Today I had the honor of interviewing Christine Miserandino, founding editor of But You Don't Look Sick e-magazine. If you're interested in starting a content-driven website, also known as an e-magazine, take Miserandino's advice and find a niche that advertisers want to advertise in.

Why did you choose to start an online magazine? Why did you choose your topic?

I started an online magazine because of my love of writing. It seemed like a natural choice to publish the magazine online to reach the widest audience possible. I also am a patient advocate working to help those living with lupus and many other "invisible disabilities". The online magazine was a great way to merge those two interest. I had much success and started having a following shortly after I wrote an essay called "The Spoon Theory". I am living with lupus, and I wanted to help others who had the same feelings I did. I wanted to help people not feel so alone.

Online publications are wonderful, low cost alternatives to print publications but they're also more difficult to find advertisers. How do you fund your publication and why did you choose that route?

Surprisingly, I have not found it difficult to find companies that want to advertise with us. We have a very loyal readership and those readers happen to be a very desirable demographic of women ages 18-35. Also, it has been proven by numerous studies that those living with disabilities do most, if not all of their shopping online, and prove to be repeat shoppers to businesses they become familiar with. I also have used Google Adsense and Amazon with some success.

I do use some of the advertising spots on our e-magazine to promote products from our get well gift shop, which is another business I run. The Gift shop has T shirts, sweatshirts, Teddy bears, mugs and other gift items with slogans geared for the disabled community or those dealing with illness.

What do you do to build your subscription base?

We have a mailing list that is featured prominently on every page of our site. We also request email information when customers shop at our online store, when people become members of our active message boards and chat room, as well as when they enter our contests.

Visit her at http://butyoudontlooksick.com/

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