Many of you have asked if Coilhouse Magazine would ever open up its doors to small, independent advertisers. Up until this point, we’ve only been able to offer full-page ads to larger companies like Fluevog and Dr. Martens, and very successful indie outfits such as Plastik Wrap and Wildilocks, making it difficult for smaller advertisers (Etsy sellers, comic publishers, music labels, etc.) to reach our audience.

We heard your requests, and we’re excited to present a new way for small businesses to advertise in Coilhouse: a stylish, NotCot-inspired format, similar to what you see above (see it in high-res PDF here). The idea is simple: each advertiser gets one photo, one title, one URL, and a couple of lines of description text. You don’t need to have any graphic design skills, and your business will be presented attractively within our pages.

Print advertising can get pretty expensive. A one-time, full-page ad in Nylon cost $21,638 in 2008. A similar page in Inked will cost you $14,323. Although a full page in Coilhouse is very affordable by comparison (at $1,500), it’s still outside the reach of many smaller businesses, who are oftentimes the most relevant to our audience. It is for you guys that we created this new format, which runs $99-149 per issue, per spot.

We’re offering this new format as of Issue 03, and the closing date for accepting ads is Friday, June 12th. If you’re interested, please drop us a line. Ads will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, and spots are limited.

After the jump, a FAQ regarding this new format.

Who can advertise?
Anyone. Bands, record labels, crafters and artists. Jewelry designers, photographers who sell prints of their work, soapmakers, letterpress printers, vinyl toy designers, authors, needlecrafters, vintage upcyclers.

Can I get some stats?
Of course! Magazine distribution info, circulation, stats and other information can be found in our media kit, which we will send to you once you contact us.

What should I put in my email when I contact you?
Describe your business. Include title, URL, a selection of photos and a short, catchy description. Let us know if you’re interested in advertising in Issue 03, or later issues.

How does the pricing work?
If you commit to advertising in one issue, a square costs $149. If you commit to two issues in a row (Issue 04, Issue 05), the rate drops to $129 per issue. For three issues, the rate is $119. And if you commit to 4 or more issues, the rate goes down to $99. If you’re taking advantage of the multiple rate, you have to pay for at least two issues in advance. We will trust you to honor your commitment and pay for subsequent issues at a later date if you commit to 3, 4 or more.

Do I get a free advertiser’s copy?
You sure do! Technically, this drops your ad rate down to around $79-$129, assuming you were planning on buying a copy anyway, and live in the states.

How does payment work?
Payment has to be made in full before the closing date (in this case, June 12th). We accept PayPal.

Who handles the graphic design?
We do. All you have to do is send us your image and text, and we’ll send you back your ad square for approval.

Can I get some guidance when choosing my image and writing copy?
Absolutely. One of the Coilhouse editors will be working with you to advise on best practices, should you need help. You’ll be able to preview the final ad before it goes to print.

What image format do you accept?
Preferred format is JPGs and TIFs in the largest file size you have. If there’s an issue with image quality, we will let you know.

How long can my description be?
One or two short, impactful sentences should do the trick. The limit is 130 characters, about the same as a Twitter update. For examples of what you could write, see this high-res PDF of a sample ad page.

I’m not an advertiser, but a reader. Since you’re developing this new ad initiative, does this mean that the magazine will go down in price?
One of our long-term goals is making the magazine more affordable to readers around the world. However, even if we got lucky and accepted 10 full-page ads and 48 of these little ads into our next issue, it still wouldn’t equal the amount it takes to do one print run of an issue Coilhouse at its current quality. While we hope that eventually we’ll be successful enough to have the means to make the magazine more affordable, these things take time for an independent magazine – sometimes, it takes years.

Who is featured in your mockup?
Good question! Starting from the top and going row-by-row: Cyberoptix, Von Claret Couture, HMS Latex, Lochers, Louise Black, Miasmah Records, Mother of London, Scarlett Takes Manhattan by Molly Crabapple, Stuntkid, Topsy Turvy Design, and Folded Pigs.

Who designed your ad grid?
That would be the awesomely talented Nubby Twiglet. Thanks, Nubby!

Don’t hesitate to drop us a line with further questions. We lookforward to hearing from you!

Posted by Coilhouse on June 3rd, 2009
Filed under Advertising, Coilhouse