So, What’s It Like To Publish a News Ezine?
Welcome to the “Wild West.” This by far is my favorite expression to describe the Internet.
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – When I launched HealthNewsDigest.com on July 1st, 1999 I had 15 readers. Seven months later I was making a presentation to 9 bankers seeking 3 Million dollars in financing! The next day my banker called to tell me that we were not seeking enough money – the bankers were looking for larger investments. Our next presentation would be for 5 Million dollars!
In mid-March of 2000, the Internet bubble burst! In June, it went belly-up and we saw many heavily-financed companies go out of business. This was all just a normal procedure, I told myself – a new industry shaking out.
Back in the late 90’s you could compare the Internet with the San Francisco gold rush. If someone struck gold on a very small parcel of land, it would surely be an indication that you were in a gold field. So went the thinking. So, it made perfectly good sense to buy all of the land around it. The Health Industry was touted as being one of the premiere areas to invest in.
So, what ’s it like to publish an online news magazine? Or, ezine, if you prefer. Consider first that we receive over 1,000 emails per day. Most all of them are legitimate news items, mainly press releases, articles submitted for review, health tips, research papers, etc. When I tell people how much mail we receive daily, their first question usually is, “Do you read them all.” The answer is that I read Headlines. So, for all of you PR people reading this, make sure that your headline is to the point. Also of importance is the first paragraph after your submission is clicked on to open. On any given day we publish 20-30 submissions, making us the largest health-news content site.
The day normally begins at 7am and contintues to about midnight. Seven days a week. I break it up with a two-mile walk everyday, and many mental health-breaks during the day. I attend press conferences, make calls to news sources, handle about 10 phone calls per day. Don’t feel sorry for me. I absolutely love this job.
News is submitted by all major medical schools, universities, government agencies, non-profits, pr agencies, associations and corporations in the health field. In addition, we have “stringers” all over the country covering key conventions, and special events. On Mondays, we send out a “NewsBlastAlert” to thousands of subscribers, over 7,000 journalists, and numerous major news syndicates who pick up our stories. On average, our news is picked-up by approximately 4,000 health-related websites. We allow all media to take our stories, so we also land on tv news, radio, magazines and television shows.
By now, you may be thinking that we have a huge office with people running around in a frenzy of news-gathering. Thank God, that is not the case. We all work out of our own homes and apartments! From writers, columnists, and technicians. And, oh yes…those rainy and snowy days that I look out of my apartment window in Manhattan and watch my neighbors trying to catch a cab. Life on the internet is wonderful. I know. I use to have 10 full-time television production professionals on salary, in a large and expensive office on Madison Avenue. For 25 years I was a television producer of commercials and syndicated shows. Still produce tv public service commercials – and I think that we’re one of the very best you can hire! Email me at: tvmike13
One of the first things I do on Mondays is take a look at where our stories are appearing across the globe. We are currently read in 174 countries, and over 3,000 cities. Just imagine. When I was in tv we had to wait for Neilson ratings. Now I just click a link on the computer.
Some of the more fun and unusual happenings:
* “Hello, Mr. McCurdy, this is Miss America!”
I had just finished showering and the phone rang. I answered it and that’s what I heard. I had been told that Miss America 2004 would call me to be interviewed, but I had no idea when. I was standing there ringing wet in my birthday suit. “Please hold on a minute Miss America” I said. Yup, you guessed it. I got dressed, and then did the interview.
* “I’m Worth About 20 Million Dollars”
Ever been in a meeting with twenty-somethings who are all millionaires – on paper? I have, many times. The really strange thing about these meetings, is that they were all very calm and somewhat surreal. We “older guys” had something (business experience) that the younger guys needed, and they had what we couldn’t quite yet understand. But we all knew it was Golden.
* “Please, I Beg You – Don’t Print That Story!”
There was an ambulance driver in a rural suburb in the mid-west who started a fund for animals that had been abandoned. The story got on the Internet and blossomed worldwide. I got his phone number and wanted to do a follow-up story. When I got him on the phone he begged me not to publish it. He told me that he had received over 300,000 emails and lots of donations and he was overwhelmed by it all. He had to close down his site. “This wasn’t suppose to happen – this was just a local story. My life has been miserable since this began.” Of course, I did not publish a thing further.
* ”Can You Get Me In Touch with the Scientist Who Authored This Please”
We got an email from a professor at a University in Czechoslovakia who had read a paper authored by a scientist at Howard Hughes Medical Institute that appeared on HND, and he was very excited about their findings and what he had been working on. I did get the two together via email. This is what editors live for!
As almost everyone is aware, newspapers/magazines are having serious financial problems and are downsizing staff, and expenses. Consider this: Internet publishers (that’s me) do not buy pulp, nor ink, nor do we have delivery trucks. To deliver our news nationally and internationally, we simply click on a link.
Since launching HealthNewsDigest.com in 1999, my credentials include writing/editing/publishing over 30,000 health-related articles/news stories on the health industry, as well as producing/directing approximately 200 public service commercials for television over the last 25 years. I am a member of the New York Press Club, The Association of Health Care Journalists, and the Online News Association.
We create, script, produce and distribute public service campaigns
that garner millions of your publics! Email me at: tvmike13
Mike McCurdy, Founder/Publisher – HealthNewsDigest.com
HealthNewsDigest.com is a 13 year old Online Magazine that publishes news stories on the Health Industry on a daily basis.
In addition, we are syndicated to thousands of major health industry web sites, content and applications to PDA, wireless PDA, and smartphone users, with hourly worldwide news feeds. Also, over 7,000 news editors, directors, and health columnists subscribe and have free access to use any and all content. We are members of the New York Press Club, The Association of Health Care Journalists, and The Online News Association.
Michael J. McCurdy
Founder/Publisher
HealthNewsDigest.com
1461A First Avenue
New York, NY 10075Office Phone: 212.396.3585
cell: 917.843.8637
[email protected]
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For advertising and promotion on HealthNewsDigest.com please contact Mike McCurdy: [email protected] or 877-634-9180
HealthNewsDigest.com is syndicated worldwide, to thousands of journalists in all media, and health-related websites. www.HealthNewsDigest.com