The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-09
THE PRESS
THURSDAY MORNING. APRIL Q. IA
Advertising.

Az Tic LuCClibS vi IAC xdoibO k<uitOio dIlt
Publishers Association last February. Mr.
Howard Owen of the Kennebec Journal reat
an essay on advertising. Mr.. Owen under
stands the matter of which he writes, conse
quently we make the following extract:
RATES.
These must be determined by the charac-
ter, location and circulation of the newspaper
or periodical. This association would find it
difficult to fix any arbitrary or inflexbie rules
TO govern newspapers in this way. We ought
not to say TO the Maine Farmer or Portland
Iranrcript or Le,ciston Journal: "Let one
inch space bring the same price in YOUR pa.
pers as it does in the columns of the Hornby
Spectator or Bungtoacn Spy Advertise
ments are not to be measured out like pieces
of cloth-a yard being yard the world over,
and bringing the same price. no matter from
whose store it is purchased. We should run
into very great difficulty should we attempt
to fix scale of prices. basing the estimates
OH the hundreds and thousands in the circu-
latlon. There are small countrypapers run
ming along on few hundreds circulation
not reaching a thousaEd-whose value ad-
vertising mediums could not be made up by
two or three thousands in the circulation OF
the larger papers. They are The home, fire.
side papers Of the people: to be read and re-
read by their local patrOns-aGvertisenen
aud all The advertisement itself, though it
may be foreign, becomes localized by appear
ing in the columns Of the local paper-just as
a strange child is adopted into family, and
is soon loved as one of the children. This
same advertisement that seems to possess 50
much interest in the local paper, may be
simply glanced at as it comes to the home IN
the columns of general newspaper, of wide
circulation. On the other hand, the paper of
general circulation has such broad and ex-
tensive field, and it is so largely patronzed
that its prOprietOrs can afford to put H. to 1t
real merit, costly work. 1t is looked upon as
a standard publication-one Of the substan
tials in the literary and news world-to be
preserved in the family, bound, perhaps, and
often consulted. They do not depend so
much upon their advertising patronage, for
revenue, as the more local sheets; and their
very Independence induces advertisers to seek
their columns to reach the great masses of
the people.
So that no rnfexible rule for advertising
rates can be made tor one paper that can ap-
ply to all the rest, or even to any other, as
each newspaper has its own peculiar value.
In this emergen y there is safe course to
Pursue. Let each newspaper publisher
make rates Of his own. He will find this a
most difficult and perplexing task. There
are many members of the fraternity who eau
dash off an editorial with the greatest ease,
but WHO are sadly ''put to their trumps
when they attempt to arrange a scale of ad-
vertising rates. How TO adjus: the scale 50
that justice shall be done, impartially, to all
the advertising patrons, is question that
has ''mixed up' very many oil our brethren
in the fraternity, who are quite clear and
sane or other subjects. Make your rates,
and stick to them. almost infexibly-don t
put too much India rubber into them. A
publisher without regular table of adver-
tising rates is like traveller in strange
country, where no guideboard's index finger
points out the way. A gentleman comes in
and wants to advertise. A good deal of time
is spent in asking questions, looking over the
day book and ledger, to see what somebody
else was charged, to counting the lines in
order to ascertain if there is the same num-
ber that somebody else occupied-scannng
the individual closely to measure the dimen-
sions of his purse. If the customer tries to
beat you down in your price, and you stick
to the figures persistently and he finally
yields and comes down with the s'spondulx,"
you think that you have made good bar
gain that time, sure. But should he pay the
price, without challenge or debate, you
think of that man for two or three days, and
hate yourself for not having the courage to
charge him more. There is a terribly dis
tressing uncertainty about the matter; bet
ter to have an imperfect table OF rates than
none at all. Publishers can greatly aid each
other in arriving at correct conclusions, by a
free interchange of rates. A fatal mistake is
made in concealiDg from each other the scale
of prices. They should be as free among the
members OF the press as their business cards,
and will go far towards approximating to a
uniform tariff. Some publishers have card
rates that they use as hitching post, sort
Of starting point, and then wander off in a
looseness OF price as various as the wants and
tastes of their customers. They cheat them
selves and bring reproach upon the profession.
That system is sort of defalcation, where
they keep two sets of books-the false one
for the public eye; the true one to cheat
Their customers and themselves. 1t is lauda-
BILE ambition to set ones mark high; but in
this matter of advertising, let the figures
upon your card OF rates represent Just what
you mean, though they may be low. Placed
before your patrons, they know that they can
rely upon these figures, and that Mr.. A. isn't
getting whole column advertisement, at
the price that Mr.. B. pays for halt column.
If any variation is 20 be made IN the figures
let il be in favor Of local advertisers, or those
who are worthy and needy. Better insert an
advertisement free, however. than charge q
sum that will make the business seem mean
Some publishers get rid of complicated
table OF rates by charging so much line fol
each insertion. If an advertisement goes in
once for dollar, it is published three times
for three times that amount; but the most
of us don't do that, and must have gradu-
ated scale. and to arrange such scale fairly
and systematically is one of the great arts.
THE CHARACTERIsTCIs OF ADVERTISERS AND
THE VARIOUS METHODS OF ADVERTISING.
Let ten men men rush into printing of.
flee with as many advertisements, and they
would each choose different position as the
very best one in the paper. One would choose
the lower corner on the second inside page
wants his advertisement kept there always
put it in any other position, and down comes
the contract; another chooses the square at
the head of the same column; another next
to the reading matter-don't care on what
page another, right under the marriages and
deaths, Gl,cdys-makes no odds who else
wants that position; another, disregarding the
eternal fitness of things, between the mar
riages and deaths; another, above them
another don't care where his advertisement
is put if it is turned upside down; another, il
triangular fashion; another would be will
ing to pay high for permanent place at tn
head of the local column. have heard O
| one person, but he was cut off prematurel,
| in early manhood, in the midst of his useless
ness, who thought that position directly IN
der the teIegraphc heading was TO be craved
another would have his tit-bits scattered il
among the locals-just to help fill up; anoth
er, with fighty mind, would sweep across the
top of an entire page, in glowing capitals ;bu
the most presumptuous case is that OF the
fellow who wanted his advertisement to come
in directly under the editorial imprint (Ht
is an applicant for admission into the new in
sane hospital) G5s-
These and others are the various positions
sought, but 9he methods of advertising are as
varied. Some advertisers, (and they are gen
orally those who write their favors most com
pactly,) are not satisfied unless each wort
shall be put in full face caps, and each lin'
cfothe itself in bold-face letters. But her
comes another man, who believe
in modest, plain, unobtrusive type, borderet
on either side with clean white paper; ant
he shall be my ideal of model advertiser.
Hasten the day whel ugly looking cuts and
large type shall pass into the hell box, to OF
melted in the type-founder's furnace, and
when the same scrupulous care shall b'
shown in the writing. setting and arrange
ment of advertisements, as is exercised II
any other department of the paper-when
by the very reason of its mechanical charac
ter, it shall claim the attention OF even thu
most careless reader. Advertisements ma
| come in the clever garb OF poetry: