Brought to you by The Magazine Coalition

Welcome to The Niche Fix. Each week, we will share insights from experts and professionals in the niche publishing industry. Have questions or thoughts about the industry? Reply to this email, and let’s chat!

But first…

2026 has officially arrived and we’re feeling extra festive this year…

So we decided to release our Christmas promo code a little early to our Niche Fix readers. When you register for the Niche Media Conference, use code NEWYEAR at checkout to get $200 off your ticket.

You’ll join hundreds of niche media pros for three days of killer sessions, real-talk sales training, and networking that actually feels human. But act fast—this limited-time discount won’t stick around for long.

Ryan Dohrn’s Sales Corner: The Power of Three

If you want to be more successful in sales this year, don’t overcomplicate it. According to Ryan Dohrn, the answer is surprisingly simple: three.

Nature runs on threes. Three trimesters. Three things to start a fire. Three strikes and you’re out. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it—and sales is no different.

Here’s the challenge:
What are three things you’re going to do differently this year than last year?
What are three things you’ll do differently this month than last month?
This week? Today?

Three is manageable. Your brain can actually hold onto it. When you focus on just three improvements at a time, your mind naturally starts looking for better ways to work, sell, and connect.

The danger, Ryan says, is standing still. A rock that sits still grows moss underneath it—and the same thing happens in sales. Stagnation creeps in quietly. Comfort turns into complacency. Growth stops.

But when you’re constantly asking yourself, “What are my three?” you stay in motion. You stay curious. You stay sharp.

So don’t chase perfection. Don’t overhaul everything at once. Pick three things and commit to them. Then do it again tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.

Now, let’s talk resolutions…

New Year’s Resolutions for Publishers

By Zach O’Brien

Every January, publishers make the same promises.

“This is the year we grow faster.”
“This is the year we fix revenue.”
“This is the year we finally get serious.”

And by February? We’re back to chasing pageviews, posting links into social voids, and wondering why growth feels harder than it should.

So instead of another fluffy “goal-setting” exercise, here’s a set of New Year’s resolutions for publishers who want real momentum, the kind that compounds quietly while everyone else is chasing the next algorithm tweak.

1. Stop chasing vanity metrics

Impressions, follower counts, and reach look great in screenshots. They don’t pay the bills. This year, resolve to care more about email replies, renewals, inbound leads, and subscribers who actually open your stuff.

2. Treat your email list like the business (because it is)

Social platforms will keep changing the rules. Email is still the most direct line to your audience and your revenue. If list growth and engagement aren’t on your weekly to-do list, they should be.

3. Repurpose everything without guilt

That one great article should turn into five assets. Newsletter sections, LinkedIn posts, short videos, sponsor pitch language. Publishers don’t need more content—they need more leverage from what they already create.

4. Sell fewer ads, but sell them better

More inventory doesn’t mean more money. The publishers winning right now are selling fewer placements, charging more, and building partnerships that actually align with their audience. Quality beats clutter.

5. Talk to advertisers before building new products

If advertisers wouldn’t buy it, it’s not a product yet—it’s a hunch. This year, validate ideas early. One honest conversation can save months of wasted effort.

6. Get comfortable being a personal brand

Audiences trust people more than logos. Publishers who show up as humans—on LinkedIn, in email, on video—build trust faster and sell more easily. You don’t need to overshare. You do need to be visible.

7. Actually use AI (not just talk about it)

AI won’t replace your voice—but it should absolutely help you work faster. Outlines, summaries, social captions, archive mining, sales ideas. The resolution isn’t “use AI.” It’s “save time and think better.”

8. Create one new revenue stream (just one)

Not five experiments. One. A premium newsletter, event, membership, job board, or sponsorship package. Focus beats frenzy every time.

9. Treat your archive like the asset it is

Years of evergreen content shouldn’t rot in a CMS. The publishers pulling ahead are resurfacing, updating, and repackaging their best work instead of constantly starting from zero.

10. Attend the Niche Media Conference

Yes, this one’s specific—and intentional.

From April 8–10 in Orlando, the Niche Media Conference brings together publishers who are actually doing the work: building revenue, refining strategy, and sharing what’s working right now. It’s not about theory. It’s about execution, connections, and walking away with ideas you’ll use the next week—not “someday.”

Because sometimes the best resolution isn’t another tool or tactic.
It’s putting yourself in the room with people who get it.

This issue of the Niche Fix is brought to you by The Magazine Coalition

The Magazine Coalition exists to help publishers monetize their valuable content while standing up for content creator rights.

As AI tools continue to evolve, they are increasingly using copyrighted content without fair compensation. They license full-spectrum magazine stories — including features, interviews, investigations, and reviews — ensuring that creators and publishers alike are recognized and rewarded.

Their mission is to help publishers get paid for what they’ve already created and continue to write, while also enforcing the infrastructure that protects creator rights in the next era of intelligence.

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