Over the Thanksgiving holiday break, I cleaned off the table beside my easy chair at home, and came across a promotion for Upside, a newsletter published by Horizon Publishing, the big Hammond, Ind., financial newsletter publisher.

In the last few days, I've had trouble logging into two seldom-used, password-protected websites.

One was Unity Bank, a community bank in New Jersey that I still do business with, even though I moved to Maryland five years ago. The other was the Specialized Information Publishers Association, with whom I was prepared to spend hundreds of dollars. Of the two...]]>Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Economic+outlook+for+2010%3a+better%2c+but+not+good.-a0212287546Dear Subscriber:

Next year is going to be better than this year. Unfortunately, 2009 was "really, really awful."

That's the conclusion of Bill Witte, associate professor emeritus of economics at Indiana University and a member of the Kelley School of Business' annual Business Outlook Panel, who adds: "Better is not necessarily good."

With marketers putting the finishing touches on their January mailings, Craig Huey, president of Creative Direct Marketing Group, believes there is a huge opportunity now. That's especially true for financial newsletter publishers because retail investors have been edging back into the market.

The U.S. Postal Service said it will hold the line on prices for First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, periodicals and single-piece Parcel Post.

"This is the right decision at the right time for the right reason," the Postal Service said. "Promoting the value of mail and encouraging its continued use is essential for jobs, the economy, and the future of both the Postal...]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Coming+events.-a0207527774* For the sixth year in a row, many of the world's leading publishers and information marketers will come together in Boston for the Mequoda Group's two-day Mequoda Summit on October 7-9, 2009.

The Mequoda Summit, one of the publishing industry's leading internet marketing conferences, is geared toward publishing executives, editors and marketers looking to create new online revenue...]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+sky+is+falling!+The+sky+is+falling!+Or+is+it%3f-a0207527773Without any disrespect to Chicken Little, I understand times are tough at USPS, but is that really a bad thing for newsletter publishers?

Recession and hard times aren't good for anyone, especially if you are publishing for car dealers or investment bankers, but hard times at the post office might even be a blessing for many newsletter marketers.

1. The carrier. 6"x9" with double window, two-color teaser on both sides. "THE DOG FOOD BLACKLIST. (See other side)." The reverse copy cites problems and promises ("Product named inside") and offers a special report, "Dog food manufacturers hope you'll never...]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Five+tips+for+getting+testimonials+that+work.-a0207527771There has been much discussion lately about whether or not testimonials work anymore. The answers I've seen range anywhere from "Absolutely not--everyone knows they're usually fake," to "They only work in video now, so you can see the person giving the testimonial."

It informed readers in a letter posted online--in breathless sales copy typical of Bill Bonner's shop--that leads up to the announcement:

So much for the lazy, hazy days of summer. In the past month, the newsletter and specialized-information industry has witnessed the major reorganization of four of its leading companies.

Access Intelligence

Now, as Anne Holland Orlovic, she has returned to the publishing industry with the founding of Anne Holland Ventures Inc. In May, she launched...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/People.-a0205349565Wenda Harris Millard, a veteran digital advertising and media industry senior executive, has joined the advisory board of The Jordan, Edmiston Group Inc. (JEGI) of New York, a top investment banking firm serving the media industry.

In April 2009, Millard became president of Media Link LLC, a strategic advisory and representation firm. Previously, she was co-CEO and president, media,...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Coming+event.-a0205349564For the sixth year in a row, many of the world's leading publishers and information marketers will come together in Boston for the Mequoda Group's two-day Mequoda Summit on October 7-9, 2009.

The Mequoda Summit, one of the publishing industry's leading internet marketing conferences, is geared toward publishing executives, editors and marketers, looking to create new online revenue...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Casey+Research+launches+five+financial+newsletters.-a0205349563As the nation continues to face a financial crisis, Casey Research (www.caseyresearch.com) is responding to investors' needs for investment information. Casey Research announced its new line-up of financial analysis publications.

"Casey Research has continued to expand and our editors have recognized the need to provide streamlined information that can be explained clearly and understood...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Listless+lists+and+list-testing+tight%3f+Guidelines+for+newsletter...-a0205349562How useful is list testing for newsletter publishers, especially those in the business-to-business segment with relatively small, defined universes? Yes, if you market in the investment or health areas, with potentials of mailing to literally millions of names, you can effectively test almost anything. But for the marketer facing an effective universe of 20,000-30,000 names?

However, while Lessiter is continuing to enjoy success during these difficult economic times and while the information they publish continues to be...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Don+Nicholas+outlines+steps+to+successful+online+marketing+and...-a0205349560Most members of the Specialized Information Publishers Association aren't online publishers as much as they are online retailers, Don Nicholas, CEO, Mequoda Group, told the association's audience.

They'll probably continue to be online retailers. And that's not a bad thing, he added. "Not every print publisher should be an online publisher. Many should be content to be an online...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Ed+Coburn+new+SIPA+president%3a+Wayne+Cooper+tough+act+to+follow.-a0205349559Ed Coburn, editorial director at Harvard Health Publications at Harvard Medical School, assumed the position of president of SIPA at its annual conference in Washington.

He said he plans a "major push" to attract the growing number of people publishing specialized information, including online publishers. "At the same time," he said, "I don't want to leave people behind." He said he sees...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Mary+Lou+Probka+honored+as+SIPA's+Volunteer+of+the+Year.-a0205349558Perhaps a sign of her diligence, Mary Lou Probka was working so hard on this year's SIPA conference, which was chaired by her boss, Guy Cecala of Inside Mortgage Finance, that she was taken by complete surprise in being named the association's Volunteer of the Year.

In presenting the award at the recent SIPA conference in Washington, SIPF president Patti Wysocki noted that the selection is based on a person's time, effort and money contributed to the foundation. She praised Helen for devoting all three...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Helmut+Graf+inducted+into+SIPA+Hall+of+Fame%2c+the+first+European...-a0205349556Helmut Graf, the CEO of Bonn-based VNR Verlag fur die Deutsche Wirtschaft AG, was honored at the SIPA annual meeting by being named to the association's Hall of Fame--a roster that now includes 27 "giants of the industry."

As much as the selection deservedly honors Helmut Graf, it also reflects a maturing and international expansion of SIPA, which began life in 1977 as the Newsletter...]]>Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Delegates+hail+from+34+states+and+12+countries.-a0205349555SIPA's 33rd annual International conference, which was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., May 31 through June 2, attracted 462 delegates--80 percent of last year's total. SIPA executive director Henry Greene put that 20 percent decline in perspective, noting that "many in the meetings and events business are reporting declines of 40 to 60 percent."