Magazine publishing glossary

The last date an advertiser can book space in a particular issue. It usually falls a few days before the material deadline, so the sales team knows the final ad count and the production team can fix the page count. Late bookings after ad close are possible only if a page or position is still free and production agrees.

The share of pages in an issue given to advertising compared with editorial content, often written as 40:60 or 45:55. Publishers set a target ratio so readers still get enough journalism and advertisers are not lost in clutter. When bookings run ahead of plan, the ratio is the reason to add pages rather than squeeze articles.

Paid content written in the style of an editorial article, usually produced with or for the advertiser. Readers and many advertising codes expect it to be clearly marked, for example with "Advertisement" or "Sponsored" at the top. Advertorials are priced like display space or higher, because they need writing, design and approval time.

The discount a media agency keeps when it books advertising on behalf of a client, traditionally 15% of the gross rate. The publisher invoices the agency the gross price minus commission. Recording which bookings came through an agency matters for invoicing, for the rate the client really paid and for paying any sales commission correctly.

An independent body that checks a publisher’s circulation claims against records and publishes the result, so advertisers can trust the numbers. BPA Worldwide is common for B2B and controlled-circulation titles, AAM in North America and ABC in the UK. An audit reports paid, qualified and complimentary copies per issue, often broken down by region or job function.

A copy of an earlier issue that is sold or sent after its on-sale period ends. Readers order back issues for a specific article, collectors fill gaps, and advertisers sometimes ask for one as evidence. Publishers keep a stock of unsold copies for this, and need to know how many remain before promising one.

RunMags handles back-issue orders alongside subscription orders. See subscription sales in RunMags.

Artwork that extends beyond the edge of the trimmed page, normally by 3 mm (or 0.125 in) on each side, so no white strip appears if the guillotine cuts slightly off. A full-page "bleed ad" is supplied larger than the trim size. Ad specifications should state the bleed, trim and safe area for every size you sell.

The share of subscribers who do not renew or who cancel during a period. Monthly churn of 3% means roughly a third of the base must be replaced every year just to stand still. Measure it by cohort and by acquisition source, because gift and discounted subscriptions usually churn faster than full-price ones.

Read more: How to reduce magazine subscription renewal churn.

Free distribution to readers who meet set criteria, such as job title or industry, common in trade and B2B magazines. Readers usually fill in a qualification form and must requalify regularly, often every year, to stay on the list. Advertisers pay for the guaranteed reach into that defined audience instead of a paying readership.

Read more: A guide to magazine circulation management.

Cost per mille, the price of reaching one thousand readers, copies or impressions. Divide the ad price by the circulation (or impressions) and multiply by 1,000. A EUR 2,000 page in a 40,000-copy magazine has a CPM of EUR 50. Buyers use CPM to compare print, newsletters and websites on the same basis.

A document that reduces or cancels an invoice already issued, also called a credit memo. Instead of editing or deleting the original invoice, which tax rules in most countries forbid, you issue a credit note that refers to it. Typical reasons are a wrong price, a cancelled booking or an ad that did not run.

RunMags issues credit notes. See billing and payments in RunMags.

The file of names and addresses that receive a particular issue, sent to the printer, mailing house or postal operator. It is built from active subscriptions, controlled-circulation readers, complimentary copies and advertiser copies at the moment the issue closes. Errors here show up as missing copies and complaints a few days later.

RunMags creates distribution batches for subscription copies. See subscription sales in RunMags.

The process of chasing payments that failed or were not made, such as an expired card on a recurring subscription. A dunning sequence retries the charge on a schedule and sends reminders asking the customer to update payment details. Good dunning recovers a large part of the "involuntary" churn that otherwise looks like cancellations.

Read more: A guide to recurring magazine subscriber billing.

The plan of themes, features and special sections for the coming issues, often published a year ahead in the media kit. Advertisers use it to book space next to relevant content, for example a heating supplier in the energy issue. Changes to the calendar should be shared with the sales team before they reach clients.

A page-by-page map of an issue showing where each advertisement, article and section falls, usually drawn as spreads of small thumbnails. Editors and production staff use it to balance ads and editorial, keep facing pages sensible and lock the final page count. It changes many times until the issue goes to print.

In RunMags the flatplan is built from booked advertising orders. See the RunMags flatplan.

Read more: How to plan a magazine flatplan.

A lower price per insertion for advertisers who book several issues, for example 10% off for three insertions and 15% off for six. It rewards commitment and makes revenue easier to forecast. State on the rate card whether the discount is lost, or charged back, if the advertiser cancels part of the series.

A subscription paid for by one person and delivered to another. The publisher must keep two records apart: the payer, who receives the invoice and the renewal offer, and the recipient, who receives the magazine. Gift subscriptions peak before holidays and tend to renew less often unless the renewal is sent to the right person.

RunMags supports gift subscriptions. See subscription sales in RunMags.

An issue sent after a subscription has expired, while renewal reminders are still going out. It keeps the reader engaged and avoids a gap if they renew late. Publishers usually allow one or two grace issues, and decide in advance whether a renewal starts from the expiry date or from the date of payment.

The written booking an advertiser or agency sends to confirm an ad: publication, issue, size, position, price and any discounts. It is the document both sides rely on if the invoice is disputed. Many publishers answer an insertion order with their own contract or order confirmation, so the terms are clear.

RunMags records advertising bookings as contracts with order rows per channel and produces the contract PDF. See advertising sales in RunMags.

Read more: Free insertion order template.

A subscription defined by a number of issues, such as 10 issues, rather than by calendar time. It suits magazines with irregular schedules, because a delayed issue does not shorten what the reader paid for. The opposite is a time-based subscription, for example one year, which ends on a date whatever was published.

RunMags supports both issue-based and time-based subscriptions. See subscription sales in RunMags.

A free replacement ad given when a booked ad ran with a fault: wrong position, a printing problem, an old version or a missed issue. The makegood normally runs in a later issue at the same size. Agree in your terms whether the advertiser can choose a makegood or a credit note instead.

The date by which advertisers must deliver finished artwork for an issue, sometimes called the copy deadline. It is set from the print date backwards, leaving time to check files and fix problems. Missing material is one of the most common reasons for a late issue, so many publishers send reminders a week before.

Read more: How to collect advertiser artwork without chasing.

The sales document that presents the magazine to advertisers: who the readers are, circulation and distribution, the editorial calendar, ad sizes and specifications, and contact details. The rate card is often part of it. A good media kit answers the buyer’s questions before the first call and is updated at least once a year.

Advertising placed in an email newsletter, such as a banner, a sponsored block or the "presented by" slot in the header. It is sold per send, per week or per month, and reported with opens and clicks. Many magazines package it with print so one advertiser reaches readers in both formats.

RunMags puts newsletter order rows on the same contract as print, and its newsletter statistics remove bot clicks. See email tools in RunMags.

The optional EU scheme, in place since July 2021, for declaring VAT on sales to consumers in other member states. Above a combined EUR 10,000 a year of cross-border consumer sales, such as digital subscriptions and print copies shipped abroad, VAT is due at the reader’s country rate. OSS lets the publisher declare all of it in one quarterly return at home.

Copies that readers pay for, through subscriptions or single-copy sales, as opposed to free or controlled copies. Audit bureaus set rules on the minimum price a copy must carry to count as paid. Advertisers often value paid circulation because it shows the reader chose to buy the magazine.

Readers who see a copy they did not buy or receive themselves, for example in a waiting room, an office or at home. Readership surveys estimate it as readers per copy, often between two and four. Publishers use it to show advertisers a total audience larger than circulation, so the method behind the figure should be stated.

A paywall model that lets visitors read a set number of articles free in a period, for example five a month, before asking them to register or subscribe. The meter can be tuned by section or by visitor. Its counterparts are the hard paywall, where everything is paid, and freemium, where only selected articles are paid.

An ad placement that costs more because readers are more likely to see it: the inside front cover, inside back cover, outside back cover, a spread opposite the contents page or a right-hand page early in the issue. Cover positions are often written as IFC, IBC and OBC. Premium positions usually sell out first.

A customer relationship management system set up for how publishers sell: advertisers and agencies as organizations, their contacts, every call and meeting, and the bookings and invoices behind each account. A generic CRM tracks deals; a publishing CRM also needs issues, ad sizes and the history of what each advertiser ran and paid for.

The RunMags CRM keeps organizations, contacts and activities in the same system as bookings. See CRM for magazines.

The circulation figure a publisher guarantees to advertisers and uses to set ad prices. If audited circulation falls below the rate base, advertisers may claim a partial refund or a free ad. Publishers therefore set the rate base slightly below expected circulation and watch it issue by issue.

The price list for advertising: sizes and positions, price per insertion, frequency discounts, agency commission, and terms for booking, cancellation and payment. It is valid for a stated period or set of issues. Sales staff should quote from the current rate card and record any negotiated discount against it.

RunMags lets you sell bundles of ad products on one contract. See advertising sales in RunMags.

Read more: Build the media kit and rate card.

A planned sequence of reminders sent before and after a subscription expires, often five or six efforts across email and printed letters. Early efforts thank and remind; later ones add urgency or an offer. Each step should be measured, because the first two efforts usually bring in most of the renewals.

The regular renewal of a controlled-circulation reader’s request to keep receiving the magazine, with fresh answers on job role and company. Audit rules expect the data to be recent, often less than three years old, for a copy to count as qualified. Publishers run requalification campaigns by email, phone and print.

The VAT rule under which the buyer, not the seller, accounts for VAT on a cross-border business-to-business sale. A publisher selling advertising to a VAT-registered company in another EU country invoices without VAT and adds a reverse-charge note with both VAT numbers. Check the buyer’s VAT number in the EU VIES service first.

An ad placed wherever the production team finds space, with no guaranteed page or section. Run-of-book space is the cheapest on the rate card because it gives the publisher full freedom when building the flatplan. Advertisers who need a particular section or a right-hand page pay a position surcharge instead.

The inner zone of a page where text and logos must sit so they are not cut off when the page is trimmed or lost in the spine fold. It typically lies 5 to 10 mm inside the trim edge. Ad specifications show it together with the bleed and trim size, often in one diagram per ad size.

The share of copies sent to shops that are actually sold, for example 4,000 sold out of 10,000 distributed is 40% sell-through. Unsold copies are returned or destroyed and credited back to the retailer. Publishers adjust the print run and the number of stores to keep sell-through healthy without empty shelves.

Proof that an advertisement ran as booked, originally a page torn from the printed magazine and now usually a PDF of the page. Advertisers and agencies ask for tear sheets before they pay the invoice or to report to their own clients. Sending them promptly after each issue removes a common reason for late payment.

The final page size of the magazine after cutting, such as A4 (210 x 297 mm) or 8.375 x 10.875 in. Ad specifications use it for full-page ads, together with the bleed added around it and the safe area inside it. Changing the trim size means updating every ad specification and template.

Advertising that has been delivered, because the ad has run or the newsletter has been sent, but has not yet been invoiced. It is money the publisher has earned but cannot collect until an invoice exists. A regular check after each issue closes catches forgotten bookings before they become lost revenue.

Read more: A guide to advertiser invoicing and disputes.

A campaign aimed at former subscribers whose subscription lapsed, usually some months after the renewal series has ended. Lapsed readers already know the magazine, so a reminder of what they missed, a new feature or a limited offer can bring a part of them back at a lower cost than finding new subscribers.