Benefits of Membership for Publishers

Specialized information publishing —-whether it's subscription newsletters, directories, online publications, database services or conferences —-promises entrepreneurial excitement and a profitable business model. Our industry has an outstanding 30-year history of editorial excellence and business success based on the sharing by SIPA members of their winning strategies and tactics. 

 Above all, when you become a SIPA member, you gain access to a treasury of proven techniques for starting and building a successful publishing business. You'll learn about best practices in fulfillment, editorial, marketing, management and content delivery.

No matter where your business is in its life cycle, you'll get answers that match your needs. Our members range from people with a nascent idea they want to "reality check" with experienced publishing hands, to small companies with one or two publications, to firms with hundreds of employees and tens of millions of dollars in annual sales.

As a SIPA member, you're also assured of staying on top of developments in this fast-paced field —-especially today's new, emerging formulas for increasing profits, particularly in online media. Our publications and frequent audio and in-person conferences ensure that you stay on the leading edge of profit-making techniques.

"SIPA has taught me everything I know about running a specialized information business.  The network of entrepreurs it contains is second to none."
Robin Crumby, Melcrum Publishing

Your SIPA membership gives you resources you can use immediately to boost sales and profits:

• a subscription to our monthly SIPA Hotline newsletter (available in print and online) and our SIPAlert Daily;
• access to SIPA conferences, roundtables and webinars (SIPA's Annual Conference is the largest gathering of independent publishers in the world) giving you the networking access you need;
• membership in our online forums (LISTSERVs®) where you can discuss problems and solutions, get new ideas with your peers.  Active forums include the following topical areas:  marketing, editorial, electronic publishing, IT and conferences.
• password-protected access to our members-only section of our Website with:
  • our SIPF Libary with FREE downloadable management reports on topics such as:  Building Subscription Websites that Sell; The Independent Publishers Legal Handbook
  • access to over 50 current, topical, searchable PowerPoints and handouts from the past year of SIPA Conferences
  • searchable membership database
  • archives of SIPA publications
  • downloadable copy of our SIPA Membership Director & Buyer's Guide
• free local chapter membership;
• and more.

Members get the information they need from our members-only Hotline.

"I have learned a tremendous amount of information from SIPA's excellent programs, and from individual SIPA members, as well.  No other organization I belong to is as friendly, open and helpful as SIPA."
David Yale, Direct Marketer
 

Additional SIPA member services help you save money and network with like-minded colleagues

• FREE Copyright, FOIA, Prepublication & Marketing Counseling. SIPA members can receive two hours per year of legal counseling at no charge to the member in specified areas of copyright, FOIA, prepublication or marketing law from SIPA First Amendment Counsel, Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, L.L.P. This alone will save you $840... and that's not including the potential savings from avoiding legal action against you.
   
• Surveys and Studies. The annual study of financial and operating ratios of specialized-information publishers is available, at no charge (an $895 value), to those members who complete the survey questionnaire. SIPA periodically surveys the specialized information publishing industry salaries; and you will be eligible to receive the latest results when you start your membership and participate in the current survey.  Other surveys are available periodically, as well.

	"I have valued my SIPA membership for years — on both sides of the Atlantic." Lauryn Franzoni, ExecuNet Inc., Norwalk, CT

Content Enforcement Program, SIPA has joined forces with the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) to provide its members with the content enforcement program.  For close to 20 years, SIIA has conducted a very successful corporate anti-piracy program for its software company members.  Now, piracy of published content such as newspaper articles, magazine articles, newsletters, newswire services and financial reports is growing.  While new tools for tracking and combating such piracy are becoming available, the problem is still significant.  Thus, SIIA created this "corporate anti-piracy program" for content companies, modeled after our program for software.  The goal is to pursue and remedy the illegal use of published content - whether in print form or electronically - within corporations.  (A separate SIIA program addresses public Internet infringement such as pirate websites and auctions).
Group Libel Insurance Program,  AXIS® PRO Insurance is one of the largest and most respected underwriters of media liability insurance and has been a trusted SIPA partner for over 21 years.  The SIPA-sponsored program for print and/or online publications includes coverage for:

• Personal Injury - libel, slander and other forms of defamation; invasion of privacy
• Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights - copyright infringement; trademark infringement;
  misappropriation of ideas
• Contextual Errors and Omissions - defective advice; incitement; (contingent bodily injury and property
  damage option is available for an additional premium)

You've invested your time and money to make your publication a success and this benefit is in place to make sure you don't lose it all in a law suit.  Contact Carolyn Fry at 816.292.7226 for more information.

The Specialized Information Publishers Foundation, administered by SIPA, sponsors the annual Editorial & Marketing Awards competition. It's a great way to demonstrate your editorial prowess externally to your customers and internally to your staff.

Personal assistance from the SIPA staff. The Staff are always available to provide expert advice or steer you to other colleagues or industry experts who can help you. You also gain access to files of reports and forms that have proven invaluable to publishers. For example, we can supply you with sample work-for-hire editorial contracts, information on telemarketing practices and how-to guidelines for forced free trials.  When members are considering buying or selling newsletters, SIPA also works as a third party to determine any market overlap by manually comparing subscriber lists (another free service). 

"The information gained from attending conferences has been valuable to our business.  Each time I attend, I hope to walk away with that "million dollar idea" - and I'm never disappointed."
Stephanie Ivy, EB Medicine

SIPA uses a dues schedule that is based on gross company revenue.

Seize the moment, take control of your future: Join us today

SIPA has been helping specialized-information publishers become more successful for more than 30 years now. Join today and let us help you!

We look forward to welcoming you as a member of SIPA.

For more information on SIPA and the benefits of membership, please contact Kati Fritz at 703.992.9339 or kfritz@sipaonline.com