I have a list of 60,000 users from my forum related to graphic design. An online university wants to mail my users and asked what the rate is. I have no idea what to ask for. Is there a going rate for something like this?
ask them for their budget. <-- that's the best way to figure it out ask to receive 10%-25% (or anything) of sales profit or just ask for few hundreds (for example) for one email (or bit more for two emails, and explain how conversion rate will be bigger with 2 emails)
Firstly you should be emailing your users on their behalf, it is just safer from a privacy POV. Secondly, just by way of comparison, we use email newsletters of this size for our marketing, and we get charged around $6000 a time. Don't think about it as getting value for clicks, or sales. This is a chance for them to gain exposure for their brand, and they won't necessarily see people take action straight away.
Well out of 60k about 3k will click on the link and about 4% will sign up for the program that mean around 120-150 people will enroll in the college or whatever they are targeting. Depends on how much they are charging for tuition if they make 10k in 4 years times 120 = $1,200,000 I would charge them 1k for the blast no questions asked.