A
Formatting Checklist for Your Ezine
By Alexandria K. Brown
While
sending out a text e-zine may seem like
a piece of cake, there's more to it
than you may think. *Good formatting*
is the name of the game. Here's a handy
checklist I use to make sure each of
my issues is in great shape BEFORE I
send it out. Please be my guest and
use it for yourself!
1.
Are all lines 65 characters or less?
More than that and your missive may
come through looking messy to many subscribers.
End each line with a hard return by
pressing the "enter" key.
2.
Have you made sure there's no auto-formatting,
such as bolding, italics, or underlining?
These features don't translate well
in e-mail and can come out looking mighty
strange on the other end. Instead, emphasize
words or phrases with *asterisks,* "quotation
marks," or ALL CAPS ... sparingly.
3.
Are all sections neatly separated?
Use underscores (_____), asterisks (******),
another nifty symbol ($$$$$, %%%%, @@@@),
or a combination thereof (<<==>>)
to help define each area and help your
readers skim your issue more easily.
4.
Do all Web links include 'http://' before
them?
Some e-mail programs won't automatically
hyperlink a URL in your text without
this prefix. So don't take a chance
— make it easy for your readers
to click and link, especially to YOUR
site!
5.
Do all e-mail links include "mailto:"
before them?
Same idea here: Some e-mail programs
won't automatically hyperlink an e-mail
address in your text without it. Be
sure to leave no space between the colon
and the first character of the address.
6.
Is your masthead at the very top?
The masthead, or "nameplate,"
typically features your e-zine name,
your name, your e-mail address, your
Web address, and the correct date, volume
number, and issue number. Make it the
FIRST thing your readers see.
7.
Have you reminded your readers right
away that this is a *subscription* publication?
Don't let them forget that they *asked*
to receive this! Something like this
right under your masthead will do: "You've
received this e-zine because you subscribed
to it! If you wish to unsubscribe, please
scroll to the end for more information."
8.
If you have a table of contents (TOC),
do its listings match this issue's articles
and features?
For example, if your TOC says your second
feature in this issue is an article
on Web site marketing, make sure it's
right!
9.
Have you included a copyright notice?
At the end of your content, before your
contact info, post '(c)' immediately
followed by the year and your name or
your company's name. You should know
that a copyright notice does not protect
your ideas — instead, it protects
the way you express them.
10.
Are the correct advertisements in place?
Keep track of all your ad swaps and
purchases in one main document to make
this easy to look up each time. I use
an Excel spreadsheet, which works great
for me.
11.
Do you give clear subscribe and unsubscribe
instructions at the bottom?
Include subscribe instructions, because
your e-zine will likely get passed on
to others who'd like to sign up. The
unsubscribe instructions are just BECAUSE
— it's plain courtesy, and the
law of the land. : )
12.
Does your subject line include both
the name of your e-zine and the issue
topic?
By seeing your e-zine title, your recipients
will know the e-mail is not spam. And
by seeing the issue topic, they will
know what's in store for this issue.
Example: "Sara's Cash Flow Tips:
Increase Your Income Today!"
13.
Have you sent a test of the issue to
yourself or an associate?
Make sure it comes through reading well
and looking great! (Check for any strange
symbols that magically appear, odd breaks
in the copy, inactive links, etc.) And
this is a GREAT time to give it a final
proofread.
(c)
2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights
reserved.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Alexandria
K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,”
is author of the award-winning manual,
“Boost Business With Your Own
E-zine.” To learn more about her
book and sign up for more FREE tips
like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/
Should
You Upgrade Your E-zine From Text to
HTML?
By
Alexandria K. Brown
A
few years ago, when I first started
seeing HTML e-zines in my inbox, I admit
I was jealous. They were attractive,
attention getting, snazzy. They made
my text e-zines look boring.
But my mind fought the idea of upgrading
my own. "My readers appreciate
my e-zine for its content," I told
myself. "They don't need some slick
design to get their attention. They
just want my information, straight up.
Publishing in HTML won't make a difference."
I was wrong.
Well, I was right that my readers receive
my e-zine for its content. After all,
that's why they subscribed — for
my concise, how-to articles.
But I was mistaken that a better "presentation"
wouldn't make a difference.
After much deliberation, I decided to
give HTML a whirl. I had my e-zine professionally
designed in HTML, featuring my logo,
colors, and photo.
And when I sent out my first HTML issue,
I was blown away by the responses:
• "Thank you! It's so much
easier on the eyes."
• "Your e-zine now gets my
attention instantly, and makes me want
to read it right away."
• "This makes such an impact!"
• "I get dozens of text e-zines
that all look the same, and now yours
stands out."
Now, I'm not saying that publishing
in HTML is the answer for everyone.
But you should definitely consider it.
Let's take a closer look...
<< Text Versus HTML: Round One
>>
First off, let's all agree that it's
ridiculously easy to publish in text.
That's a good thing.
If you're just beginning your e-zine
and are a bit overwhelmed, text is a
great place to start. You can then focus
on developing great content and publishing
on a regular basis, without worrying
about HTML design and coding snafus.
Text also gives you complete freedom
and flexibility — you can add
new sections and delete others any time
you feel like it, without having to
redesign your entire e-zine.
But let's face it: There are hundreds
of thousands of text e-zines out there
that all look the same. I subscribe
to 30+ text e-zines, and they all seem
to lump together in my e-mail inbox.
The ones that catch my eye and make
me read on — they're HTML.
<< Let's Look at the Facts >>
"Okay, okay," you say. "I
know HTML e-zines look great. But do
they get better results?"
I'll let these statistics answer that
question:
• HTML e-zines are read MORE OFTEN
than plain text e-zines.
•
HTML e-zines have a higher CLICK-THROUGH
rate. (That is, people are more likely
to click on any links you provide to
your site or sales offers.)
•
HTML e-zines reinforce your BRAND by
carrying the same look as your Web site
and other marketing materials with your
logo, colors, etc.
•
HTML e-zines allow you to TRACK your
readership by showing how many people
on your list actually open each e-zine
you send.
It's also nice if you can offer your
readers a choice in what they want to
receive. Why? While I got dozens of
compliments and thank-yous after switching
to HTML, I also got a few people asking
if they could still receive my e-zine
in TEXT! Go figure... ;
(c)
2003 Alexandria K. Brown
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandria K. Brown,
“The E-zine Queen,” is author
of the award-winning manual, “Boost
Business With Your Own E-zine.”
To learn more about her book and sign
up for more FREE tips like these, visit
her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/
