Special Sections, Preprints, Other
Most newspapers feature a number of companion and stand-alone products that you will be expected to sell in addition to ROP ads. Most daily newspapers have a separate TV book, usually a small magazine-like product that's perfect for reaching couch potatoes or people who live and work at home with the television on. This product comes out weekly. Similarly, your classified department might come out with monthly or weekly real estate and automotive stand alone sections that are in addition to the regular real estate and automotive sections found in the classifieds. However, if you're not a classified sales rep, you won't be selling into these two sections very often.

Another newspaper product you surely will be selling into are special sections. These separate stand-alone sections are usually tabloid-size and deal with whatever the hot topic is at that time of the year. Many newspapers have multiple Gift Guides around the holidays, spring and fall home and garden sections, health and fitness sections right after New Years Eve and also before swimsuit weather, and many more. Many newspapers publish 52 different sections each year. One newspaper I worked at even had a death section. Another had one targeted toward senior citizens called Stayin' Alive.

Each special section contains both ads sold by the ad staff and related editorial written by the editorial department. Some newspapers encourage advertisers to participate in these sections by offering to include a story about the advertiser's business in the section as well. Since these stories might be less than newsworthy and more like ads, or as some call it "advertorials", many editorial departments won't write for or endorse these sections claiming it's a conflict of interest. In these cases, the advertising department has a dedicated writer just for this purpose.

The editorial department's hard stance on participating in these sections has softened as they've seen how the revenue generated from these sections impacts all departments and many help out wholeheartedly. The big thing to remember about special sections is that they're a huge opportunity for you to make some extra money. You've just got to suppress the natural tendency to hold off selling them until the deadline draws near or you'll constantly be selling at the last minute, which is much harder to do and results in fewer successes.

Your paper might have a yearly, quarterly or monthly special magazine that's printed on top-quality, glossy paper. Usually these products target a more valuable audience with higher incomes. For example, there might be special products targeting only the nicer homes or neighborhoods, or the subject matter simply might attract a certain type of buyer, such as when a newspaper publishes an equestrian or yachting magazine.