Writing and publishing a successful newsletter is perhaps the

most competitive of all the different areas of mail order, online and

direct marketing.

Five years ago, there were 1500 different newsletters in this

country. Today there are well over 10,000 with new ones being

started every day. It's also interesting to note that for every

new one that's started, some disappear just as quickly as they

are started...lack of operating capital and marketing know how

being the principal causes of failure.

To be successful with newsletter, you have to specialize. Your

best bet will be with new information on a subject not already

covered by an established newsletter.

Regardless of the frustrations involved in launching your own

newsletter, never forget this truth; There are people from all

walks of life, in all parts of this country, many of them with no

writing ability what so ever, who are making incredible profits

with simple two-four- and six page newsletters.

Your first step should be to subscribe to as many different

newsletters and mail order publications as you can afford.

Analyze and study how the others are doing it. Attend as many

workshops and seminars on your subject as possible. Learn from

the pros. Learn how the successful newsletter publishers are

doing it, and why they are making money. Adapt their success

methods to your own newsletter, but determine to recognize where

they are weak, and make yours better in every way.

Plan your newsletter before launching it. Know the basic premise

for its being, your editorial position, the layout, art work,

type style, subscription price, distribution methods, and every

other detail necessary to make it look, sound and feel like the

end result you have envisioned.

Lay out your start up needs; detail the length of time it's going

to take to become established, and what will be involved in

becoming established. Set a date as a milestone of accomplishment

for each phase of your development; A date for breaking even, a

date attaining a certain paid subscription figure, and a monetary

goal for each of your first five years in business. And all this

must be done before publishing your first issue.

Most newsletter publishers do all the work themselves, and are

impatient to get the first issue into print. As a result, they

neglect to devote the proper amount of time to the market

research and distribution. Don't start your newsletter without

first having accomplished this task!

Market research is simply determining who the people are who

will be interested in buying and reading your newsletter, and the

kind of information these people want to see in your newsletter

as a reason for continuing to buy it. You have to determine what

it is they want form your newsletter.

Your market research must give you unbiased answers about your

newsletter's capabilities of fulfilling your prospective buyer's

need for information; how much he's willing to pay for it, and an

overall profile of his status in life. The questions of why he

needs your information, and how he'll use it should be answered.

Make sure you have the answers to these questions, publish you

newsletter as a vehicle of fulfillment to these needs, and you're

on your way!

You're going to be in trouble unless your newsletter has a real

point of difference that can easily be perceived by your

prospective buyer. The design and graphics of your newsletter,

plus what you say and how you say it, will help in giving your

newsletter this vital difference.

Be sure your newsletter works with the personality you're trying

to build for it. Make sure it reflects the wants of your

subscribers. Include your advertising promise within the heading,

on the title page, and in the same words your advertising uses.

And above all else, don't skimp on design or graphics!

The name of your newsletter should also help to set it apart form

similar newsletters, and spell out its advertising promise. A

good name reinforces your advertising. Choose a name that defines

the direction and scope of your newsletter.

Opportunity Knocking, Money Making Magic, Extra Income Tip Sheet,

and Mail Order Up Date are prime examples of this type of

philosophy...as opposed to the Johnson Report, The Association

Newsletter, or Clubhouse Confidential.

Try to make your newsletter's name memorable...one that flows

automatically. Don't pick a name that's so vague it could apply

to almost anything. The name should identify

your newsletter and its subject quickly and positively.

Pricing your newsletter should be consistent with the image

you're trying to build. If you're starting a "Me-too" newsletter,

never price it above the competition. In most instances, the

consumer associates higher prices with quality, so if you give

your readers better quality information in an expensive looking

package, don't hesitate to ask for a premium price. However, if

your information is gathered from most of the other newsletters

on the subject, you will do well to keep your prices in line with

theirs.

You'll need a sales letter. Check the sales letter you receive in

the mail; analyze how these are written and pattern yours along

the same lines. You'll find all of them---all those worthy of

being called sales letters---following the same formula:

Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action on the part of the

reader---AIDA.

Last, but not least, is the enlistment of your own subscribers to

send you names of people they think might be interested in

receiving a sample copy of your publication. Some publishers ask

their readers to pass along these names out of loyalty, while

others offer a monetary incentive or a special bonus for names of

people sent in who become subscribers.

By studying and understanding the information in this report, you

should encounter fewer serious problems in launching your own

successful specialized newsletter that will be the source of on

going monetary rewards for you. However, there is an important

point to remember about doing business by mail---particularly

within the confines of selling information by mail---that is,

Mail Order is ONLY another way of doing business. You have to

learn all there is to know about this way of doing business, and

then keep on learning, changing, observing and adapting to stay

on top.

The best way of learning about and keeping up with this field of

endeavor is by buying and reading books by the people who have

succeeded in making money via the mails; by subscribing to

several of the better periodic journals and aids to people in

mail order, and by joining some of the mail order trade

associations for a free exchange of ideas, advice and help.

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