Question 1

How much does a Common Sense Quarterly sponsor spot cost?

Accepted Answer

A category-exclusive sponsor spot is $549 per quarterly edition. Only one business per category appears on each postcard. Operators may set their own spot price above a production-cost floor; $549 is the standard price.

Question 2

How many homes does Common Sense Quarterly reach?

Accepted Answer

As many as 5,000 homes per day per ZIP code, the USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) Retail limit. A ZIP code with more than 5,000 addresses is mailed over multiple days.

Question 3

How many sponsors are on one postcard?

Accepted Answer

Up to 20 category-exclusive sponsor spots per edition, across 20 business categories, one business per category.

Question 4

How much does an operator earn per edition?

Accepted Answer

About $6,000 to $7,100 net per full edition, and roughly $24,000 to $28,000 per year across quarterly editions. A full 20-spot edition at $549 grosses $10,980; after the 15% platform share ($1,647) and about $2,750 in production and mailing costs for a 5,000-home edition, the operator nets about $6,583.

Question 5

What does it cost to be a Common Sense Quarterly operator?

Accepted Answer

A $99 per quarter operator subscription (up to 5 active editions), plus a 15% platform share of gross ad revenue. Operators recruit sponsors, coordinate printing, and drop the EDDM mailing; the platform handles content, design, payments, and analytics.

Question 6

When are sponsors charged?

Accepted Answer

A sponsor's card is saved at signup and charged only when the operator locks the edition for print. Proof of mailing then releases the operator's profit.

Homes reached per ZIP code per day	As many as 5,000 (USPS EDDM Retail limit)
Delivery method	USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
Postcard size	9 x 12 inches
Larger ZIP codes	Mailed over multiple days (5,000-piece daily cap)

Category-exclusive spot price	$549 per quarterly edition
Businesses per category	One (category exclusive)
Sponsor spots per edition	Up to 20
Approximate cost per home	About 11 cents
When a sponsor is charged	Card saved at signup; charged when the operator locks the edition for print
Included with a spot	Postcard ad, civic story page, custom landing page, digital hub listing, QR analytics

Operator subscription	$99 per quarter (up to 5 active editions)
Platform revenue share	15% of gross ad revenue (10% enterprise)
Operator net per full edition	About $6,000 - $7,100
Operator net per year	Roughly $24,000 - $28,000
Editions per ZIP code per quarter	Up to 3 (one per category type)

Gross ad revenue	20 spots x $549 = $10,980
Platform share (15%)	$1,647
Production & mailing (print, postage, services)	About $2,750
Operator net	About $6,583

Printing	About $170 per 1,000 postcards (9 x 12, 16pt)
USPS EDDM postage	$0.26 per piece
Mailing services (bundling, paperwork, delivery)	$0.12 per piece

Common Sense Quarterly by the Numbers

Reach & delivery

Sponsor pricing

Operator economics

Example edition (20 spots, 5,000 homes)

Production cost inputs

First edition — Honesdale, PA (ZIP 18431)

Content & compliance