Reflections on Self-Publishing [2024]: Year Five, Geneva Health Files

Dear Readers,

Recently, one of you suggested that Geneva Health Files is the insider baseball of global health. I was flattered. But given my allegiance to cricket, I’d rather it be the insider cricket of global health!

I am pleased that our readers find our journalism valuable. Early 2025, we will complete five years in operations.

This year, when I was recruiting board members to inform our strategy, one of them cautioned that most entrepreneurial initiatives die within the first five years. That was an uncomfortable reminder, but something we never take for granted.

We look forward to consolidating what we have achieved so far heading into the new year. This initiative has been assiduously built brick by brick, in a slow, organic fashion. Thank you for the journey so far!

In this edition, I present my annual reflections on self-publishing and media entrepreneurship. (We have done this every year: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020)

In addition, I share the stories that were the most memorable for me personally and also explain why. (In case you missed it earlier, see the best of GHF in 2024 in terms of page views)

Wishing you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2025.

Cheers,

Priti

Feel free to write to us: genevahealthfiles@gmail.com

Find us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/genevahealthfiles.bsky.social

I. Reflections on Self-Publishing:

(In no particular order of importance)

Own your voice
Business development is nearly everything
While journalism is not mincing words, entrepreneurship is biting your tongue
Journalism is the soul of the business, it is why media entrepreneurs wake up everyday
Focus, focus, focus
Diversify content
Diversify revenues
Bring in guest contributors to cross-pollinate audiences and readership
Be bold: it matters, it counts
Standing up is more important than standing out
Be brutal with time management
Seek time with humility
Interrupt less (does not come naturally to reporters)
Read more, write less
The big picture matters as much as details
People want to know what you are thinking (mostly)
It is fine to take positions
Rely on expertise for business development
Make strategic hires
Look at audiences with their specificities, not only as reader-revenue targets
More analysis
Stretch a little more to lift content
Push back! It is ok for journalists to have “an attitude”
Journalism conferences are worth the effort
Humor diffuses (nearly) everything
Accept your limitations
Walk away from burning deadlines
Sleep early, rise early
Say no, more often
Brainstorm with peers
Balancing motherhood and media entrepreneurship is not a walk in the park