stay.
In addition, Premium members get full access to:
• Exclusive articles and behind-the-scenes updates
• The complete newsletter archive
• A private community forum where you can ask questions and connect with other members
• Monthly group Zoom calls and in-person meetups in Paris to help you prepare and feel more at home
👉 Become a member to get started and make the most of your time in Paris.
How can I get my business, service, product or event listed on Secrets of Paris?
While Secrets of Paris can’t be an exhaustive listing of everything there is to see and do in Paris, we welcome suggestions that align with our values: locally-owned, sustainable, ethical, and relevant to English-speaking readers. Here’s what we consider:
- Events: Paris events that promote local culture, artists or activities with a preference for events accessible to non-French speakers.
- Businesses: Secrets of Paris prefers to promote locally owned shops, restaurants, bars, and hotels that share our community values (local, sustainable, ethical, and/or ecological).
- Services: We’re always on the lookout for independent guides, drivers, photographers, translators, personal shoppers and other tourism service providers catering to the English-speaking community. But we don’t work with “anonymous” businesses or service providers. If you don’t have an office or shop open to the public, your website must have your full name and contact information (phone number, email, and SIRET number — you must be registered to do business in France).
- Products: Made in France (exceptions for vintage or upcycled/artisan products), sustainable, ethical, environmentally friendly, or truly unique. Books written in English about Paris or France are also considered if available in Paris bookstores.
For all queries please use the contact form here.
Who writes the content on Secrets of Paris? Do you accept guest articles?
All of the articles on Secrets of Paris are written by Heather and Secrets of Paris Correspondents. We never accept ads, advertorials, branded content, or sponsored or paid articles of any kind. We are not currently accepting any guest articles.
How do I become a Secrets of Paris Correspondent or Intern?
Secrets of Paris is not currently looking for new correspondents or interns.
Can I reprint an article or image from Secrets of Paris as long as I give you credit?
You’re welcome to share up to three sentences with a direct link back to the original article. Photos can be used with those quotes, provided there’s clear credit and a clickable link to the source. Other requests can be made here.
I’ve always wanted to move to France and become a travel writer. Any advice?
Unless you’re independently wealthy enough to support yourself while living the dream in France, travel writing alone usually doesn’t pay enough to make a living, especially if you’re looking to make your living in Paris. Getting a working visa is a long and complicated process, but not required if your stay is less than three months per year. So I would suggest renting a place for those three months and test the waters, meet the locals, and take the time to find out what it would actually take to live here full time as a writer. You might also be interested in joining the Secrets of Paris Community, many of our members are living in France on a Long Stay Visa or spending at least half the year here.
If you’re a professional writer, why are there so many typos?
We don’t have the heart to fire our copy editor. Oh wait; we don’t have a copy editor! 😮 Don’t hesitate to let us know when we’ve made unforgiveable spelling or grammar boo boo’s (note for grammar geeks: we’re using US English).
It seems like there’s a lot of outdated content, why don’t you delete it?
When the Secrets of Paris website was started in 1999, it was originally just a place to publish the archives of the newsletter and articles that Heather published elsewhere. In 2004 the calendar and blog were added to share the latest news and articles. So it always served as a sort of content archive while continuously adding new articles with the latest information. Why not delete the older stuff? Partially because we’re nostalgic, but also because the site is a digital snapshot of Paris over two decades, documenting all of the changes in technology alongside the changes in Paris itself. Some content has indeed been deleted, but we love re-reading articles about the hottest nightclubs in 2000 (none are open today), photo essays of student protests in 2005 (back when even one molotov cocktail was a rarity), and the announcement of the first smoke-free restaurants as the ban arrived in 2008. Many of the older links no longer work if the venues have gone out of business, but where possible we’ll link to the Wayback Machine (the Internet Archive) so you can see the original site. In any case, all articles clearly indicate the date when they were last updated, so use your own judgement when reading a recommendation from 2010, and try not to hate us too much for the horribly tiny and fuzzy archive photos taken back when digital camera resolution was less than 2 megapixels! 😉
