A brief history of newsletters and advertising.

Newsletter editors and publishers who have entered the field since the dawn of the internet might not know that a newsletter mantra for many years was, "Our independent coverage is not compromised by advertising."

That was one of the defining characteristics that set newsletters apart from advertising-based publications--and a rationale for charging higher prices than trade and consumer magazines: "We're subscriber-based, not advertiser-based."

Howard Penn Hudson used to advise that, if you did carry ads, certainly keep them separate from the newsletter itself. Once a month he published a Services Directory to complement The Newsletter on Newsletters. Now we call it Marketplace.

Some publishers produced an annual directory of, say, industry personnel, bolstered by ads.

But even in those advertising-free days, some newsletters just lended themselves to advertising because of the nature of their subject matter. Here's a glimpse of three.

Old-House Newsletter

More than 20 years ago, one of the hottest newsletters around was the Old-House Newsletter, published in Brooklyn by Clem Labine. He added a directory and a product guide to his publication but resisted ads for years, despite reader and advertiser demand. Probably for as long as he owned the newsletter, he faced the temptation to convert the title to a magazine, which it is now--the Old-House Journal.

Labine had launched the newsletter while he was working on the business side of McGraw-Hill trade magazines. He once said that what he loved best about the newsletter was that it gave him a way to enjoy success in the publishing business without having to have (I paraphrase) his lips come into contact with any portion of the anatomy of advertisers.

From the beginning, however, Labine's helpful advice about renovating old houses left him positioned to advertising many products and services for his subscribers to use to implement his suggestions.

Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles

With their 1974-founded Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, Terry and Ralph Kovel faced a task that few newsletter publishers had in those days--to complement their coverage with photos and sketches of the items they described. That was a big deal in the days of mostly one-color, maybe two-color, newsletters printed on nondescript stock.

But advertisers were breaking down the Kovels' door. A visit now to their website, www.kovels.com rewards visitors with a link they call Yellow Pages. There you'll find ads for Appraisal Services, Auctions, Clubs & Publications, Matching Services, Museums & Archives, Repairs, Conservators, and Supplies & Parts.

Out & About

Similarly, from the beginning of the gay travel newsletter Out & About, advertisers thirsted to reach that niche audience. The publishers began producing an annual "directory" of those advertisers.

The newsletter has now segued into www.gay.com, which publishes "travel guides." The homepage carries this note: "This page is sponsored by Travelocity." The website also features a Yellow Pages section, whose areas to link to include Accommodations, Travel Agents, Tour Operators, Food & Dining, Bars & Clubs, Shopping, and Events Calendar.

The internet has changed the rules

Once again, the internet has changed everything in newsletter publishing. No more do you hear of "editorial uncompromised by advertising." In fact, many newsletter publishers now have staff dedicated solely to securing online advertisers and sponsors.

Of course, even in the ad-free days of newsletters, publishers did insert ads and flyers for their own products and services--considered a reader benefit. Now, with the proliferation of affiliations among publishers and with vendors, that "reader benefit" is extended to others' appropriate products and services.

It would seem that publishers are now in the cat-bird seat that early newsletter professionals could never even imagine--garnering hefty advertising revenue and often avoiding printing and postage costs by publishing electronically.

And I've yet to hear of this new generation of newsletter readers complaining. Have you?