Advertising Guidelines and Getting Started Guide

Due to the nature of our magazine and content, our readership is filled with good people who love good music. From those looking for their first instrument to seasoned professional musicians, Dulcimer Players News has served hammered and fretted dulcimer enthusiasts for over 35 years.

DPN offers affordable advertising for teachers, builders, performers and those with products supporting the dulcimer community. Click here to download a PDF with size specifications and prices. We also offer reasonably priced advertising design services. You can sample some of our work below. Please write us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (423) 886-3966 and ask for Angie or Dan if you have any questions.

 

 

DEADLINES:

Winter (January) issue deadline is November 1 (or next business day)
Spring (April) issue deadline is February 15 (or next business day)
Summer (July) issue deadline is May 15 (or next business day)
Fall (October) issue deadline is August 15 (or next business day)

Our goal is for the magazine to arrive in most readers' mailboxes the first week of the month for that quarter.

 

Getting Started - Our readers are more likely to remember and recognize you if they have repeated impressions from a regularly appearing ad. If you’re a builder, store, or performer, you should think long term when planning your advertising. For a festival it may be more practical to place a large ad that runs in only a couple of issues leading up to the festival date.

Keep It Simple - An effective ad probably delivers no more than one or two simple messages. Don’t try and squeeze your entire track list, CD cover, schedule of performances, book list, etc. into a quarter page ad. Nobody will read all that information, especially if cramming in too much can only be accomplished by reducing the type size.

Hire A Designer - Professional design software is expensive and unless you already have a good understanding of the difference between CMYK and RGB, print versus screen resolution, why white space is important, font selection, etc., the learning curve can be steep. When you count the value of your time, hiring someone with the ability to quickly create a nice-looking, clean design is a bargain. Listen to their advice. Don’t force them to include so much information  that there is no empty space left.  Expect to pay from $30 to $80 an hour for design work. A simple ad may only take a designer an hour to produce. Complex designs require more time, and smaller ads are sometimes harder to build than larger ones because of space constraints. 

Bang for the Buck - Pick up other magazines you admire and browse the ads. Try and determine what makes some ads hold your eye longer than others. It’s worth the time to brainstorm and try to come up with a creative idea. Your ad will be seen thousands of times, for years to come. Take the time to get it right.

 

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
phone: 423-886-3966