A Publisher Bets on The Onion to Save His Business

The Onion’s print distribution is growing through franchising, and local publishers get to reap the ad revenue. The career of Frank Mauran, owner of small Gaspee Publishing in Providence, RI, is a parable of publishing’s hard times. In the 1990s, he started up the Printing Equipment Guide, a biweekly publication for the publishing trade. “It’s been a hard slog,” Mauran said. “It’s a trade publication for what’s a shrinking industry.”

Today, when the first issue hits the streets, Gaspee Publishing becomes the newest local franchisee of The Onion. Here’s the deal: Mauran’s company assumes all costs of printing and distributing