How To Publish Your Own Money-Making Adsheet

Before printing your own adsheet, careful planning is necessary.

First, how many copies will be printed? Next,decide if your adsheet will be printed on white paper or colored stock. Colored paper may cost slightly more, but is more attractive and eye-appealing.

You must also decide if your adsheet will be printed on one or both sides of the paper. It is best to use both sides for greater profits.

After you have made these decisions, contact printers for prices.

You may wish to check with local as well as mail order printers. Mail order printers' prices are generally lower, but be sure to request samples of some of their previous jobs to determine the quality of their work. Also, make certain the paper they use is 20# bond or heavier.

After you have the above information, your next step is to decide on a name for your adsheet and design the masthead - or have it done by someone. You will need to know in advance the amount of space the masthead will occupy so that you can compute your ad rates accurately. Also, if you decide to show your ad rates within the masthead or nearby, remember that the space used for this purpose is "Nonsalable" and must be deducted from the space you will have available to your advertisers.

As a novice adsheet-publisher, it is wisest to keep your first publication as simple as possible. The best way to present your customer's ads is by running them in 3 neat columns down the vertical length of an 8 ½" x 11" sheet. Allow each column to be 2-5/8" wide, with a ruled line separating each column, so that you can accommodate ads up to the standard 2 ¼ to 2 ½-inch widths.

After you have price quotations from printers, you are ready to establish your advertising rate. Then 11" length of an 8 ½" x 11" sheet will accommodate a total of 30 one-inch ads nicely. However, you must deduct the amount of space occupied by the masthead. We will assume that this space is 2" deep and the full width of the paper. Therefore, you now have a total of 24 column inches of space available for ads. (30" minus 6")

We will also assume you will have 1,000 copies printed- both sides- on a colored stock. The lowest price you have received is $18 plus 10% additional for colored paper. This totals to $19.80. Since you have a total of 24" of space to sell, your cost is about 83 cents per column inch. You should charge your advertisers $1.25 to $2.00 per inch, which will give you a gross total of anywhere from $30 to $48. Some of the profits must be used for "incidental" expenses such as advertising, postage, etc.

Next, you must get advertisers. You can do this in several ways: (1) Run ads in mail order publications saying you will print a 1" ad - 1,000 circulation for whatever you decide to charge, if the advertiser will maill 25 to 50 copies, and (2) Write to prospective advertisers, whose ads you see in other mail order publications, telling of your new adsheet.

New adsheet publishers very seldom are able to sell all the available space for the first issue. To fill empty spaces, simply run some of your own ads or run free ads for advertisers. Then send them a complimentary copy of your adsheet with their ad. Many may be impressed by the favor you have done for them and place paid ads in future issues.

The greatest quantity will be mailed by your advertisers. You can distribute your copies of the adsheet simply by stuffing one into all of your regular outgoing mail. This saves you on postage and envelopes.

You may charge whatever you wish for your ad rates. But they must be competitive. And don't be too greedy! After all, remember, until you sell all the available ad space, you will have the entire reverse side of your adsheet for your own ads...and this space is FREE!