Magazine media kit template
Fill in each section of a magazine media kit in your browser: audience, readers, editorial calendar, ad specifications, rates, deadlines and contact. Then save it as a PDF or copy it as Markdown. No sign-up, no upload.
What a magazine media kit is
A media kit is the document a magazine sends to advertisers and agencies to explain why they should buy space. It describes who reads the magazine, how many copies go out and how they reach readers, what the coming issues will cover, which ad formats are on offer, what they cost and when bookings and material are due. A good media kit answers the questions a media buyer would otherwise email you about, so the conversation can start with a booking rather than a list of questions.
The rate card is the price list that sits inside the media kit or beside it. The media kit explains why to advertise; the rate card says what it costs. If you have not set your prices yet, the free magazine ad rate card calculator turns circulation and a target CPM into a price for every page size and frequency, and you can paste the result into the rate card section above.
What advertisers look for
Advertisers are buying access to a specific audience, so the readership profile and circulation carry the most weight. Be precise about what your numbers mean: copies printed, copies distributed and readers per copy are different figures, and a buyer will compare like with like. Say where each figure comes from and when it was measured. A number with a source and a date is more convincing than a larger one without.
After the audience, buyers look for fit and practicality. The editorial calendar shows which issues match their campaign or season. The specifications tell their designer exactly what to supply: trim size, bleed, type area and file format. Clear deadlines for booking, cancellation and material, plus payment terms, show that the magazine is easy to work with. Finish with a named contact, so the buyer knows who will answer.
Digital options belong in the same kit. Newsletter sponsorships, website placements, sponsored articles and events let an advertiser reach your readers between issues, and some advertisers will ask for print and digital together as one package.
How often to update it
Review the media kit at least once a year, before the main selling season for the next year’s issues, and whenever something an advertiser relies on changes: circulation, frequency, page sizes, prices or deadlines. Put a “valid from” date on every version, so an advertiser holding an old PDF can see it is out of date. Keep one master copy and export from it, instead of editing old PDFs, so the figures stay the same everywhere you publish them.
For the wider process of setting rates from your costs, see the guide to building a media kit and rate card.
Keep your rate card, bookings and flatplan in one place with RunMags advertising sales.
