“Here’s your copy of Grit, Mrs. Jones.”

Every week similar welcomed words are echoed hundreds of thousands of times from coast to coast by an army of eager, bright-faced boys. They are the happy ambassadors for America’s Greatest Family Newspaper.

Grit’s Happy Ambassadors: Its 30,000 Boy Salesmen
February 1962

Actually, Grit’s distribution through the Little Merchant system gives each boy a business of his own. In conducting it for his own profit and the prizes he wins, he also performs an invaluable service, one of the prime reasons for Grit’s steadily increasing circulation through the years.

About 90 percent of Grit’s circulation is obtained through single-copy sales by these young businessmen who sell the paper for 15 cents, keeping 5 cents profit and sending 10 cents to Grit to pay for the paper.

The remaining 10 percent of the circulation is in the form of subscriptions – payable in advance – the papers being delivered each week by mail.

Huge Army of Boys
More than 30,000 boys sell Grit each week in a few hours of their spare time in more than 16,000 small towns.

Recruiting, helping, training, and encouraging this large sales force and handling their accounts are the major efforts of Grit’s Circulation Department under Circulation Director Paul E. Fink.

By selling Grit these boys not only have the opportunity to make money and win prizes but also to obtain valuable business training which will be helpful to them through life. They learn to be courteous and cheerful in approaching customers, dependable and punctual in the delivery of their weekly copies of Grit, and careful and thrifty in handling money.

Boy Sales Come First
The company does not push mail subscriptions, as other publications do, because it does not want to hurt the sale of any of the thousands of salesboys.

As a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation, Grit’s circulation statements are certified.

A.B.C. statements for Grit also show that no gimmicks or premiums, offers of deep-cut prices, circulation carried in arrears, or paid-during-service plans are necessary for Grit to maintain its circulation. People buy Grit because they enjoy reading it. In the publishing field that is what is known as “clean” circulation – the kind most valuable to advertisers.

Readers Share Higher Costs
Rising production costs and postal rate increases over the last 15 years have not been passed on to the advertiser alone. The Grit reader has borne his full share. The price of Grit increased from 5 cents to 7 cents in 1944; from 7 to 10 cents in 1949 and from 10 to 15 cents in 1959.

Although each price increase temporarily slowed down the circulation growth, two factors have prevailed – the real satisfaction every issue of Grit brings to all members of the family, and the smiling, ambitious, business-like boy who brings Grit to their home promptly every week.

Read the Original Grit Newspaper. Here’s a sample of the news of the day:

Grit Bits: December 16, 1882
Streets in Poor Shape

Williamsport streets are in good condition, thanks to Providence, which gives us weather which freezes and thereby solidifies things; but when spring comes and the weather gets warm, then look out for a disappearance of all things mundane or otherwise that is so unfortunate as to get into the streets.

Ready for a Challenge?

Have even more fun when you accept the 21-Day Writing Sprint Challenge. This process is one I use every semester with my college students, so I know it can kickstart your creativity and introduce structure to your writing schedule. When you join my Circle of Writers & Authors, you’ll receive FREE writing resources, and you’ll sign up for my newsletter. I will not sell your information, or spam you. I will send you updates about new articles and podcasts I’ve created, and projects I’m working on. You can unsubscribe at anytime. Read my Privacy Policy here.

• Starting out as a writer and could use some guidance
• Wanting to be inspired to create and publish your book
• Looking for like-minded, happy people and helpful mentors
• Hoping to turn your writing into a full-time, awesome career
• New to the concept of “permission marketing” but willing to try

Add WEST WIND to your library!

If you love a good mystery, a romantic whodunit that will surprise you, then WEST WIND is a great addition to your ebook library.

West Wind is my third novel as an author of Contemporary Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Romance.  It’s FREE too, when you join my exclusive Readers Group. Join today and download your free book, and as a special thank you, you’ll receive a SECOND FREE BOOK tomorrow! The giving goes on and on when you become my fan.

When you join my Readers Group, you’ll receive updates about new projects I’m working on. You can unsubscribe at anytime. Read my Privacy Policy here.