The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-05-30

received of the people and neighber-
hoods you visited, with such COM
ments and suggestions as may strike
your mind. When your paper reach
es the localities where you have been
it will be read with the greatest inter-
est. Extra copies will be wanted to
show to neighbors and to send to
friends. AS often as these local jour-
neyings are made, you will come
home with improved health-new
ideas-new subscribers advance pay
ones of fcourse)-and with many pleas
ant and valuable newly made acquain-
tances and friends.
PRINT a NEAT PAPER.
Print a neat, clean, clear sheet.
Don't send out papers with cobwebs
from the press room hanging to them.
Use plain, sizable type, with appro-
pirate head lines and display letter.
1Blacken them with good quality OF
ink. Give your paper cheerful,
prosperous appearance, and your sub
seribers will receive it with pleasure
and read it with profit.
Put reading matter on each page,
and OF appropriate character and in
teresting variety. Two things don't
forget:-It pays to be enterprising
s.and nothing succeeds like success
Let the neatness and smootbness OF
Your press work be credit tothe no.
BILE art of printing. Many an other
wise good paper has fallen into dis
grace from speor impressions" alone.
A wrinkled, blotted, friared sheet will
in the end lose more for its publisher,
than all the labored, wise editorial he
can write, will gain. ,4,,, - .
On the other hand, nicely printed
well made-up paper. will add to the
editors influence-to the respectable
ty and value of his Office, and lead TO
an increase of patronage. Especially
will such find favor in the eyes of the
ladies; and a man seldom refuses to
take, and gentleman never discon-
tinues a paper his wife or daughter
desires to read. A favorite family
patrons, and their numbers will in
crease. l9- i13 s.
am not sure but that this Associa-
ton will 90 wise thing if it were to
vote a prize medal of some value to
that member who should produce the
handsomest and best printed paper, a
file of which for one year to be exhib-
tied at an annual meeting. This pre-
MUM to be awarded by competent
judges to the sheet that uniformly
presents the finest mechanism exclud-
ing. of course, from the list of COM
petitors the previous winner.
LOOK TO YOUR ADVERTISING.
The main profits of newspaper are
its advertisements. You must, there
fore, not neglect that department.
change the form and po-
sition of advertisements-esp
those Of home patrons, and thereby
relieve your columns from q dead,
stereotyped appearance. Encourage,
or rather insist on business men wri-
ting their advertisements at least once
every quarter. The fresh, prosper
Gus appearance this practice will give
your paper, will amply pay for the
extra labor of composition.
So far as you can, classify your ad-
vertisements. Put separate headings
over them if the space they occupy, or
the the time they are to be continued,
will Justify. Set them in plain, med
est type, and in an artistic manner.
Make them attractive by making them
neat. Never convert your paper into
a quarter or half sheet poster, unless
you get enough for so doing to COM
pensate for the loss of credit, reputa-
ton and self-respect as printer.
Discard. if possible, yearly column
advertisements they are profitable to
neither publisher or patron. Short,
Aell-written, expressive, truthful ad-
vertisements which talk business, are
the kind always read-every point re-
membered, and that lead to sales.
Where such can be supported, a
sysrematized '.want column" should
have a place in every well regulated
journal. Advertisers should be en-
couraged to patronize it. If properly
sustained, it would be one of the most
profitable, as we'll as most INTEREST," ng
local departments of the paper.
ADVERTISING AGENTS.
The experience of country editors
with city Advertising Agents, is va
ried. Usually more work is done by
the local press, for less money, than
fair, square dealing require. Taking
advantage of good nature, or, lack
of proper business knowledge, it may
be, they agree with the rural publish
er at prices shamefully low-one-half
perhaps their usual rates, and from
which he suffers another deduction of
one-fonrth, for commission. They
will contract with you for space by
the Inch, which i'll your type and col
umns make an "honest square," and
then will furnish copy set in agate or
diamond type in lines several ems
wider than ordinary newspaper col
umns, and require you to accept it.
per inch at their measure, which will
cost you at least twice as much labor
and space as you calculated. This,
too, is to be reset monthly, making
three fourths more composition than
in ordinary advertising.
Printers are themselves to blame for
this imposition. Whilst we would
not treat advertising agents unfairly,
but divide our profits with them, we
should not give them the lions share.
The rule should be to charge rea-
sonable price, per inch, your measure,
and corresponding price, per inch,
their measure, be it more or less.
ESTABLISH ADVERTISING RATES.
Prices for all advertising should be
estimated by the just rule of giving
value for pay received. No schedule
can be made to apply alike to papers
in different localities any more than
the same hat can be made to fit every
head. Circulation, location, length
aud width of columns, size of tyye,
the pressure of competition, the char
acter of the publication, and various
other considerations must go to make
up the value of paper, to its patrons.
Every publisher must fix his own
rates after deciding what his columns
are worth to his customer. His terms
once established, he should adhere to
them faithfully, and for the same work
exact no higher price from one than
another.
Give patent medicine men, with
their blank contracts, red-line dupli-
Gates, lying certificates and hideous
cuts, the cold shoulder. They de-
mand your best columns, the largest
display, local notice each week, all
at quarter price, including copy oil
your paper thrown in. Don't give il
to them. If you have such favors
TO scatter around,let them fall on your