When we started our newspaper back in 2022, we had hoped to keep our price as reasonable as possible. While our costs have increased by over 30% in the past year, and 10% the year before that. Paper, toner, and other supplies (wearing parts on the press, staples, etc.) After a year and a half, and as we get ready to start our third year of publication, we can no longer put off a rise in the price. The struggle with raising the cover price, and the subsequent change in subscription prices is that you need to raise it enough to avoid having to raise it again in the same year.
Part of the issue revolves around the US Postal Service requiring that we charge “Above Nominal Cost” Basically this means we have to charge more for each paper, on average, than we pay for printing. Right now, with a 1-year subscription, we generally don’t meet that requirement with the Daily edition. The Sunday edition was never even close to above production cost, which was originally why we didn’t allow mail delivery of the Sunday edition. Starting January 26th, we will have the Sunday edition able to be delivered by the Postal Service. Sunday papers will have to go out Monday, so subscribers who receive all the papers will likely get Sunday and Tuesday either on the same day or just one day apart.
Now, for people with active prepaid subscriptions, you needn’t worry, we’ll be changing the RENEWAL price of your subscription, but what you have paid for will not change. You will not need to pay anything more for your current subscription. Persons with Autopay and EasyPay will not see their subscription price change until after January 27th. Prepaid rates will change on January 6th. Subscriptions that can not be changed will be canceled and we will try to reach out to those folks to set up new subscriptions. All EasyPay subscriptions will be moving to regulate AutoPay, and it is required that we have permission to charge the card on file for you, we’ll drop off an authorization form that our card processor requires to be filled out.
At this time, the yearly discount has been eliminated for both print and digital editions. It is hoped that by not having the annual discount, we can avoid getting into situations where we are selling the paper for less than the print production costs. This also greatly simplifies ordering the paper. Now there are just two options, prepaid subscriptions, and AutoPay, and either Daily editions (Tue & Thur), Sunday editions, or both. As a rule, publishers don’t make a lot, if anything, off of the subscription or even cover prices, and if distribution is taken into account, each issue represents a loss to the company.
Author: Staff
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