How to Format Your Ezine and Where to Find Free Content (Part 2 of 3)
| Category: E-zines: Writing | Date: 2003-06-05 |
1. Formatting
Text ezines versus HTML format is a highly debatable subject. At this time, most ezine publishers stick with text, and I strongly recommend you follow suit. Many people are still using email clients that cannot read HTML messages - others prefer the speed, ease and security of receiving their ezines in text format. It is safer to use the format that is compatible with the largest number of users.
But there are other readers who appreciate the design quality and visual appeal of an HTML newsletter. So what can you do to please both sides? You can always publish a text version and include a link to an HTML version online. This is what I do and it seems to make the majority of my subscribers happy. It does call for twice the amount of work since youll have to make two versions of your ezine, but in my opinion its well worth the extra effort.
So what is a text ezine? Basically, its just an email with some special formatting applied to make sure its readable by everyone, no matter what email client they may be using. Youll want to stick to a fixed width font like courier or Monaco, and youll need a plain text editor like Notepad or Textpad. One drawback with Notepad is it has no built-in spell checker, so Id advise you to download Textpad or something similar. Many free text editors can be found at http://www.Download.com.
Youll need to set up a template for your ezine so its look will be consistent, issue after issue. This should include your ezine name, date, and issue number at the very top, followed by a table of contents. If youre not sure on how it should look, you can obtain some free ezine templates by sending template1@e-zinez.com.
At the very end of your newsletter template youll want to include a paragraph on how to subscribe and unsubscribe, copyright information, and advertising information. Its vital that you include unsubscribe information in each and every issue. Do not hold people hostage by making it next to impossible to get off your list, it wont be appreciated and is not only considered unprofessional,but it could get you into real trouble with Spamcop.
When typing in your text you need to keep your line length at 65 characters per line and hit a hard return at the end of each and every line. This is imperative. If you allow the words to wrap automatically, the ezine your readers receive may have lines chopped off mid sentence and will look terrible. By using the hard return youll be ensuring that your newsletter will be readable and attractive in the majority of email clients. Never type your ezine in all caps as this is equivalent to screaming.
2. Content
I highly recommend you write at least one original article a month for your newsletter; more if you can. Its OK to include work by others on an occasional basis or for filler, but your ezine will carry more weight if you take the time to write your own material.
When you do need outside content, here are some excellent sources:
http://www.EzineArticles.com
http://www.IdeaMarketers.com
http://www.Certificate.net
You may also download this free e-book 400 Articles You Can Use in Your Ezine at http://www.web-source.net/web/Free_Ebooks/Writing_Publishing/
Youll also find two other very handy ebooks for publishers at the above site you may want to download as well.
Another idea for getting original articles to reprint in your ezine is to go to Egroups and subscribe to article announcement lists or
http://www.website101.com/freecontent.html
http://www.web-source.net/articlesub.htm
They will supply you with a steady stream of new articles you can publish on a daily basis.
Dont forget to visit this site which is a fantastic resource for online publishers: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/ezine-publishing.htm
As you can see, there are many online sources that exist solely for the purpose of helping ezine publishers succeed. With the massive amount of information available to you, theres really no reason you havent started your own ezine. So come on, what are you waiting for? Your Net fame awaits!
Well, that wraps up formatting and where to get great free content. In Part 3 of this article well move on to growing your subscriber base and selling ad space in your publication.
by Merle, mcpromotions.com
About the author
Merle (just Merle, thank you) is an experienced Internet Marketer/Promoter. She knows what it takes for business websites to be successful. She has been online for over four years and has two other websites to her credit: MC Promotions - http://www.mcpromotions.com and Merles World - http://www.merlesworld.com
merle@mcpromotions.com
http://www.marketingchallenge.com
Text ezines versus HTML format is a highly debatable subject. At this time, most ezine publishers stick with text, and I strongly recommend you follow suit. Many people are still using email clients that cannot read HTML messages - others prefer the speed, ease and security of receiving their ezines in text format. It is safer to use the format that is compatible with the largest number of users.
But there are other readers who appreciate the design quality and visual appeal of an HTML newsletter. So what can you do to please both sides? You can always publish a text version and include a link to an HTML version online. This is what I do and it seems to make the majority of my subscribers happy. It does call for twice the amount of work since youll have to make two versions of your ezine, but in my opinion its well worth the extra effort.
So what is a text ezine? Basically, its just an email with some special formatting applied to make sure its readable by everyone, no matter what email client they may be using. Youll want to stick to a fixed width font like courier or Monaco, and youll need a plain text editor like Notepad or Textpad. One drawback with Notepad is it has no built-in spell checker, so Id advise you to download Textpad or something similar. Many free text editors can be found at http://www.Download.com.
Youll need to set up a template for your ezine so its look will be consistent, issue after issue. This should include your ezine name, date, and issue number at the very top, followed by a table of contents. If youre not sure on how it should look, you can obtain some free ezine templates by sending template1@e-zinez.com.
At the very end of your newsletter template youll want to include a paragraph on how to subscribe and unsubscribe, copyright information, and advertising information. Its vital that you include unsubscribe information in each and every issue. Do not hold people hostage by making it next to impossible to get off your list, it wont be appreciated and is not only considered unprofessional,but it could get you into real trouble with Spamcop.
When typing in your text you need to keep your line length at 65 characters per line and hit a hard return at the end of each and every line. This is imperative. If you allow the words to wrap automatically, the ezine your readers receive may have lines chopped off mid sentence and will look terrible. By using the hard return youll be ensuring that your newsletter will be readable and attractive in the majority of email clients. Never type your ezine in all caps as this is equivalent to screaming.
2. Content
I highly recommend you write at least one original article a month for your newsletter; more if you can. Its OK to include work by others on an occasional basis or for filler, but your ezine will carry more weight if you take the time to write your own material.
When you do need outside content, here are some excellent sources:
http://www.EzineArticles.com
http://www.IdeaMarketers.com
http://www.Certificate.net
You may also download this free e-book 400 Articles You Can Use in Your Ezine at http://www.web-source.net/web/Free_Ebooks/Writing_Publishing/
Youll also find two other very handy ebooks for publishers at the above site you may want to download as well.
Another idea for getting original articles to reprint in your ezine is to go to Egroups and subscribe to article announcement lists or
http://www.website101.com/freecontent.html
http://www.web-source.net/articlesub.htm
They will supply you with a steady stream of new articles you can publish on a daily basis.
Dont forget to visit this site which is a fantastic resource for online publishers: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/ezine-publishing.htm
As you can see, there are many online sources that exist solely for the purpose of helping ezine publishers succeed. With the massive amount of information available to you, theres really no reason you havent started your own ezine. So come on, what are you waiting for? Your Net fame awaits!
Well, that wraps up formatting and where to get great free content. In Part 3 of this article well move on to growing your subscriber base and selling ad space in your publication.
by Merle, mcpromotions.com
About the author
Merle (just Merle, thank you) is an experienced Internet Marketer/Promoter. She knows what it takes for business websites to be successful. She has been online for over four years and has two other websites to her credit: MC Promotions - http://www.mcpromotions.com and Merles World - http://www.merlesworld.com
merle@mcpromotions.com
http://www.marketingchallenge.com
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