What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?
“This GAZETTE may be had for 6s. 8d. per Annum, exclusive of Postage.”
The printers of the Essex Gazette incorporated the colophon into the masthead of that newspaper. Within that masthead, they declared that the publication “Contain[ed] the freshest Advices, both foreign and domestic” and gave the date and volume and issue numbers. Next came the publication information that more often appeared at the bottom of the final page in other newspapers: “SALEM: Printed by Samuel and Ebenezer Hall, at their Printing-Office in King-Street.” That made it easy for prospective subscriber and advertisers as well as others with business for the printers to contact or visit them.
Even with that choice about where to place the colophon, the Halls still recognized the bottom of the final page as valuable space for promoting their newspaper, publishing a perpetual advertisement that ran across all three columns in each issue. A single line advised, “This GAZETTE may be had for 6s. 8d. per Annum, exclusive of Postage – 3s. 4d. (or 4s. 6d. if sent by the Eastern Post) to be paid at Entrance.” Throughout the colonies, printers generously extended credit to subscribers, recognizing that if they increased their circulation then they could attract more advertisers. In turn, printers often published notices calling on subscribers to pay for subscriptions going back months and even years.
For their part, the Halls refused to assume the risk of allowing readers to subscribe completely on credit. They required payment of three shilling and four pence, half of the annual price of six shillings and eight pence, at the time that subscriptions commenced. Even if they had difficulty collecting the balance from subscribers, those initial payments covered some of the expenses and limited their losses. In addition, subscribers who ordered their newspapers delivered by a post rider were expected to pay an additional shilling at the start, though the notice did not indicate if that covered the entire year or, like the entrance fee, was only half of what subscribers were expected to pay. Either way, the Halls intended that service would further expand their circulation.
No matter what kinds of news or paid notices the printers placed on the final page of the Essex Gazette from week to week, readers always encountered an advertisement for the newspaper as the final item. Colonial newspapers often passed from hand to hand, reaching readers beyond the original subscribers. This strategy encouraged those additional readers to consider purchasing their own subscriptions for consistent access to the news rather than rely on the possibility that others would share their newspapers.