Guest Author - Theresa Wilson

You’ve investigated several Ezines and have even contributed quality articles. You want to start an e-zine of your own. Before you begin, let’s review how to “write your vision and make it plain”.

Clarity of Purpose: Not unlike a business plan, you should be able to write a summary that details why you are offering the e-zine publication. The description can include samples of topics you plan to cover as well as how you plan to obtain reader feedback.

This area is extremely important. It is the foundation of your content quality. You want to insure that your readers are interested in your information and materials and believe what you say will be valuable and useful. The consistency and flow should be such that your readers will want to know more.

Who Are You? The background, qualifications, and experience of the e-zine editor and/or editorial staff are important. What expertise do you bring that will enhance the credibility of information you present in your electronic magazine? This area can also be used to personalize your passion for the subjects to be presented and what you believe visitors will gain by becoming regular visitors.

The Ezine’s Overall Appearance - First Impressions Are Lasting: Even before reading your e-zine’s content, visitors will experience and respond either negatively or positively to its general appearance. Think of the print magazine on the newsstand. When visitors approach, what makes them pick one magazine over another? Sophistication, attractiveness, bold print, color scheme, and font size all play a role. Your ezine will require use of editorial creativity that will enhance its look and draw attention with one click.

Content: Your e-zine content really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If it is a promotional or marketing tool for a product or service you offer, subject matter should be easy to develop. Topics can be developed based on information used to provide that product or service. For example, if you are selling computers and attend sales seminars, you could write a series of articles about the latest software, who’s providing training support and where.

Promoting Your E-zine Newsletter– In addition to all your other chores, you will be responsible for insuring that your e-zine has the necessary exposure in as many search engines as possible. Often, this will require manual submissions, which can take hours and often days depending on the schedule of your other duties. Don’t ignore this requirement, however. It would be a shame to put time and effort in developing an e-zine that no one knows exists.

Deciding to become an E-Zine Publisher is similar to deciding to have a baby. This is not a one-time project. It is an on-going process. You will give birth, nurture and grow your ezine, while becoming involved with every phase of its development. During the initial planning, you may be required to monitor, adjust, rewrite or revise its content and appearance numerous times. Even with support, the buck stops with you when it comes to making final decisions. Though rewarding, ezine publishing is a task you must consider carefully and be willing to follow through in order to insure success.

There are several books that might be helpful as you begin creating and developing your E-Zine Newsletter:

Getting Things Done : The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Paperback)
by David Allen


Write It Down Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It (Paperback)
by Henriette Anne Klauser