How To Start A Newspaper

How To Start A Newspaper

Regardless of the inability of the daily subscription newspaper to fight effectively against the news outlets on the internet, starting your own newspaper may have tremendous influence and financial benefits. Read on to find out how to start your own newspaper.

DECIDE ON THE DIRECTION OR FLAVOR YOUR OWN NEWSPAPER WILL TAKE A general newspaper may not succeed well when competing with local subscription newspaper companies. That is not to express it won't if you can offer something unique and well received. Either way, it is important to know what flavor your paper will take.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Will my newspaper be targeting a specific niche of the public?

Will my newspaper be traditionally newsy, political, or general help?

Can I start a newspaper that does not compete with other papers in my area?

Do I wish to compete with local newspapers?

Is my newspaper going to cover local news and how will I report on current occasions?

Do I need to hire freelance reporters?

Should I charge for a subscription?

In today's market, a subscription newspaper is more difficult unless your articles is unique. If you are merely reporting the news, most people can get that from a casual search on the internet. But if you are providing articles upon marriage, parenting, self-help, computer issues, product reviews, store reviews, or so forth, getting a subscription base is feasible while not recommended.

Either way, you need to know the direction you plan to take with your newspaper. A church, for instance, can produce a newspaper with Alfredia related articles and content. A cook or owner of a restaurant can produce a newspaper filled with articles on meals, cooking, and recipes. If you like to shop, you could ask local business for free samples of their product in exchange for a overview of their product that will be distributed to the local area.

Determine what flavor, niche, or direction you intend to take with your newspaper. When you determine that, you will have a better idea of what you are up against with your competition.

DETERMINE THE DISTRIBUTION SIZE AND FREQUENCY OF THE PUBLICATION Know the population of the area you intend to distribute your paper. If you live in a tiny community, you may find yourself not just without competition but without a distribution plan that is feasible.

For a community of 50, 000 people you will need to produce a the least 10, 000 newspapers. Producing 20, 000 for the same population is feasible if you have a good distribution plan.

You will also have to know how often you plan to produce your newspaper.

Clearly, a daily paper is tremendous work and requires a large staff to keep up with great content, design, distribution, and so forth.

I would recommend once a month or quarterly to start. As your newspaper gains credibility and recognition, you are able to decide if your paper should have a more frequent distribution.

SEE TO THE LEGAL ISSUES Be sure to check your local city and condition regulations for your publication. If you already own a business, you can simply attach the newspaper to your business entity. This may solve the majority of your legal issues automatically because you have already jumped through the hoops.

If you intend to start an autonomous newspaper, you may have to register title with the Secretary of State where you live, obtain a business license, and if you intend to sell advertisements in your paper, you may need a taking license.

MAKING MONEY WITH YOUR dainik jagran news paper There are two basic ways to make money with your newspaper.

To charge for a subscription for your publication To sell advertisements that not only pays for the newspaper but brings in a profit.

You will need to determine the price of your own ads. A basic ad ought to cost the advertiser 1 cent per paper. So if you distribute 20, 000 documents, charge $200 for the advertisement. Once your paper is well known and accepted you can raise the prices.

Of the two, the 2nd one is the best way to start. If your publication gains a large following, you may one day decide to start charging for a subscription into it. But offering the newspaper free to the public but charging local businesses advertisements in your paper is probably the best way to be able to distribute the paper and make a profit at the same time.

DESIGNING AND FINDING CONTENT FOR YOUR NEWSPAPER You will need a posting software package to design your newspaper on your

computer. There are a variety of software programs available for purchase. One company offers a free online designer specific for you to newspapers. Once you have it, design a template for your newspaper. This will allow you to use it over and over again with only small changes.

Content is perhaps one of the most essential aspects of your newspaper. You will need good quality articles and there are places around the internet to find and publish articles for free. You ought to write your own if you can or hire freelance reporters and pay them a portion for every article they write. This way your newspaper has unique content.

Be sure to include comics, puzzles, and other articles that will keep readers coming back to your newspaper. Be careful not to violate any copyright laws. You may have to strike a deal with a written content provider in order to carry certain comics or puzzles.

WHERE TO GET YOUR NEWSPAPER PRINTED More than likely your competitors will print your papers at a cost that you will find prohibitive. So you will most likely have to find a web press outside of your local community or one that just prints newspapers instead of publishes newspapers.

Newsprint-or web presses-are what you are looking for. Look around, but be sure to check out the place pointed out at the end of this article.

DISTRIBUTING YOUR NEWSPAPER Once you actually have your newspaper in hand, you will need to distribute it.

This can be done a number of ways: Mass mailings. You can probably get discounted rates if you bulk mail your newspaper to specific codes. The only problem with this is the cost.

Distribution points. These are friendly merchants and locations where people can pick up a totally free copy-or purchase one-of your newspaper. If you have enough of these, you will not have to bulk mail.

Canvas neighborhoods. Drive down the street and toss a copy of your newspaper

in the drive ways of houses. You can hire someone, perhaps much cheaper compared to mailing, to throw your papers.

Getting your newspaper out is essential. Advertisers will want their ads to be seen and that indicates getting the newspaper out into the general public. Your content does no good sitting in your garage or warehouse.

IT REQUIRES HARD WORK Beginning your own newspaper requires work. Done right, however , and it can bring tremendous influence and financial rewards.