Why must pages be scanned when most members can provide PDFs of all their page?
In a word, authenticity. This issue was debated at length, and the deciding factor is that proof of publication is vital to ensuring authenticity to our database. There is simply no way to verify that PDF pre-press images have not been altered or never actually appeared in print. Without that distinction, the credibility, and ultimate value of this resource would be compromised.
Why are the photos on my scanned pages so dark?
Scanned pages appear at a lower resolution and are shown in a read-only format to prevent viewers from simply printing a hard copy of a photo on their computer.
Can I sell black and white or color photographs through the “Nebraska News Link” site?
The quick answer to this is, no. Customers must contact your newspaper direct to purchase reprints of photos that appear in the scanned pages of your newspaper. If you were to sell a photo through the website, you would have to charge local sales tax, if it applies, which would be a logistical nightmare. Simply explain to customers that photos can only be purchased by contacting your paper direct.
How much will it cost my newspaper to participate in the “Nebraska News Link” digital newspaper project?
The rate for scanned pages effective February 1, 2009 forward is 30 cents per page. The rate for scanned pages prior to February 1, 2009 is 20 cents per page. While test scanning started in late 2007, assessment of monthly charges did not start until July 1, 2008. NPA will bill participating newspapers twice a year, in December and June. The first bill was issued in December 2008.
Can the ”Nebraska News Link” website pay for itself right away?
We believe the answer is yes, simply through time savings to your staff. How much time have your editors, reporters, advertising sales reps and front desk staff spent scanning through back issues looking for a particular item? With this searchable database, staff can quickly search by key word or range of dates and instantly find the information.
Do your own math. A paper that averages 24 pages a week will pay $250 for a year’s worth of scanning. At a conservative $9 an hour for your staff, if you save less than one hour per week you have already paid for this service. The reporting research tool and customer service benefits are an added bonus.
What benefits does “Nebraska News Link” have for my advertisers?
Put simply, e-tearsheets. Many advertisers and ad agencies are now requesting electronic copies of their ads. This searchable database makes it very simple to find ads and forward an electronic copy with the push of a button. Again, do your own math on potential savings of staff time and postage.
Can older archives or microfilm of our newspaper be scanned and included in our online searchable database?
That depends. If your older archive pages are stored unbound, then yes, they can be scanned and added to your online searchable database. In most instances, the same 20 cents per scanned page rate (for pages prior to 2/1/09) would apply, but please contact the NPA office for details on procedures, rates and next steps. (Very old and/or fragile pages are not accepted for scanning at this time).
Because pages must be scanned flat, bound archived issues must be unbound, scanned and then rebound. Right now, the only bindery NPA has found that can accommodate this process is estimating a prohibitively high cost to newspapers for this unbinding/rebinding process.
In the future, NPA hopes to beta test scanning of microfilm archives (which may already exist through your local library or historical society), to determine if they can be incorporated into the “Nebraska News Link” searchable database.
How can I sign up my newspaper to participate in the “Nebraska News Link” digital project?
It’s easy. Contact the NPA/NPAS office for details and to get signed up. Scanning of your newspaper pages can begin right away.
How would my newspaper handle e-subscriptions?
Each newspaper is responsible for, and controls, all aspects of their e-subscriptions. Your paper determines what rates to charge for e-subscriptions. Customers must first contact your paper direct to set up and pay for an e-subscription. You set up customer accounts, issue user names/passwords for website access, and monitor e-subscription start/end dates. Because of the timely aspect of subscription changes, NPA determined that this would be the most effective way to go.
Since your paper will promote and set up customer e-subscriptions direct, it’s important that you and your staff be knowledgeable about the website so you can explain it to customers and answer their questions.
NPA will provide you and your staff with behind-the-scenes support. We’ll issue your paper a limited-access user name/password (to set up customer accounts), answer questions and provide house newspaper ads to help you promote e-subscriptions to your customers.
How does my newspaper benefit by offering e-subscriptions?
With e-subscriptions, you can offer your customers an online product that they can access from home, work or on the road.
An e-subscription provides an online alternative to your current print subscribers that live out-of-state, are “snow birds” or college students. Rather than waiting several weeks to receive their mailed print subscription, which until now has been their only option, they can now access your newspaper online within two or three days after publication. Plus you’d save on out-of-state postage and printing costs.
If I offer online e-subscriptions don’t I risk losing my current print subscribers?
First, keep in mind that it takes two or three days before your scanned pages are available for viewing on the website, so your printed edition still provides quickest access to your newspaper.
Your primary audience for e-subscriptions are those out-of-state customers that currently wait several weeks to receive their mailed paper to arrive. You could also promote e-subscriptions as an add-on option for your local print subscribers, to access searchable archives, or access your paper while on the road.
Since you’ll set your own e-subscription rates, and decide how you’ll promote e-subscriptions, and to whom, you can control this.
How does the e-commerce piece of the website work?
At the “Nebraska News Link” website, e-subscription customers and guest viewers to the site can search the database of all 100 participating newspapers, and through an automated check-out system, purchase a news article, obituary, wedding announcement, etc. and purchase it online for $5.00 per transaction. Once their online purchase is complete, the downloadable pages they purchased are automatically sent to their email address where they can be viewed, printed or saved.
What’s the difference between e-subscriptions and e-commerce?
A PAID E-SUBSCRIBER TO YOUR PAPER can search and view scanned pages from your current issue or archives, without paying any additional e-commerce transaction fees (with a current paid online e-subscription to your paper). THIS SAME E-SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER CAN ALSO search scanned pages of the other participating “Nebraska News Link” newspapers, but they must purchase that information online ($5.00 per transaction fee) to receive the downloadable page(s) electronically, sent to their email address.
A GUEST VIEWER TO THE WEBSITE (with no e-subscription to any paper), can search the database of any participating “Nebraska News Link” newspapers at no charge, but if they find information they’re interested in, they cannot access or view the scanned pages containing the information until they’ve purchased the information online ($5.00 per transaction fee). Once payment is complete, the page(s) are electronically sent to their email address, where the downloadable information can be printed or saved on their computer.
How can e-commerce benefit my newspaper?
We believe there is tremendous potential for revenue opportunities. If someone in California wants to purchase a copy of Aunt May’s obituary that ran five months ago in your newspaper, they can type in her name in the keyword search, find the page containing the obituary, purchase it online and receive it electronically through their email address.
Revenues generated from the purchase of information found in your scanned pages is forwarded on to you through NPA. (PayPal transaction fee and NPA administrative fee is deducted prior to revenue dispersement.) As customer and viewer website traffic builds, and your searchable archive database grows, revenue opportunities increase as well.
What is my newspapers’ role in e-commerce?
While you have complete control and responsibility for e-subscriptions, you have no direct involvement in e-commerce transactions. NPA will work directly with PayPal to handle all reports, transactions and revenue dispersements to individual newspapers.
How is e-commerce money collected and distributed to my newspaper?
NPA has partnered with Information Analytics/Lincoln and designed a protocol in which PayPal handles all transactions and credit card payments. PayPal will generate automatic transaction reports of all online purchases and forwards these reports, along with revenues, to the NPA office. NPA will then distribute any payments to your newspaper quarterly as part of your pool check.
Is there any cost to my newspaper for e-commerce transactions?
There is no direct cost to your paper, however a PayPal transaction fee (30 cents and 2.9% p/transaction) and a NPA administrative fee ($1 p/transaction) is deducted from e-commerce revenues prior to dispersement to individual newspapers.