Unconventional Career Idea💡 Start a Modern Newspaper

I have a theory, friends: offline is the new online. 😱

Everyone loves the idea of a simpler life—and current trends prove it.

• First, there’s the Cottagecore craze.
  People are ditching the city hustle for the pastoral dream. Think cozy cottages 🏡, homegrown veggies 🥕, baking bread from scratch 🥖, and flower crowns. 🌷 It’s all about living that slow, dreamy, rustic life. (Minus snakes showing up in your bathroom sink! How am I even coherent right now?!) ANYYYYWAYYYYY, speaking of rural dreams: you know which state’s the top state for incoming residents right now? OKLAHOMA. And let’s not forget about the plethora of countries who are offering people hard, cold cash if they want to move to a rural area. (Japan, for example, is offering $7,600 per child for families moving out of greater Tokyo to counter urban overcrowding.)
• You know what else is trending? Analog everything.
  Film cameras are cool again, mechanical watches are in-demand, fountain pens are making writing sexy again, shows like Strangers Things give us major 80s nostalgia, paper planners and notebooks are HUGE, and vinyl records are outselling CDs for the first time in decades. (I’m so on board with this.)
• “Dumb phones” that do literally nothing are all the rage.
  They’re basic. You can’t browse. No apps. All you can do is call, text, and take pics. DOESN’T THAT SOUND LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR? My point exactly. (Vice rates the best dumb phones for 2024 here.)
• Smart typewriters, which let you type like you’re typing on an old-fashioned typewriter, but save your work to the cloud, are deeeefinitely trending.
  My favorite one is this super freakin’ cute lemon-yellow Free Write. 🍋 📝 ⌨️ Obsessed! But also, The Traveler version is so cool, too—for obvious “Gotta go to Scotland on a whim” reasons. (Seriously, I think I need to get that lemon one, gahhhhhhhhhh.)
• Vintage AF aesthetics.
  We’re seeing retro fashion throwbacks (think bell bottoms, neon colors, oversized blazers, high socks, high-waisted jeans), old-fashioned board games, original consoles like Sega and Gameboy, vintage bikes, and retro appliances (like Smeg).
• Anything hand-crafted = 🔥.
  Think woodworking, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, macramé, resin art, calligraphy, hand-lettering—alllllllllll things done with the hands. A few years back, I started knitting these big, chunky wool blankets for the express purpose of giving myself something to do offline. (We Are Knitters is AMAZING. I order from them all the time. Then, while walking through Madrid one day, I came upon an actual We Are Knitters store and almost fainted. But, to my point, even their official company mission is “to help create and support a “knitting renaissance.” YES TO THAT WORD. This is what I’m talking about.)
• Gardening is also, like, cool????
  It’s that whole reconnecting with nature thing. And, companies worldwide are making it chic again. Lettuce Grow (co-founded by Zooey Deschanel!) sells ADORABLE hydroponic farm stands that make it easy to grow fresh produce at home. Modern Sprout sells smart, stylish, supppper cute grow systems like this insane wallmounted planter that looks like a picture frame. (If only my mom could have afforded one of those back when I was growing up—I wish I could buy it for her now as a gift.) Back to the Roots is all about reconnecting with nature through urban gardening kits. The Sill is a gorgeous website where you can order designer houseplants. (I sent one to my literary agent last year and she loved it!)
• Slow, experiential travel is in, vacations are out.
  You know, where you get to actually experience unique, meaningful activities that let you connect to a place authentically, rather than just getting drunk on $20 margaritas with loutish Americans at Señor Frogs? 🤢 This study showed that 93-96% of Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X respondents were down to slow travel, with 85% of Boomers also showing interest​. Italy, by the way, is the #1 spot in the world for slow travel. (No surprise there, have you ever eaten CHEESE?) And this, right here, is where it really lands for me: average “vacation-ey” activities, like staying by the pool, shopping, and nightlife were the least popular incentives to travel. (Thank fucking god.)

Yup, offline is cool for the first time since online became a thing.

Online is exhausting.

Right now, people want to wrap themselves in a warm, cozy blanket of nostalgia, yearning for a time when things felt a bit simpler and more authentic and grounded.

And THAT is why I have a mega hypothesis that old-school newspapers—believe it or not!—are going to make a come back—big time.

But, not the old, stodgy newspapers of the past.

The modern newspaper is Instagram meets newsletters…in print.

It’s fun and lightweight. It’s artsy and stylish. There’s funky typography. Bright colors. Cool photographs. And the voice-driven, opinion-riddled content of a blogger, not a journalist. (Because blogging is coming back too—you’ve heard, right? 🤩)

I predict this is going to make a comeback because of the way “offline” is massively trending upward—it only stands that we would want to do more reading offline, too.

While books are the obvious offline choice, a fun and lightweight “lifestyle paper” is actually more in line with today’s diminishing attention spans.

Books take days to read.
Papers take moments.

So, I started thinking about how this would work as a modern-day business model.

And, of course, you know who I found WHO IS ALREADY DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR?!

The Happy News, by Emily Coxhead. 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍

How amazing is she?! It’s precisely what I was picturing. According to the website, The Happy News has 20,000 subscribers in 33 different countries.

The newspaper comes out once per quarter.

A subscription costs ~$10 USD every quarter.

That’s $40/year per subscriber…….and 20,000 subscribers……which is $800,000 USD / year in revenue.

I’D SAY NEWSPAPERS ARE PRETTY COOL.

(P.S. This was based on the cost of shipping worldwide.)

So, you can have a million-dollar business printing your own adorable newspaper—and guess what?

People are going to love reading it offline.

While Emily’s is a global pub, I actually think it would be neat to begin with a local publication if you were just starting. Why???

• It’s easier to get traction when you’re local
• Marketing is so much easier (thanks, word of mouth)
• You can make a name for yourself in your community (which could be a great springboard to other opportunities)
• You can create something you’re proud of
• You can make a local impact
• And you can choose a topic that is personally fulfilling—and, isn’t that the point of creative work?

You might not have 20,000 people in your town or county or place or prison, but your publishing cadence could also be monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly. That means that even if you only had 5,000 subscribers, if they were paying $10/month (instead of $10/quarter), that’s $120/year/subscriber.

$120/year/subscriber x 5,000 subscribers = $600,000 annual revenue.

Ugh, can you stand the juiciness?! MATH.

You can get paid to do what you love—sometimes it’s just a matter of getting out there and making an ass out of yourself first. 💪

Curious about this career? Want to go down the rabbit hole? Want to daydream about how you’d get started, how much it would cost, and how it would all work? Or, do you do something similar (newsletters, publishing, books), and just want some fresh ideas?

I’ve written up an advanced-level Cool Creative Career Plan just for you. 💨 ⬇️

Cool Creative Career Plans are available exclusively to paid subscribers of The Middle Finger Project for those seeking fresh ideas and inspiration! 🥳

Highly, highly recommend if you’re feeling burned out and looking for some exciting new options.

Next: The Modern Newspaper Publisher Career Plan (Advanced)

Career Title: Modern Newspaper Publisher

Career Overview: Write and publish a local “modern newspaper” focused on a topic you love.

Revenue Potential (Let’s Dream!):

AT $10/MONTH
$75,000 annual revenue for an audience of 625 subscribers at $10/month.$150,000 annual revenue for an audience of 1,250 subscribers at $10/month.$300,000 annual revenue for an audience of 2,500 subscribers, at $10/month.$600,000 annual revenue for an audience of 5,000 subscribers, at $10/month.
$1,200,000 annual revenue for an audience of 10,000 subscribers, at $10/month.
$2,400,000 annual revenue for an audience of 20,000 subscribers, at $10/month.

AT $20/MONTH
$150,000 annual revenue for an audience of 625 subscribers at $10/month.$300,000 annual revenue for an audience of 1,250 subscribers at $10/month.$600,000 annual revenue for an audience of 2,500 subscribers, at $10/month.$1,200,000 annual revenue for an audience of 5,000 subscribers, at $10/month.
$2,400,000 annual revenue for an audience of 10,000 subscribers, at $10/month.
$4,800,000 annual revenue for an audience of 20,000 subscribers, at $10/month.

AT $10/QUARTER
$25,000 annual revenue for an audience of 625 subscribers at $10/quarter.$50,000 annual revenue for an audience of 1,250 subscribers at $10/quarter.$100,000 annual revenue for an audience of 2,500 subscribers, at $10/quarter.$200,000 annual revenue for an audience of 5,000 subscribers, at $10/quarter.
$400,000 annual revenue for an audience of 10,000 subscribers, at $10/quarter.
$800,000 annual revenue for an audience of 20,000 subscribers, at $10/quarter.

AT $20/QUARTER

$50,000 annual revenue for an audience of 625 subscribers at $10/quarter.$100,000 annual revenue for an audience of 1,250 subscribers at $10/quarter.$200,000 annual revenue for an audience of 2,500 subscribers, at $10/quarter.$400,000 annual revenue for an audience of 5,000 subscribers, at $10/quarter.
$800,000 annual revenue for an audience of 10,000 subscribers, at $10/quarter.
$1,600,000 annual revenue for an audience of 20,000 subscribers, at $10/quarter.

As you can see, it pays to publish monthly 🫶, if you can….and this is only counting direct reader subscriptions.

It doesn’t even take ad revenue into consideration—an optional additional form of revenue.

What you can charge for a subscription depends on four things:

1. Who the reader is (affluence, disposable income, location).
2. How unique the content is (is it hard to find anywhere else?)
3. How in-demand the content is (is this timely, interesting, and important to the community?)
4. How great the content is (do you have a fresh voice with a fresh perspective that people love to read?)

In addition, it’s worth noting that some communities don’t have the luxury of leisure time, let alone the disposable income to support such a luxury. Therefore, this is also a factor to consider. Is this a viable product in your community of choice? It may not be.

If you’re wondering where to get started with pricing, I always advocate for starting low, and then slowly raising your rates over time. That way, you can get folks on board without too much friction, allow them to try the product, and then build from there.

If it were me, I’d likely start with a, $10/month product, and then adjust from there. Remember: the more specialized your content, the higher you can charge. That’s why newsletters specifically for doctors, for example, would be more expensive than a general interest newsletter: the highly specialized content makes it more valuable, because there’s less supply.

Supply & demand applies.

Now, that’s only revenue from reader subscriptions.

What happens if we add in advertising revenue as well?

Let’s talk about advertising.

It’s a litttttle different than online advertising, because you’re in a local community, and therefore your readership is local. 🏡

Advertisers want to reach readers, right? That’s the idea.

Therefore, the only advertisers who are really going to care about reaching 5,000 people in Nebraska are going to be local businesses.

So, local newspapers do well with local advertisers. This is a local game.

And, a fun one!

Here are some ideas for the types of ads I think would work well:

• Native Ads:
  These are ads that look juuuuust like your regular content, so the reader still gets a great experience (and useful info!)—but, it’s a paid placement. For example, you might write an article titled “How to Turn Your Cracked Concrete into a Gorgeous Stone Patio,” and it’s written in your voice, and it contains awesome, useful information, except it’s paid for by an advertiser—and that advertiser is a local masonry company that specializes in stone patios. That company would then be recommended at the end as a local source to call if this is something you want professional help doing. See how that works? The content fits natively into the publication, and instead of feeling like a disruption. This is my favorite way to advertise, because I’m big on crafting great user experiences. The only thing you need to do is make sure you mention it’s a sponsored post, to stay above board from an ethics perspective.
  
  Another example?
  
  Let’s say you have four local pizzerias who want to advertise with you. (Wow, weird that’s spelled with an ‘e’.) So, in order to create the best results for the pizzerias (AKA get the most people calling them), you decide you’re going to do a whole section on “How to Make Hella Good Pizza at Home.” Then, you invite each one of your pizzeria advertisers to contribute their best tips. It’s counterintuitive to logic, because most people would think, “But isn’t that against my best interest? I don’t want them to make pizza at home, I want them to come to my shop!” And yes! I get it. But, believe it or not, you’ll end up getting MUCH better results. Because instead of people skipping over your random ad in the back of the paper, people will actually read an article they’re interested in—in this case, about making damn good pizza at home—and that means what? That they’re interested in damn good pizza. So, this is prime real estate to put our pizzeria advertisers front and center: because we have the exact attention of the people they’re trying to reach. And so, the strategy here is to ask each pizzeria to give us one of their best tips for making great pizza at home. And in reading that article, all the sudden readers are going: oh, wow, I didn’t even know that one place existed! Or, oh wow, I haven’t tried that place in forever—let’s give them a call tonight. The idea here is that you’re crafting content around your advertisers’ businesses, to increase the odds that their ads will be seen . (You can also just place traditional ads next to contextually relevant content—it’s not as effective, but it works, too.)
  
• Contextually Relevant Ads:
  You know what I kinda sorta gripe at? Those sections in traditional newspapers that are just a wall of random square little ads. You know which ones I mean. 🤣 None of them make sense together, they’re all a hodgepodge of babysitters and mechanics and chicken barbecues, which means I need to actually want to sit down and *read* ads in order for those ads to actually work. The job of an ad is to get people to call the business, but if I’m not reading through a page of ads, and I don’t see the ad, and I don’t care about the ad, then I’m not placing that call. And that means the advertiser’s ad did not work. (And they’ve just lost money.) That is not good for you as a publisher, because it means your product does not work.
  
  This is why I like contextually relevant ads: they let us service our readers while also servicing our advertisers and making for a great balance of “here’s what’s useful” and also “here’s who might be able to help!”
  
  Contextually relevant ads are the cute little cousin of native ads.
  
  The same concept applies—an article + related advertiser(s)—except instead of including them in the article itself, you would simply pair up content + relevant advertising.
  
  So maybe, for example, you pick out four of your advertisers that have different, but related, businesses. Let’s say one is a yoga studio, one is a gym, one is a health food store, and one sells athletic wear.
  
  You would strategically create content that would vibe with these kinds of customers, and then place their four ads alongside your article. While these types would look more like traditional ads, they are still contextually relevant: they’re next to content that is getting the right eyeballs. So, the ads have a higher chance of being seen and acted on, than if they were just stuck in the back.
  
  This is a great way to create content for lots of advertisers: create groups with similar customers, and then create content for each group. And voila! Now you’ve got a content strategy.
  
  Who is advertising would dictate which topics you’re discussing that month.
  
  Also, you can always create a proper editorial calendar with pre-planned themed “months”—for example, April is spring cleaning month, May is home improvement month, June is garden month, etc. Then, what you can do is seek out businesses who are non-advertisers, and let them know: Hey! We’ve got garden month coming up this June. We’d love to see if we can get your garden center in front of 10,000 local eyeballs. Want to try an ad this year? Here’s what we recommend, and here’s how other advertisers similar to you are performing. (This is how the pros do it!)
  
• Directories & Listings
  Oh, do I like this one. The concept is simple: you include a badass directory in your paper, and inclusion is a paid ad.
  
  Do you know how many people I’ve met here in this town who don’t have any idea how to find great contractors? It seems like all the people from Jersey, Philly, NYC can’t get anyone to come out. They don’t know people. And no one has websites.
  
  Me, on the other hand, grew up here. So I’ve got contacts. I’ve got connections. It isn’t hard for me to get people to come do work on the house.
  
  WHICH IS WHY I know something like a vetted directory would be a hit: imagine having a local blackbook you could consult anytime you needed plumbing, or HVAC, or electrical, or roofing. The key to this, of course, is making sure you have a trusted relationship with your readers; that your brand is trusted, because you don’t want to promote folks who don’t live up to your standards, or who would negatively impact your reputation.
  
  This is why applying to be considered for these types of directories—and then charging a premium—is a good strategy.
  
  I like this one because it’s simple and straight forward, though: you could republish this every week / month / quarter with an updated list, and it’s recurring advertising money in your pocket (with less work than writing native ads each time, etc.)
  
  Note!!! This could be its own standalone product. 😉 I know everyone thinks that the internet tells you everything, but most of the people I know here who are available to do work like this, aren’t online.
  
• Listicles
  This is where you create a top 10 list of small businesses around town that [insert category]. For example, local businesses who are women-owned. Or local businesses who give back to the community. Or local businesses who specialize in X. Or local businesses you can call when you need a gift.
  
  Rather than having a permanent directory, this is a one-time article that provides useful and timely curation. (Like 10 businesses that have awesome Mother’s Day gifts.)
  
  However, the benefits are the same: first, it offers excellent context. (And therefore higher conversions.) Second, however, it still works well from a sales perspective: if you’re putting together a top 10 list of all of the best wine bars in town, this is an opportunity to reach out to non-advertisers and say, “Hey! I’m curating this list. We’d love for you to apply for a chance to be featured.” In applying, they’d go through a vetting process to make sure they are a business you’d be proud to represent. Then, upon acceptance, they’d be welcomed in as an advertiser, and would be featured in the section. The key for this, to me, is making sure they actually apply and you actually have standards, so your readers actually trust your recommendations. Just taking random people’s money, even if they’re a crap business, is a surefire way to lose trust and credibility, fast. Plus, it’s just ick. And the third benefit??? Because it’s a one-time article, it’s a great way for you to get potential advertisers who are on the fence, to give it a try. They can then see how well the paper works for them—and then possibly commit to being listed in a more permanent directory (for example). This works as a great downsell when an advertiser doesn’t want to commit, says they don’t have the budget, or is just playing hard to get. (You could even throw in a free “include” if you’re trying to sell a bigger package.)
  
• And finally? If You’re Gonna Do a Page of Ads, YOU Control What’s Written. 😉
  
  A page of ads isn’t necessarily bad—so long as people actually want to read them! I think one of the biggest mistakes is letting advertisers submit their own ads. Not only is it lazy, it’s also going to almost guarantee lackluster results: most local businesses are not graphic designers, and they’re not copywriters. That means that their ads are going to look amateur, and that means they won’t convert—AND it also means your paper is going to take on a less valuable appeal.
  
  If I were going to do a wall of ads, you know what I’d do?
  
  I’d write ‘em myself—and I’d make ‘em funny and compelling.
  
  I might also do something completely off-the-wall, to get (and keep!) everyone’s attention every week. Maybe I’d come up with a theme every week, and then write every ad according to that theme. (Like “Things You Should Never Say at the Dinner Table,” or “Facts You Wish You Never Knew,” or “Worst Dates Ever,” and each ad would be written to the theme, according to the advertiser and their business.
  
  YES, that is a lot of work. YES, it would also be more interesting and fresh. This would be a fun way to compliment a traditional directory, so that way if you’re looking for something straight forward, you’d easily be able to find it, but if you’re also looking to “scan the latest,” you’d have some fun doing it.

So, you’ve got a few different ideas to get the wheels turning on types of ads you could sell. But, how much would you charge for them?

Newspaper ads are sold a litttttle differently than newsletter ads. That’s because there are more costs involved with printing a newspaper—and limited space. (Unlike online, where you can have all the space you want.)

This would be true for your local paper, too.

There are a number of factors that go into newspaper ads:

• How many readers you’ve got
• What day of the week they’re reading (certain days have more readers)
• The size of the ad - bigger ads obviously are priced higher
• And the type of ad—Is it a native ad (with only one advertiser being featured)? Is it a contextual ad, where you’re sharing the spotlight with other advertisers? Is it a general listing, on a page of ads? Is it something else?

The good news is, this can add up quickly! Businesses of all types are always looking for one thing, and one thing only: customers. If you can send ‘em customers, you’ll have a booming business for life. And that, really, is all you need to consider when it comes to building a newspaper biz.

Google “newspaper advertising rates” if you want to go down the rabbit hole on this!


Costs of Printing a Local Newspaper

In all my research, the best place I found for this, hands down, was Newspaper Club.

These guys are THE COOLEST.

They’re out of the UK, but advertise fast delivery worldwide. This might be tough if you were running a weekly newspaper, but a bi-weekly or monthly would be a breeze!

Seriously, I searched high and low for anyone even close to approximating Newspaper Club’s sense of passion, modernity, hipness, and sense of trustworthiness, and came up short. Mega short. (Am I delusional? Are there any other companies you know of? Leave a comment, if so!)

I even ordered samples from them to check out the product, and omg, IN LOVE. The size and type I liked the most was the “Digital Tabloid.” It’s like a little magazine, and the colors were soooo sharp. It’s not 100% like a newspaper, since it’s not printed on real newspaper, but damn it’s close. You CAN also get traditional newspaper, but you’ve got to print a minimum of 500 copies. (Whereas a digital tabloid can be printed for as few as four copies—but it’s more expensive, per copy.)

The traditional broadsheet and digital broadsheet (like the newspapers you’re used to that are huge and unfold) were also kind of cool, for their nostalgia, but if the goal is a modern publication, I think the tabloid is better.

I also tested what they call “The Mini,” which is like a brochure, but it immediately brought to mind an STD pamphlet you’d find at the doctor’s office. I’ll let you be the judge of that!

To give you an idea, here’s what it would cost to print 500 copies from Newspaper Club:

• Traditional Newspaper (Like a Real Newspaper), 500 copies, 10 pages, printed on the most basic: Average ~ $2K / run
• Tabloid Newspaper (Like a Magazine), 500 copies, 12 pages, printed on the most basic: Average ~ $1500 / run
• Mini Newspaper (Like a Pamphlet), 500 copies, 16 pages, printed on the most basic: Average ~1200 /run

Little more expensive than running a digital newsletter, for sure (which is always an option), but because of the nostalgia factor, the tangible nature of the product, and the perceived value, you are able to charge more for the newspaper. In a perfect world, we’d like those costs to even out. So just be mindful of what it would also cost to do business, and make sure that’s factored in.

Pros of This Remote Career

• High potential for personal fulfillment
• Creative and interesting
• Always a different story to cover
• Can use a range of creative skills, from writing to photography to illustration and more
• Positions you as a business leader in your local community
• Opens up doors to you in ways you couldn’t imagine
• Provides a healthy income
• You’d be a shoe-in with the local community (customers!)
• Fun to make—who doesn’t want their own newspaper?
  

Cons of This Remote Career

• You (probably) gotta have an office space someplace—this is a very physical product.
• You’ll likely have to have your printed newspapers shipped to your office, and then from there package and label them accordingly
• You’ll also likely need to take one million trips to the post office, to ship out your goods
• You’re highly dependent on another vendor for your product (in this case, newspaper printers)
• It’s time sensitive, and deadlines can’t be missed
• It requires detailed organization and thoroughness
• You may run into workload overload, if you’re trying to do this all yourself
• You may also run into the fact that you hate managing people, LOL

Overall, however, this seems like a remote career slam dunk—so long as the positives outweigh the negatives in your world.

Do you happen to have any experience doing something like this—or know someone who does?! Would love to hear YOUR own experience / tips / watch-out-for / career wisdom in the comments!

We could ALL use your advice. 🗯️