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Plan the issue. Price the work.

Outline the first issue you intend to publish, enter realistic time and operating costs, and download a clean text worksheet you can keep or bring to a software demo.

Everything stays in your browser tab: entries are never sent to a server or saved between visits. Download your .txt copy before closing the tab. All currency fields use USD.

Live cost totals and file downloads require JavaScript. You can still read the full step-by-step framework in the local-newsletter launch plan.

Define a publication you can run Place and target reader What the issue helps the reader do First issue outline Sources to verify before publication Tasks to ask the seller to demonstrate

Record what you have planned I have written a sample issue. I have a plan for checking the facts in each issue. I have listed the domain and email tasks to demonstrate. I have identified who will maintain each listing or event. I have questions about export, support, and package charges.

Enter your cost assumptions Setup cost (USD) Monthly operating cost (USD) Monthly audience growth budget (USD) Publishing hours per week Value of an hour of work (USD) Net amount per paid placement (USD) Months to recover setup cost

The costs your plan needs to cover

An arithmetic scenario using your inputs, not a prediction of sponsorship sales. Dollar totals are displayed rounded to cents. Placement counts use unrounded totals.

Monthly cash expenses: Enable JavaScript
Monthly labor allowance: Enable JavaScript
Monthly setup recovery: Enable JavaScript
Monthly cost target: Enable JavaScript
Paid placements needed to cover modeled costs: Enable JavaScript

How the cost calculation works

Cash expenses = monthly operating cost + audience growth budget. Labor = hours per week x value per hour x 52 / 12. Setup recovery = setup cost / recovery months. Cost target = cash + labor + setup recovery. Placements = cost target / net placement amount, rounded up. A zero net placement amount leaves the placement count unset.

The model treats your entered weekly workload as constant across a 52-week year and spreads it across 12 months. It omits taxes, financing, and expenses you have not entered. Use a placement amount after any direct fees or delivery costs.

Compare Local Media Empire with the work you planned

Affiliate promotion: we may earn a commission if you purchase through our Local Media Empire paid link.

Bring your sample issue outline and demo questions to the seller's page. Our Local Media Empire evaluation checklist (affiliate promotion) walks through what to verify on sending, account ownership, and package terms.

Evaluate Local Media Empire (affiliate promotion)

For the cited CAN-SPAM, authentication, and advertising rules behind these checks, read the local-newsletter launch guide.

Keep the worksheet with your publishing plan

This article is informational and is not a substitute for a legal, tax, or business review of your own publication.

CI Tripwire Editorial has not commissioned independent expert review of this worksheet.

Read our editorial and contributor disclosure and sourcing posture.

Report an error through our corrections process.

Source posture: self-authored arithmetic using the stated assumptions; last reviewed 2026-09-30. Sending requirements are sourced in the linked launch guide.