Newsletter Rate Card Placement Worksheet
A one page worksheet for listing every placement you sell, the expected opens behind it, the per-send and package price, the creative deadline, and the one line reason a sponsor hears when they ask why it costs that.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
A rate card that sells is mostly a table, and the table is only as strong as the reasoning in each row. This worksheet puts every placement you offer on one page, with the number a sponsor is really buying, expected opens per send, next to the price and the deadline. The rows below describe the placements most newsletters sell and what each one typically looks like; the opens, prices, and deadlines are yours to fill in. Delete any row that does not apply to your newsletter, and a row you invent, for example a job listing or an event mention, follows the same columns.
Start with the opens figure from your last several sends and the Newsletter Sponsorship Price Calculator at /tools/newsletter-sponsorship-price/, then check what the completed card adds up to over a year with the Sponsorship Inventory Revenue Planner at /tools/sponsorship-inventory-planner/. For the thinking behind each column, read /blog/price-newsletter-sponsorships/ on setting the rate, /blog/rate-card-that-sells/ on presenting it, and /blog/sponsorship-formats-that-work/ on which placements are worth offering at all. The five ways to sell what is on the card are compared side by side at /compare/, and the whole cycle is covered in the guide at /guide/.
| Placement | Position in the issue | Expected opens per send | Price per send | Package price (4 sends) | Creative deadline | Why this price (one line) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary slot | Top of the issue, above the first editorial item | Your average unique opens | Your figure | Your figure, usually a modest discount on four singles | Your rule, often a few business days before send | First thing every reader sees; the reference price for the whole card |
| Secondary slot | Mid issue, between editorial sections | Your average unique opens | A fraction of primary | Your figure | Same rule as primary | Real attention but fewer readers reach it; priced below primary |
| Classified listing | Near the bottom, short text and one link | Your average unique opens | A small fraction of primary | Your figure | Same rule as primary | Low cost entry for small sponsors; several can run in one issue |
| Dedicated send | A separate email carrying one sponsor's message | Your opens on standalone sends | Your highest figure | Rarely packaged; priced per send | Longer than a slot, since the whole email needs review | The sponsor gets the entire issue; limit how often you sell it |
| Category exclusivity add-on | Applies to any slot above | Not applicable | A percentage added to the slot price | Priced per package | Same as the underlying slot | Locks out competitors for the period; charge for what you give up |
| Multi-issue package | The same slot across consecutive issues | Opens per send x number of issues | Per send rate | Your figure for the bundle | One deadline per issue, or all creative up front | Cuts your selling time; discount the repeat, not the slot |
| Unsold slot fallback | Whatever slot is still open on send day | Same as the slot | House ad or backstop rate | Not applicable | Not applicable | An empty slot earns nothing; a house ad or network fill sets the floor |
| Totals per issue | All placements you sell in one send | Not applicable | Sum of column if every slot sells | Not applicable | Earliest deadline in the column | Compare with the planner's realistic sell-through before you budget |
https://adslotly.com/templates/rate-card-placement-worksheet/Use it in your business, share it with your team, or link to it from your own site.
Also from AdSlotly
- Sponsored Send Pre-Flight Checklist: A booking-to-report checklist for every sponsored newsletter issue, so the slot is confirmed once, the creative arrives on time, the label is clear, and the sponsor gets a report without having to ask for it.
- Free calculators