Top papers to charge online, but how?

Three of the world’s most influential newspapers have finally come to terms with the notion that charging readers online is the only way to survive. There is far less agreement on how to go about that, the publishers of The New York Times, The Times of London and the Financial Times made clear at this […]

Online revenue models: finding the right blend

Publishers pursue non-traditional digital revenue streams

“Diversification” was a big buzzword among publishers speaking at the Publishing Business Conference & Expo in New York. While the old-fashioned revenue generators (subscriptions and advertising) are still top of mind, new digital revenue streams are playing a larger role. Lou Sabatier, principal at Sabatier Consulting, noted that publishers should be looking for ways to […]

Single sales of digital content: one publisher’s success story

Here’s another way for publishers to get around launching a full-blown app: single sales of digital assets such as video. String Letter Publishing, which publishes Acoustic Guitar and Strings magazines, has successfully sold pdfs, audio and video individually to download for any device. Though they’re planning an app launch for the future, it’s a case […]

‘Context aware’ commerce: How two publishers are riding the next wave

Publishers have long relied on their ability to target an audience, build content for that audience and subsequently sell associated advertising and/or subscriptions. For hundreds of years, the recipe has worked with little variation. Fast-forward into the digital age and many publishers are now struggling to find a new model to maintain value and create […]