Masters Theses

Date of Award

6-1986

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

B. Kelly Leiter

Committee Members

Paul G. Ashdown, Michael Keene

Abstract

A census of some 400 publishers of family name newsletters was conducted in order to obtain primary data about this little known sector of the commercial newsletter industry. Such newsletters are generally of interest to people with the same last name or the same family name. They usually provide genealogical information and trace different branches of the family tree. The rate of return for this survey was 55 percent with information received regarding 213 publications. Seventy-nine percent of those returning the survey also sent a sample copy of their publications.

The survey revealed that 65 percent of the newsletters had 200 or fewer subscribers. The largest percentage of publishers (26 percent, or 56) hovered in the 51-100 subscriber range. Only three publishers had more than 1,000 subscribers. However, even though the number of subscribers generally is low, the percentage of subscribers who renew their subscriptions is unusually high. Most newsletter publishers consider a renewal rate of 50 percent or more very good. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said their publications had a renewal rate of more than 50 percent. The largest group of family name publications, 65, or 31 percent, said their renewal rate was between 81 and 90 percent. The next highest number, 50, or 23 percent, said their renewals were between 71 and 80 percent.

Sixty-two percent published quarterly. The next highest number, 27, or 13 percent), said they published semiannually, while the next largest group, 25, or 12 percent, said they published occasionally or three times a year or used some other similar publication rate. Most publishers (118, or 55 percent) said they used some form of photocopy process to duplicate their newsletter, while 81, or 38 percent reproduce their newsletters by the offset printing process. The majority of family name publishers (141, or 66 percent) said they used first class mail. Most of the publications surveyed said they used only genealogical material (131, or 62 percent). The rest said they occasionally used material that could not be considered genealogical. Subscription fees are typically nominal.

A prototype for a family name newsletter is provided as a part of this study. The prototype letter, The Palmer Report, is a family name periodical, to be published quarterly for anyone interested in the family name of Palmer. A sample issue of this publication is provided in the Appendix. Special attention has been given to the financial aspects of planning such a newsletter.

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