This is the time in Revenue’s publishing cycle that all the stories for the next issue are flooding in. I’m furiously editing and fine tuning some fantastic articles and at the same time writing, reporting and researching some of my own features. It’s a very frantic but equally exciting time.

I love it when one of our writers files their story and it after reading it I’ve learned a pile of new, helpful information - despite the fact that the author and I have talked at length many times about the article throughout the entire process.

This week I edited a great story on why more merchants are denying affiliate applications. It’s got truly insightful comments from an amazing array of affiliate program managers, top-performing affiliates along with the perspective of those at the networks and other industry gurus.

In addition, the story also includes a sidebar on specific steps you can take to improve your chances of being accepted into a program before you submit your application. I think you’ll find range of perspectives enlightening and the application tips very valuable.

I’ve also been editing a piece on switching networks. This was a topic brought to my attention by a reader, which is often where so many of our best story ideas start. The feature touches on the problems and pitfalls as well as benefits and gives an idea of just how much work is involved in such a large undertaking. It’s clearly a disruptive move, but for some the payoff was well worth it.

I was also thrilled to edit the premiere of our By Design Makeover column. Pedro Sostre, a well established top affiliate with Commission Junction, who also owns Miami-based design firm Sostre & Associates, gave a homepage redesign to one of our readers and then explains each step. We’ll show you the “before” and “after.” The results are dramatic and stunning.

I can’t reveal with winner of the makeover. You’ll have to wait for the January issue of Revenue to check it out.

We also plan in future issues to follow up each of these “makeovers” to see how they really worked for the publishers. Having an eye-catching site is only good if you can convert visitors into sales.

There are many other interesting articles that are also in the final stages of writing and editing this week. There’s one that looks at the complex and controversial issue of Internet Taxation. I expect that topic will have people talking.

There’s another about what health and fitness sites are doing to attract more attention as well as a comprehensive look at the value of RSS feeds and how to prevent splogging. Even if your familar with splogging this piece will help you better protect yourself.

So far, I’m delighted with the range of topics and stories. But most of all I’m overjoyed there are so many people quoted throughout the magazine. We managed to jam-pack articles with tons of new voices, opinions and perspectives. You may not agree with what everyone has to say, but we make sure all sides get heard.

Okay, now I’m off to try and meet my own deadline for my story on how online marketers are leveraging podcasting.

Keep those great ideas coming. We love your input. lisap@revenuetoday.com

Listen up people. I’m only going to say this once. If you run a business – any kind of business – it is a key part of your job to know how to interact with the media. If you personally don’t have a clue, then you need to hire someone (like a public relations firm) that does.

At least once each day I am dumbfounded by how much people are hurting – yes, I said hurting – their own businesses due to their lack of media savvy. You may think that I’m being self-serving in telling you this and you’d be right. And you may think that I’m being harsh and again, sir, you are correct. But perhaps a heaping helping of harsh is just what you need to shape up.

Part of my shock is that the world of performance and affiliate marketing is all about promotion and marketing. So how could so many of you be so bad at promoting your own companies when it comes to dealing with the press?

Consider these examples and then tell me how smart, savvy and beneficial these tactics were to promoting the business of these respective companies.

Example #1: The Aggressor: A very small developer with what I hear is a cool performance marketing utility hounds me night and day hoping that I will write about the release of his new product, despite the fact that we don’t really cover news since we were publishing just every three months. There is email after email. Voicemails left at all hours of the day and night. There are attempts to corner me at conferences and tradeshows.

I calmly (maybe not so calmly after the fifth time) explain that our editorial calendar is set months in advance and that I can not cover this particular subject in the next issue, but that I will consider it in the future as, perhaps, part of a round up of such products or tools. This completely offends him. His fabulous, wonderful, mankind-saving product is not to be lumped in with other (read: far-inferior) products. He “demands” that I write a story just about his company.

Okay, I’m not sure about you but I don’t do well with people who make demands. Regardless of how wonderful his product may be, it’s unlikely that I’m going to go out of my way to write about it. If I decide to do a round up of similar products I’ll be sure to include his. But will it be the lead product in the story? Will I make sure to quote him in the article? Will I go out of my way to get a screen shot of his product? Not likely. Yes, journalists are supposed to be objective, but remember we are also human. It’s likely there 20 other people with cool products that want to be included, so why not work with the ones that are easier to deal with? Just like in affiliate marketing – it’s all about building relationships.

I’m betting that some of those companies in the story were represented by pleasant people that provided the correct information in a timely manner and didn’t try to dictate the editorial direction. Those are the people I will remember and likely call in the future when I’m working on another article where I need a quote from an intelligent online marketing executive on a particular subject.

Example #2: The Star: This person really doesn’t need me. I’m irrelevant to them. Don’t I realize that this executive works for XYZ Company? Everyone has heard of them. They have thousands of customers and a stock price that is soaring. They get coverage all the time in the big mainstream press – the NY Times the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek. I’m sure they use similar tactics to get a good table at a restaurant. The problem – I’m not your maitre’d.

This executive is only deeming to speak with me because it will help me and my little magazine they say. But they will only be in the story if they are the focus (again folks, get over this). If your company actually is a star others will tell me so. If you tell me then it’s PR or just plain old bragging. However, if other respected industry gurus or experts tell me how great your company or product is, then that is a compliment that holds much more weight.

Example #3: The Advertiser: You are an advertiser in Revenue Magazine. Don’t even get me started on this one. The steam is already starting to come out of me ears. The sales guys at Revenue hate when I say this, but I don’t care if you advertise with our magazine. They are now cringing. Advertising and editorial are two different things - Chinese wall; separation of church and state.

I am not more likely to write about you because you bought an ad. In fact, I’m so worried about the appearance of something “funny” going on that I make it point not to look at the ads in the magazine. I don’t want to know who spends money with our company. My job is to direct the editorial coverage and the fact you spent hard-earned dollars to advertise your company does not make you smarter, more quotable or worth talking to. What makes you worthy of being included in any article (in any publication) is that you are intelligent, you have a unique perspective, you are articulate and you have a lot of experience on the topic that I am writing about – that’s what I’m interested in - regardless of how (and with whom) you spend your advertising dollars.

Example #4: The Budding Writer: I want to write for your magazine. Well, that’s flattering, but unlikely. Our stories are written by professional journalists. That’s how these folks make their living - as writers and reporters. Don’t try and convince me that because you’ve spent the last six years doing affiliate marketing that you are more qualified to write an article than someone who has won business journalism awards and been published thousands of times in prestigious publications.

Being a marketer and a journalist are two different skills. That doesn’t mean they are mutually exclusive. There are plenty of online marketers that are good writers, but for the most part, it’s just not the same skill set.

And just a hint: pointing out minor grammatical errors on my part doesn’t make you an editor or writer and doesn’t endear you to me. Also, there is also so much more ego involved on the part of the non-professional journalist. Sorry, but not every one of your words is gold and I have deadline constraints on my end.

Our team of professional, veteran journalists is charged with contacting the appropriate experts, sources, gurus, industry watchers and researchers to get the information from all sides and perspectives. Then they synthesize that into a coherent and compelling story. There is no way you as the CEO of a search engine optimization firm are ever going to convince me that writing a story about the benefits of search engine optimization is not a conflict. We don’t want the industry biases, regardless of how many times you assure me that you can put them aside.

We like opinions and put them in our magazine in the form of opinion columns. They are labeled as such and those authors were selected because they have strong feelings on a variety of subjects or they are considered industry leaders with wisdom to impart. That’s a good thing. However, we can’t have a magazine that is all opinion.

So, if you are an expert at something, check your ego at the door. Rather than trying to get a byline in a publication, seek to be quoted in the story as an expert. That will help your reputation and that of your company. Here’s a little secret – journalists read what other journalists write. Good journalists do their homework. If one writer does a search and sees that you were quoted as an expert in story, they are likely to turn to you as an expert when they are writing a story on a similar topic. Not rocket science.

As I’m writing this I realize that I could go on forever. And while this is cathartic for me and hopefully helpful to you I will stop so that I can work on putting out the best possible issue for January. But, be warned, I have a feeling this is a topic I’m going to have to revisit.

Let me know what you think. lisap@revenuetoday.com

Google Thursday again announced another record earnings period, posting revenues of $1.58 billion, a 96 percent increase over the same quarter of last year.

Google’s net income rose to $381.2 million, or $1.32 per diluted share, up from $52 million, or 19 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts had predicted earnings of $1.22 per share.

The earnings were far rosier than the search giant had led investors to expect. Last quarter Google brass cautioned that the summer typically is the weakest time of year for advertising.

Market research eMarketer estimates 2005 will mark the first year that Google’s revenue will outstrip that of competitor Yahoo. Google is expected to close out the year with over $3.6 billion, or 28 percent, of total U.S. online ad revenue. The eMarketer research puts Yahoo’s end-of-year earnings at $3.1 billion, or 24 percent of total U.S. online ad spending.

However, on Tuesday, Yahoo increased its full-year revenue forecast to $3.66 billion to $3.71 billion.

Also on Tuesday, Yahoo reported revenue for its third quarter of $1.33 billion, a 47 percent increase over the $907 million it reported in the third quarter of last year. Net income for the quarter was $254 million, compared to $253 million in the third quarter of last year. Marketing services revenue grew 46 percent to $1.16 billion from $797 million in third-quarter 2004. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company estimates fourth-quarter net revenue of $1.03 billion to $1.08 billion

Google’s lead in search shows also no sign of narrowing. Of all U.S. user queries, Google handled 45 percent in September, compared with 23 percent for Yahoo and 12 percent for Microsoft’s MSN, according to a report Thursday by Nielsen/Net-Ratings.

Since going public 14 months ago, Google has expanded far beyond its search roots. In recent months, the company has released a flurry of new products including an instant messenger, the ability to make free Internet telephone calls from personal computers, and a satellite mapping service. Google also wants to provide free wireless Internet access to San Francisco.

The company also has a lot of cash on hand ($7.6 billion.), which some analysts say is an indicator of an acquisition strategy.

Most of the headlines for stories reporting Google’s earnings were pretty straight forward, but here’s one that stood out.

Google is Paris Hilton, Only Hotter

And if all of this is just not enough and you still need to get your Google on, here are a few more items of interest from the last week.

Now Publishers’ Turn to Sue Google over Project

Google Earth Gathers Commercial Real Estate Data

Google gives up on Gmail name in U.K.

Let me know your thoughts or concerns about Google. lisap@revenuetoday.com

There’s been a lot of discussion over the last several days regarding Commission Junction’s decision to give the boot to one of its most notorious purveyors of adware and spyware.

The Belcaro Group, which operates ShopAtHomeSelect’s cash back loyalty portal and controversial download application, has been removed from Commission Junction’s network for violation of CJ’s publisher service agreement and the Publisher Code of Conduct.

ShopAtHomeSelect was officially terminated from CJ’s affiliate network on Oct. 11. It was also eliminated from the operations of BFAST, a CJ subsidiary with slightly different termination policies, on Oct. 14.

Most say the ousting was a long time coming and applaud CJ’s efforts to clean house as a huge step in the right direction. Commission Junction terminated 180Solutions in April and eXact Advertising in May. BFAST deactivated the same companies in September.

Well-known adware researcher and Harvard Law School graduate, Ben Edelman published a detailed analysis of ShopAtHomeSelect a few months ago.

Also, check out this recent article that includes a quote from Michelle Pujol, the Belcaro Group’s director of Internet marketing, about the CJ situation.

“We work with many suppliers, including the Commission Junction network. As with any of our supplier partners, misunderstandings and miscommunications can occur. We are concerned about how this will impact our Commission Junction Merchant Partners’ fourth quarter goals, and regret any impact on these valued partners. We look forward to resolving any misunderstandings between us and the Commission Junction network.”

Ironically, the same day ShopAtHomeSelect was kicked out of CJ’s network a press release was issued announcing Pujol’s hiring by Belcaro. Talk about timing.

Let me know if you have something timely to discuss. lisap@revenuetoday.com

For more than a year or so I’ve been very intrigued by podcasting. Not surprisingly, that’s just about the time I broke down and got my first iPod. I’ve followed a lot of what’s happened on the technical side of podcasting via an old acquaintance, who is a pioneer in the podcasting space.

But mostly, I’ve just been listening to a bunch of cool podcasts. However, lately I’ve been thinking about doing some podcasting. Many, many years ago I was involved in radio as a show producer and doing some voiceovers. Throughout my writing and editing career I’ve lent a hand with “multimedia initiatives” at several former places of employment that were launching online audio “broadcasting.”

The concept of podcasting appeals to me on several levels – as someone who loves all forms of new media, as a frustrated radio DJ wannabe and as someone who knows just enough about technology to be dangerous.

Currently, I’m working on a feature about podcasting that will appear in the Winter Issue of Revenue. It’s been interesting to see how the online marketing community is embracing podcasting.

It’s also intriguing to see the “big boys” get into the game. Monday Yahoo launched a suite of podcasting tools that help search, rate and arrange the digital audio files. The free service is aimed at helping consumers sift through the rapidly multiplying number of podcsts that are available today. And I’m pleased to note that there are tens of thousands of them and plenty of new ones popping up every day.

Yahoo estimates that up to five million people currently listen to podcasts, which touch on every possible topic including books, beer, computers, music, humor, family, finances, games and gadgets.

With Yahoo Podcast Search, the most popular podcasts are now promoted on Yahoo’s front page, along with a few other recommended podcasts. The podcasts can be searched via keywords, categories or user-generated topic tags. Searchers can listen to or subscribe to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds for individual shows or episodes of programming or entire series.

The service is compatible with most MP3 devices including Apple’s iPod, the iRiver player, Dell’s DJ, and Creative Technology Ltd.’s Zen.

In the future Yahoo plans to provide podcast publishing and hosting tools as well.

But Yahoo’s not first to get into the podcasting search space. At the end of June, search startup blinkx released a service to find podcasts and video blogs.

Lat month America Online announced features to deliver the best of the Web’s podcasts to more than 100 million visitors at it’s portal. I expect in the near future you will see many more tools to make searching, arranging and listening to podcasts easier and that’s very exciting.

Let me know about how podcasting fits into your future marketing plans. lisap@revenuetoday.com

There’s something nasty going around. It might be a virus. And I’m not talking about a computer virus. Although, there are way too many of those out in cyberspace than my stuffed up, throbbing head even cares to contemplate right now. Actually, I’ve caught a regular run of the mill, old fashioned cold or maybe it’s the flu.

So, while I take a sick day and load up on Sudafed, NyQuil and Oprah, here are some things that might interest you.

Spyware Purveyor in Cross Hairs

AOL to buy Weblogs

Google Melds Maps, Local

Diller Touts Original Web Programming

Keyword Prices Trending Down

If you’ve got something interesting to pass on (that won’t make me sneeze or cough) let me know. lisap@revenuetoday.com

There are just way too many things to blog about. Here’s what’s happening in no particular order.

A recent JupiterResearch study, “Paid Content and Services Forecast 2005-2010,” found that nearly two-thirds of adult Internet users still claim they won’t pay for content to avoid online advertising. However, some 31 percent of the respondents said they paid for some online content. That’s up 5 percent over last year.

The eighth edition of the semiannual “Internet Security Threat Report,” from Symantec, found that although the number of Internet attacks worldwide has declined, there has been a rise in the exposure of confidential information. During the first half of 2005, malicious code that exposed confidential information represented 74 percent of the top 50 malicious code samples reported to Symantec, up from 54 percent in the previous six months.

eStartup is selling the domain name AffiliateDirectory.com to the highest bidder via an online auction at Pool.com. The press release included a quote from eStartup’s Thomas Rogers, vice president of marketing of Marketing. “We expect the final price for this domain to possibly reach six figures,” Rogers says. The last time I checked, the bidding was at $5,000 and the auction ends Wednesday October 5.

The number of searches conducted by online users in the United States surpassed 5 billion in August – an increase of 4.8 percent from July’s 4.8 billion, according to new data from comScore qSearch.

Affiliate marketing blog, AffiliateCluetrain.com is re-launching. This incarnation is as an affiliate manager-driven, community Web site using blogs to communicate and interact with its readers.

Jeff Molander, CEO of Molander & Associates is handing over the reigns to a variety of affiliate managers, but will be involved as managing editor.

Several high-profile affiliate managers are joining AffiliateCluetrain.com including, Chris Sanderson, general manager of affiliate marketing at WebStudio One; Chris Park, affiliate manager at Blair Corp. and Affiliate Manager, Patrice Colancecco Milligan.

I’m not sure if Molander will continue blogging at Revenews.com, which has recently added some new voices to its ever-widening blogging circle.

Finally, three brief notes on the conference front:

eComXpo starts this Thursday. It’s a virtual trade show for online marketers so you don’t even have to leave your desk to attend.

With the frequency of Revenue’s publishing schedule increasing to six times a year in 2006, I won’t be leaving my desk all that much in the near future. Especially not for Ad:Tech New York in November. I really want to attend. Who wouldn’t want to schmooze with all the top online marketing folks and maybe do a little early Christmas shopping in Manhattan? Besides, all my family and many of my pals live back East. I’m very sad not to be able to make the show.

Finally, the latest issue of Revenue is out and our informative Affiliate Calendar of events has a tiny error. We list the upcoming Affiliate Summit 2006 as happening at the end of January. Not so. The The conference is actually January 8-10, 2006, at Bally’s in Las Vegas. The conference planners changed the dates after our issue went to print.

Let me know what’s on your mind. lisap@revenuetoday.com