Newsletter
Writing
On the list of top ten things to do to increase ranking, internet
traffic, and popularity in general—right between kwr articles
and blogging—is the art of newsletter writing and
administration. Newsletters are convenient for your
customers, clients, and/or potential repeat visitors; they are one of
the best forms of condensed information dispersal and of advertising;
and they are fairly easy to generate and automate…so your
following has a weekly or monthly update, resource, and reminder (of
you, your services, your products).
Since my forte is not newsletter writing, I will not posture with too
involved a lesson on newsletter writing, but will pass on tips I have
found in my online research and reading ventures, and will offer you
some model sources.
Who better to model the best (award-winning) newsletter writing than
writers who issue newsletters to fellow writers and readers?
If you are not a writer, per se, but do wish to see the most readable,
most accessible layouts, check out copies of the following (all of
which are fr..ee..):
Absolute Write Newsletter – Produced by the dynamic and perky
published author Jenna Glatzer and her team, this newsletter arrives in
your email box every Wednesday with such regular features as advice
articles, classes offered, affiliates, and resources for writers.
Writing World Newsletter – Produced by the professional Moira
Allen, this newsletter appears in your ebox monthly, and offers such
items as writing news, a q & a section, feature articles,
writer site listings/links, writing contests (with no entry fees),
feature articles, and The Author’s Bookshelf.
Writers Weekly Newsletter – Produced by the vigilant
protector of writers worldwide Angela Hoy (also owner of
BookLocker.com), this newsletter contains weekly features such as
advice and features from the editor, letters to the editor, feature
articles, calls for interview subjects (posted by writers), Ask the
Expert, paying markets and jobs listings (current), and an absolutely
imperative section called Whispers and Warnings, wherein readers (as
writers) can stay informed of the scammers and deadbeats who
don’t pay, are extremely late in paying, or refuse to
acknowledge promise of/payment.
The three administrators/writers offering the above newsletters also
have archives on their websites which provide tips for all kinds of
writing, newsletter writing included. But I will offer a
bulleted version of some of the elements a newsletter might
include. Formatting and content will be up to you to figure
out, of course:
--Include topical material—that which your target audience is
interested in and cares about.
--Add relevant links—including a blurb that briefly describes
what the linked site entails
--Advice/Q & A sections—again, relevant and helpful
--Products/Services Ads/Reviews
--Trivia/Jokes/Cartoons—although the latter is less common a
trend
Whichever you decide, whichever approach you wish to use (personal,
business, etc.), you may wish to get specific guidelines, learn of the
newsletter-writing software, understand which text to use, and read up
on RSS and opt-in strategies, etc., or you may choose to hire a writer!
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