The Sour Grapes Newsletter is when you keep doing the same thing over and over. You know that face you get when you bit into a sour grape? That is the face that your readers will have when they open their email to a boring newsletter or ezine. Don’t let it happen to you. When you sit down at your computer to type, make sure you are inspired. If you are not, it’s best to get up from your desk. Here are a few ways to generate some life into your document.

Idea Journal
Keep an idea journal with you at all times. You never know when an awesome article idea will hit you. You could be driving down the street or at your son’s softball game. It doesn’t have to be a fancy journal. Purchasing a little pad of paper and a pen to jot down an idea may be just what you need. It may be that when you sit down to write your ezine or newsletter, you go through the same process. This process is generating the same old tired ideas. It’s time to spice it up a bit. There is nothing better than incorporating real world ideas and experiences into your document. You may not use them all, but you will be surprised by how much it helps you.

Customer Inquiries
As a business owner, you are probably asked a few questions each day. Some days are more than others. Keep a running log of the questions you are asked. You can bet money that there are some readers of your ezine or newsletter who have the same questions. They may not take the time to ask or they may forget about it when they are speaking with you. These inquiries should not be placed in your ezine or newsletter as questions and answers. Use your creativity to place them in your document without letting the reader know where you got the idea.

What’s Your Competition Up To?
The idea here is not to plagiarize. It is to gain thoughtful ideas on where the business is going. A lot of times it is possible to improve on someone else’s idea without copying it. Use your competition to jog those competitive juices for your ezine or newsletter. Remember the reason why you began writing the document. Use that fever to create your next document.

Have a Crazy Contest!
Want to jazz up your ezine or newsletter? Having a crazy contest such as a treasure hunt of your store or website is a great way to generate excitement. Make sure the prize is something that is related to your own products. A coupon for a free item is a wonderful idea. If you have to use a coupon for another type of product, make sure you tie it back to your business.


When the creative juices hit you, begin to write. You may not use it for the upcoming issue, but you will have ‘starter’ articles for your upcoming ezines or newsletters.