by Peter A. Schaible

If you're a writer, researcher, subject matter expert, enthusiastic hobbyist, or an authority on almost any topic, there has never been a better time to start your own subscription website or online newsletter.

And if you're already publishing a hobby website, now is ideal time to convert at least a portion of content to fee-paid access.

Smart website owners are now realizing just how valuable their hard-earned knowledge is to others. Much of information that used to be available for free to anyone and everyone on World Wide Web is moving behind closed doors, accessible only to paying subscribers.

Savvy writers and publishers are not giving it away anymore. They're setting up profit-driven, members-only websites and building online communities of subscribers who value their knowledge. Perhaps surprisingly, resistance to paying for content is gradually melting away.

The end of free

This trend away from websites offering free information and toward a subscription, or pay-for-access business model, has several causes.

First, only a few websites operated by big companies can afford to provide valuable content without being compensated. Some of them can do it for public relations value, but they are exception.

The rest of us can't be so generous. And trying to recapture our expenses by selling advertising on our websites has failed to pay bills. Online advertising and click-through rates are on decline.

Second, many people are now more than willing to pay to learn what you already know, as thousands of online publishers of subscription websites have already proven.

Why subscribers are ready to pay

The Internet has enabled people with similar interests to find each other and form online communities. Whether your interest is in politics, gardening, or model railroading, Internet enables you to connect to others who share your enthusiasms and values.

But in current political and social climate, there is heightened anxiety and concern about privacy. If you previously contributed to public online discussion forums, you may now be feeling vulnerable. You never know who is lurking and reading your comments, or gathering information about you. One frequent concern: what spammers are harvesting your e-mail address?

However, in seclusion of a subscribers-only website, you feel more protected. You can share ideas with an affinity group of like-minded people with less fear of ridicule or repercussions. The publisher moderates forum and promises to honor your privacy.

These concerns are not diminishing over time, they are intensifying as people perceive world -- and cyberspace -- as an increasingly dangerous place. The result has been a proliferation of private, members-only, subscription websites and online newsletters covering literally hundreds of diverse and specialized topics.

Finding right subscription business model

Sign up now by e-mailing mailto:newsletter@trulyhuge.com

KH: How important has publishing an ezine been to your business?

PB: First of all, let me establish fact that building a list is critical to your success online. It's a very inexpensive means of developing a relationship with people who are interested in your product, service, or opportunity - potential customers or clients!

KH: How long have you been running an ezine and how many subscribers do you have?

PB: I started my email newsletter almost three years ago. I currently have 120,000 subscribers and growing.

KH: Do you submit your ezine to directories and/or announcement lists and if so how effective has this been in gaining new subscribers to your publication?

PB: I have done this on a very limited basis and got limited results.