Wait until 10,000 subscribers, then start selling sponsorships. That advice costs creators years of revenue. A small list does not have a size problem, it has a buyer problem, and the fix is smaller placements sold to people who already know you.

Two creators with the same size list charge $75 and $900 for the same slot. Neither is wrong. Sponsorship pricing has almost no visible market, so most creators guess low and leave money there for years. Here is how to build your number instead of picking one.

Every sponsorship pricing guide starts with your subscriber count. That's the wrong input. Here are the four decisions that actually set your rate, the numbers I landed on, and the cap mistake that almost cost me $148 an issue.