The Association of Community Publishers (ACP) is the organization for the publishing underdogs.
In 2021, it from from the merger of two similar non-profits, the Independent Free Papers of America (IFPA) and the Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP).
The Association of Community Publishers comprises about 100 active members and 20-25 active associate members and now serves community papers of all types, not just free-distribution publications. The size of the publications within the membership range from a 3,000-circulation paper to 300,000 and “anything in between,” Executive Director Cassey Recore said.
Even with a few members with larger circulations, this is the organization where tiny weekly newspapers, shoppers and niche publications find common ground. The print publication world is not easy for anyone these days, but publishers of this type need to stick together.
The ACP is best known for hosting events where publishers can learn new strategies, including how to leverage the post office and numbers to improve economic efficiency. They also provide guidance on how to make money.
“We really focus heavily on the sales training side of things and the revenue generation side,” Recore said. “I mean, that's really where our core is when it comes to the education and stuff.”
Joyce Frericks is the business manager and publisher of Star Publications in Suk Centre, Minnesota. She serves as the organization’s president after experiencing the camaraderie with the IFPA more than a decade ago. She was on that board for several years.
“We bought a paper back in 2015, and actually that’s when we would have become members of IFPA,” she said. “I asked somebody in the industry where we could learn about some things I needed to know about free circulation papers and all of that. And she said, ‘You need to go to the conference for IFPA.’ So, I did, and we have been members ever since. I got more out of that first conference than I could ever give back.”
Frericks said survival in the small publication business requires staying on top of the numbers and the postage changes. Some ACP members distribute entirely on newsstands throughout communities; others use saturation mail for their circulation.
“So, I would say, to stay successful, you must be accepting of change. You have to keep on top of things. You have to know what’s going on in the industry, and that’s where ACP really comes into play for us, because they help us with the postal changes. Cassey keeps on top of the specials and discounts we can get through the post office. For us, that’s huge. We probably saved between $5,000 and $10,000 a year on postage, just because Recore keeps on top of all these postage savings, and we can do the discounts.”
Recore said the post office is also breaking into new revenue streams through technology. There’s a current discount that gets publishers 5% off postage for any six-month period throughout 2026.
“So basically, our members would run an ad in their publications that you have to have some kind of interaction with. Ours has a QR code that takes you to an e-commerce website. They’re trying to push the e-commerce side of using mail. So, they offer different programs for different types,” Frericks said, noting that niche publications are a focal point of her business and the ACP organization.
“Our biggest publication is a dairy publication,” she said. “It’s all dairy, all the time. That’s our tagline. And then we have two rural life publications, too.”
“I think the niche publications are thriving,” Recore said. “So much changed during COVID; I don’t know if people just got more into specific topics or hobbies or what. When you bring it back to the local level, you might have a camp guide for the summer or a holiday guide featuring local products from local businesses. I think a lot of it comes back to that local tie. A lot of people are into design, so we see a lot of living and lifestyle magazines popping up. I’ve actually seen at least two or three companies, probably more, I’m sure, that are doing clusters of those, like home and neighborhood magazine-type things all over the country.”
These are the types of ideas that are swapped at ACP events.
The organization is planning a Revenue Summit in Orlando, Florida, in February.
“It’s all about generating revenue, maybe in some outside-the-box ways and how AI is going to play into that,” Recore said. “We have, over the last year, really been trying to keep up on what’s up and coming with AI in the industry. What can it be used for? So, what kind of alternative revenue generation with AI, and we’ll have a workshop where you’re going to build an AI tool, whether it’s for market data, for prospecting, things like that. We don’t exactly have it worked out to a ‘T’ yet.”
One common theme among small, local publishers in driving revenue is highlighting the trust that the community has in its local publisher.
“There’s that sense of community. That’s the biggest thing. And the trust factor is really important to the readers and advertisers. We sell the message that print is not dead, it’s read.”
Frericks said, “Nobody [offering advertising] cares about your community as much as your community publication. Nobody else is going to follow the school board. Nobody else is going to take the time to visit all the advertisers; our salespeople still go out on the street every single day. They still go out and visit the businesses they care about, the businesses they shop at. Facebook is not going to shop in rural America.”
ACP also hosts smaller, open-forum roundtables, capped at 50 publishers and 10 sponsors.
“Everyone’s in the same room, throwing around ideas back and forth,” Recore said. “We have people leading the sessions, but it’s geared to be an open-ended discussion. It’s revenue-generation-based. And, you know, I think networking is the number one thing our members take away from the Association. They’re going to share ideas in that room. And that's another unique thing about this group. Maybe it’s just because we're spread out around the country, I’m not really sure, but they’re very willing to share and be open.”
“Networking is key,” Frericks added. “And the sharing is absolutely number one. I was amazed at how open and helpful everybody was. They just had so many ideas on things we could do. And it was amazing. I couldn't believe how helpful everybody was and still is. Some of our ideas for special sections came from those meetings. We do things like puzzle books. The publisher that had been doing it literally sent me copies of what they're doing. Nobody says, ‘This is my idea, and I don’t want it to work for you’. We aren’t competitors. We’re all one big, big publisher, basically.”
Among other services, the ACP provides access to the Advertising Distribution Services ad network, which is the largest classified and display advertising network in North America. It provides circulation audits and publishes a monthly magazine. The Association also holds programs that recognize individuals, such as the Rising Stars Program, and provides certain benefits and access to technology. The biggest benefit is the people.
“When people ask what our group is like, again, they have that entrepreneurial spirit, but we are like one big family,” Recore said. “It just blows my mind how many good people are in this. How many personal friends I've made over the 15 years I've been with the organization. There’s just such a sense of community with our group. I think that's one of the things I love the most about this group of people. They’re just really good, community-minded people.”
Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called “The Lawless Files.”
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