jbredmound Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 OK, so Yahoo just came out with "Platinum" services, which appear to offer less than Real, and little truly useful programming. What I said to Real was, "What! $9.95/mo for CNN "Quick-whatever"??? Well, apparently, they have deep pockets and a penchant for foolishness.Over on Lockergnome, a recent subject of discussion was all the new "blogs", and how they don't make the cut because they are revenue-driven. Did you make your name as a revenue-driven guy?Build the newsletter...it's yours...really yours...build it. Before I found the profession that I love, one of the things I did was the "speaker's circuit". It was "extra income", so I was careful what I accepted. $1,000 for a two hour presentation, plus travel time and all expenses, was EASY to get. This was in the 70"s-80"s.Build the newsletter, and you will get advertising. Build the newsletter, and you will get speaking engagements. If you want to sell stuff, make it valuable, and then sell it here. Or, give it away here to registered members, and sell it to all the other chumps.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Thanks, jbredmound. You've already got my number, I think. I am building the newsletter. I'm not a huge big fan of blogs, but I might decide that using one in conjunction with everything else makes sense. As a way to get the word out. But in many ways, I consider this forum to be a step in that direction. Build the newsletter, and you will get advertising. Build the newsletter, and you will get speaking engagements. If you want to sell stuff, make it valuable, and then sell it here. Or, give it away here to registered members, and sell it to all the other chumps.Unlike a lot of other newsletter authors, I have made a conscious decision NOT to sell products in conjunction with the newsletter. I get offers like that frequently from would-be advertisers, some of them nice folks with great products. But it's not in my interest -- since I review computer hardware and software -- to work on an arrangement where I get paid on a percentage basis for sales I drive to vendors. It would compromise me editorially. But it's also just not a real good deal for someone who has built up a list of subscribers.I "Premium" version of the newsletter, a la Fred Langa's newsletter, is a very likely future for Scot's Newsletter. I would still keep the free version of the newsletter. Fred is a friend of mine, and someone who I continue to work with professionally in other spheres than newsletters. He works for InformationWeek, and so do I peripherally. And I hope to work more for that company in future. So we have a lot that bonds us. The Windows Magazine heritage being an important part. I've studied what Fred did. It was smart, and I intend to go that route, and about 95% of what he did is what I hope to do -- just as soon as I have enough subscribers to make paying for the overhead involved doable.Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. They're appreciated.I'm curious, mind telling me what it is you do that you love? Don't let me put you on the spot if you don't want. But I am curious.-- Scot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ugly Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 I really like the common user oriented reviews with detail and explanations of the real dealie.Head to head product comparisons, etc. It's all good. ps: Where's the thumbs-up clickable smilie like this? Keep it up! - Been a SFNL reader for years.best fishes, Ugly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choco Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Scott,I commend you on not relying on advertising in your newsletter. When you go to a paid subscripton, I am in. I, too, subscribe to Fred's newsletter and along with yours it is archived for future reference.I don't know how long you had this board up but I figured that with almost 5 pages @40 names a page, you must already have about 200 people on this list. Normally only about 10-15% of list members actively participate. It will be interesting to see how many will be active here.I run a Yahoo group with about 2100+ registered members. Checking the membership list, I find that 90 % have checked no email. I doubt if they even remember they joined. <bg>I look forward to keeping up with this group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 All -- I really like the common user oriented reviews with detail and explanations of the real dealie.Thanks. The reviews take more work than anything else, and a lot of time, so it's great to be noticed for them. I appreciate it.I commend you on not relying on advertising in your newsletter.Thanks! Just to clarify, I do accept advertising in the newsletter. In very specific ways, and the newsletter has been mostly sold out for nearly a year now. Those ads are sold with a very open set of rules and procedures. See this page for details:http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/rate_card.htmPeople pay me X dollars and they run their ads. I get no more revenue from them if they sell products than if they don't. I'm not endorsing their products or pushing them in any way. In fact, when it comes to reviewing them -- if it even does -- they'll get no different treatment than anyone else. I call 'em as I see 'em.It is true that ads aren't the only way I make money, nor the primary way I expect to make money down the road. That may be all you meant.There are some types of ads where newsletter authors get paid on a percentage basis based on how many sales of the product are derived from the newsletter traffic. That's what I don't do. I have been approached many times to do that, but I always politely refuse.I don't know how long you had this board up but ...When you wrote that, the board had been open to the public for less than 12 hours. -- Scot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fLoOdY Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 I have subscribed to LangaList Plus for a couple of years now. I would also sign up for a paid subscription to support this one. They are the only two, and I greatly look forward to receiving both of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbredmound Posted March 19, 2003 Author Share Posted March 19, 2003 Oh, by the way, I would pay to get this one, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Been a Plus subscriber for Freds newsletter for a couple of years now. Would glady do the same for your newsletter Scot. The information and knowledge shared is well worth the price. I, as well as many others here I am sure, were die hard Winmag followers. It was not the site, it was the people behind the site. It is nice to be able to keep reading our favorite tech writers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henderrob19 Posted March 19, 2003 Share Posted March 19, 2003 Count me in a premium service if you go that way. Scot Finnie's Newsletter is full of great info and insightful personal opinion that I value. No, this is not a 'paid for' endorsment'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dicknite Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 So, where's the pre sign-up list that we can put our names on for the premium/plus/whatever version? Seems I fall into the same category as a lot of people here - SFNL and Langa List Plus are highly anticipated reads and have their own filters in Eudora (Oops! That's a different forum!) that zing them right into the "Guru's" Mailbox!I'd pay the price, not 'cause I don't want the advertising, but because I know that labors-of-love can and do get expensive and old after a while - they lose their appeal for the producer/writer, and I want you to stick around!d|:^)Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jeff Posted March 20, 2003 Share Posted March 20, 2003 You can add me to the list of potential subscribers to a premium newsletter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 you must already have about 200 people on this list.My ID is 301... It looks like this forum is getting off to a good start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Just a note to everyone... You don't have to wait for the premium to come out... There's a link at the bottom of the page at www.scotsnewsletter.com to donate via PayPal... I've made my contribution... Now how about you... How'd I do Scot... (I know my check's in the mail...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 Your 15% is in the mail. :DFwiw, I figure I have to hit about 50,000 subscribers before I can cost justify the very real overhead involved in issuing a paid Premium version of the newsletter. This is definitely my primary goal, the thing I've been working for. So no one wants it more than me. I just have to be smart about how and when I do it.But I can't tell you how much it means to hear that people would be willing to put their names on a list for when it comes. Thanks!I look at the donation thing as just a temporary means to an end. But I've been doing it for more than a year now, and it definitely has helped keep me in business.-- Scot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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