Pricing and Costs of Newspaper Publishing

Make newspaper publishing work with any budget
By Nikki Wheeler The pricing and costs of newspaper publishing start-up can be surprisingly low, if enough time and effort goes into planning. Publishing newspapers with very little capital is possible because it utilizes very little equipment, and the printing of the newspapers can be contracted out.

Because of changes in technology and the waning interest of the public, there are less small newspaper publishers than there were before. This has carved out a place for all kinds special-interest newspapers, and this may be the perfect time to branch out into small newspaper publishing. When doing so, consider the following:

1. Keep newspaper publishing costs down by publishing only once a month or once a week.

2. Consider the geographic area of the market; a newspaper publisher creates either a local, regional or national paper.

3. Choose a market to target. Publishing a newspaper that is special interest, such as local business news, sales and advertisements or trade publications, will set the precedent of how often the newspaper is published and how widely it is distributed.

Find the best newspaper printers for your publication

The three options newspaper publishing companies have for printing are web-presses, sheet-fed presses and copy shops. A web-press is a huge, industrial printer that prints quickly from large rolls of paper, a sheet-fed press prints on pre-cut standard-sized sheets of paper, and copy shops use electrostatic copiers instead of presses.
Try:  Printing a newspaper from a web-press with a company like The Journal Press will cost on average around $40 per 1,000 copies of a 20-page newspaper. Having a newspaper printed on a sheet-fed press by a company like Franklin Communications will cost between $200 and $300 per 1,000 copies of a 20-page paper, but will offer greater creative flexibility with color and paper weight.

Get low-cost distribution for newspaper publishing

One of the best ways to start distribution for a new publication is direct mailing. If your newspaper is targeted to businesses, then finding the mailing addresses is simple. Otherwise, you will need to purchase or rent mailing lists.
Try:  Rent a mailing list for one-time use at around $80 per thousand names from companies like Oak Tree Marketing. Purchase mailing lists outright for unlimited repeat use for around $400 per thousand names from companies like Mailing Lists Direct.

Try publishing newspapers online

Starting an online newspaper publication is essentially the same as a print newspaper, including articles, pictures, classifieds and revenue from advertisements. The benefits of starting an electronic newspaper include much lower costs and easier distribution.
Try:  Publish an online newspaper for around $100 per month through companies like ReadMore Systems or FlexPortal.

Buy newspaper publishing software

Get basic publishing software like Adobe PageMaker for around $500 for the newest version, which will include a wide variety of templated layouts and graphics. Buy higher-end software like Quark Express with superior design layouts and graphics for around $800.
Try:  Buy PageMaker from Adobe's website, or visit Quark Store to buy Quark Express.

• Don't overlook hidden newspaper publishing costs, like gas for your vehicle when driving to meet with advertisers or payment to freelance writers, if any writing is contracted out.