Best of the inbox: pricing your first newsletter sponsorship

Best of the inbox: pricing your first newsletter sponsorship
Leaving money on the table is the default. These frameworks get you to a defensible number.

💰 Baseline
— Start from CPM, anchor on engagement — $20-40 CPM is common, but a 50%+ open list justifies the top of any range. Sell the opens, not the list size.
— Price on clicks for performance buyers — offer a CPC or hybrid to advertisers who want attribution, often nets more than flat CPM.

📦 Package
— Build three tiers — primary placement, secondary blurb, and a dedicated send at a premium. Anchoring lifts the middle pick.
— Bundle a rerun discount — multi-issue deals stabilize revenue and reduce your sales effort.

📊 Prove
— Share a one-page media kit with real numbers — opens, clicks, audience makeup. Specifics close deals.

Why these made the cut: they tie price to engagement, which is the only number that survives scrutiny.

Saved you ~2 hours of underpricing.