Internet Tips

Encrypt your e-mail; get expert advice on publishing an e-zine; step up to a better Usenet newsreader.

Become an E-Mail Publishing Magnate

Say you're an expert in restoring wooden tennis rackets. You know everything there is to know about keeping a venerable Davis Imperial in top shape, and you've put it all there on your Web site in hopes that someone, anyone, will see it and get in touch.

But they don't call and they don't write. Maybe you're working the wrong medium. If you have a lot of information to share, try doing what many major Web sites do: Publish an e-zine. E-mail newsletters are an inexpensive, easy way to reach a large audience. And instead of waiting for readers to come to you, you send your message directly to them.

Chris Pirillo, who publishes Lockergnome (an e-zine), has written the definitive book on the subject. Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins, Discussion Groups, and Other Powerful Communication Tools unites commonsense advice with clear explanations of e-mail technology. Pirillo suggests that you start your list using the e-mail account and software you already have. Then he shows you how to create interesting plain-text and HTML newsletters, and how to attract new subscribers. Once your publication attracts a big following, Poor Richard's will help you switch to software for managing larger lists and an Internet service provider that can handle the load. The book is packed with marketing know-how and tells you how to make money with your newsletter.

Being an online marketing maven, however, doesn't mean you have to join the ranks of the cybersleazy. Pirillo makes it clear up front that he's antispam and recommends against buying lists of names from brokers. Not surprisingly, much of his advice focuses on how to treat subscribers well. Don't click Send without it.

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