Contact information
Mickey Alam Khan
Editor-in-Chief
DM News
114 W. 26 St., 3rd Floor
New York, NY, 10001
212-344-0759, ext. 216
Mickey(at)DMNews(dot)com

Circulation
Print: 50,300 BPA audited circulation. The audience is made up of direct and interactive marketers:
40% retailers (catalog, ecommerce)
20% advertising agencies
20% international technology companies
20% brokers, managers and circulators

In addition, DM News publishes half a dozen magazine supplements, four weekly newsletters, a website and a year-old blog. The website averages more than 50,000 unique visitors per month.

Alam Khan’s background
Alam Khan received his bachelor’s degree in banking. He worked as a foreign correspondent for Advertising Age from 1993 to 1998. In 1999, he joined DM News’ sister publication, iMarketing News. Alam Khan became Executive Editor of DM News in 2005 and Editor-in-Chief in April 2006.

Current editorial coverage
Alam Khan’s focus is to gear DM News toward new marketing emphasis on multichannel: “That’s my mandate to myself. You want to be where the reader is reading.”

DM News covers five key topics:
- Search marketing
- Email
- Database marketing
- List marketing
- Multichannel retail/ecommerce

Others areas of interest include insert media, circulation marketing, print/production, healthcare marketing, nonprofit fundraising and advertising agencies.

The publication prefers to write about campaign results. Alam Khan’s mission is to determine effective marketing methods companies use to acquire or retain customers.

He's torn between giving his audience what they covet and what he thinks they need. “We are dealing with search marketers who want ROI. Don’t even bother with branding with these guys. All of it is numbers. It’s unfortunate, though. Because I remind them that if you have no branding, you don’t have numbers. Why would you buy from someone if you don’t trust them? And, that only comes with branding.”

What Alam Khan looks for in a story pitch
The story should teach readers something useful or offer best practice tips. Alan Khan wants his readers to clip practical articles and show their bosses for budgeting or for ideas. “It’s not just a gossip rag. If you are interested in using direct and interactive marketing and you want to learn something new, it is our publication’s job to make sure we offer you that new knowledge.”

But, beware: know who you are pitching to and know the specialty. Alam Khan always encourages people to check DM News’ website and print edition to see which reporter is covering what to avoid wasting anyone’s time. “When you call, do not go on and on and on because you must give a break after introducing yourself. Let the person respond after about five or 10 seconds of your calling so that you don’t annoy them.”

Best way to contact DM News’ reporters and editors
Each beat has its own editor who should be contacted directly. Alam Khan covers advertising agencies and shares the magazines and ecommerce beats with other reporters.

Contributing to the publication
DM News is neither looking for columnists nor accepting any prewritten contributions. However, if you have a story idea, send a brief email to the appropriate editor to work out the details before you write anything.

Alam Khan would love more letters to the editor. He is used to getting not very complimentary mail. “They tell me to leave the profession, but that’s what I like. If your reader is that passionate, that reader is engaged.”

Where you can meet Alam Khan
You can find him at multiple conferences, in his office, via telephone, email, snail mail or by fax. “I am very accessible by all media. Give me 24 hours to respond.”

What Alam Khan reads
In the mornings, he loves The New York Times online. Since he doesn’t drink tea or coffee, he is not afraid to spill anything on his keyboard. “I don’t read a print newspaper, but I love print magazines.” The ink from the magazine pages don’t stain his fingers the way newspapers do.

His favorite publication is The Economist. “I am trying to inform our readers the way The Economist informs the world.” Vanity Fair is his #1 magazine for fun.