Online publishing has always intrigued me.
Not from a profit point of view but from a multimedia standpoint.
Mini video clips could go a long way to demystifying the processes.
With PDF files being a recognized standard that most can use I think it would be a great combination.
The only downfall I can see is bandwidth. Most free site providers limit the bandwidth for obvious reasons.
I guess that is where the advertising comes in.
Just like publishing on paper the more advertising you sell the more articles you can include.
Traditionally subscription costs to publications just barely offset distribution costs.
One of the problems with advertising is not everyone likes to read it
A way around that is through subliminal means. Like always including a photo of the product that is sponsoring you. Perhaps by always cutting with a "BRAND X" saw, or always using "ABC Glue company" products.
I guess this is where the salesmanship comes in.
My ideal for an online publication would be to make it free. People scour the net looking for free patterns and information. If it is free from the onset then copyright issues can be avoided, as long as contributions are copyright free.
This is something I would really be interested in for my retirement.
I just have to wait a few years before that.