Lawton: Publishing primer published in NetNewsCheck

An outline of first steps for fledgling publishers, written by LION's executive director, Beth Lawton, was published by NetNewsCheck: "Success for Local Independent Online News Publishers comes in as many forms as there are publications, but ensuring your own success as a journalism entrepreneur comes from careful and deliberate planning and sustainable organization and systems as much as it comes from passion. Beth Lawton, executive director for LION Publishers, says the most common advice she hears from members is, 'Make sure to set up your business before you break news.'"

She advised: For out-of-work journalists, including many let go recently from AOL’s Patch, it can be tempting to set up a site and start publishing news within days of a layoff. In fact, registering a domain, setting up a basic site and publishing your first piece of news can literally take just a few hours.

Stop. Don't do it.

The piece includes a checklist of factors to consider before posting your first story: your business structure, technical abilities, and what revenues will support a news site.

Read more at NetNewsCheck: Indie Online Local Publishing: A Primer.