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Long Island Business News
April 20, 1999
by Carl Corry
The e-magazine scene
by Carl Corry
Dominick A. Miserandino has the gift of gab. He's the type of guy who walks into a room unknown and makes friends instantly.
In the past two years, his penchant for prattle has been subdued during the day as a back-office analyst at several Wall Street financial firms. But what he doesn't get to say during the day he makes up for at night.
He's the creator and executive editor of TheCelebrityCafe.com, an Internet-based question and answer magazine that examines the lives of musicians, authors and other artists in the spotlight.
The site gives him the outlet to do what comes naturally: talk and listen, of course.
With a cache of more than 220 interviews of celebrities, from the not-so-popular to the legendary, and a mailing list of 7,500 for The Celebrity Cafe's monthly newsletter, Miserandino says what once was a side hobby has developed into a full-fledged business out his Valley Stream home.
The most popular interview to date is of supermodel/actress/singer Milla Jovovich, followed by Indigo Girls singer Amy Ray, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and pop singer Jon Secada. Others include Blues Traveler, Lorna Luft (Judy Garland's daughter) and Peter Noone of the ‘60s band Herman's Hermits.
The Celebrity Cafe also has a search engine and continuously runs CDs, books and Broadway show ticket contests. The site recently added a feature called Cafe Contemplations, where celebrities respond to a question or issue involving people in their trade.
Revenue from advertisements and Amazon.com commission is not enough to make a living, yet, but "it's growing every month," Miserandino said. So much so that he plans to dump the well-paying Wall Street gig and put all his energy into The Celebrity Cafe within the next couple of months.
The move is a risky one, says Brain Cooper, a partner in the new media practice at KPMG, which consults online publications and other businesses seeking to profit from the Internet.
"The problem is that major advertisers will go to the well-known sites," he said, making it "very, very tough" for smaller competitors.
Secondly, Internet magazines, or zines, are still on the bottom rung of priority for celebrity publicists seeking media exposure, said Lisa Yucht a publicist at Hoopla, a Los Angeles-based music promoter. In terms of priority, she lists them like this: TV, radio, print and the Internet. However, Yucht says zines like The Celebrity Cafe can't be ignored.
Compared to a lot of new print magazines that "seem to be going bye-bye," Yucht says zines are growing in number and impact.
They are especially helpful in promoting independent artists who struggle for media attention.
"I think sites like Dominick's are very important in breaking through for new artists," said Ida S. Langsam, president of ISL Public Relations in Manhattan who has worked with Miseradino for more than a year.
"For us it has been an excellent outlet," Yucht added.
"It's the first job I had that I really enjoy," said Miserandino, adding that he has gotten several offers to buy the site outright recently. "People see the potential."
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