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Your
E-zine 13 - A Formatting Checklist
By Alexandria K. Brown
While sending out a text e-zine
may seem like a piece of cake, there's more to it than you may
think. *Good formatting* is the name of the game. Here's a
handy checklist I use to make sure each of my issues is in
great shape BEFORE I send it out. Please be my guest and use
it for yourself!
- Are all lines 65
characters or less?
More than that and your missive may come through looking
messy to many subscribers. End each line with a hard return
by pressing the "enter" key.
- Have you made sure
there's no auto-formatting, such as bolding, italics, or
underlining?
These features don't translate well in e-mail and can come
out looking mighty strange on the other end. Instead,
emphasize words or phrases with *asterisks,* "quotation
marks," or ALL CAPS ... sparingly.
- Are all sections neatly
separated?
Use underscores (_____), asterisks (******), another nifty
symbol ($$$$$, %%%%, @@@@), or a combination thereof
(<<==>>) to help define each area and help your readers skim
your issue more easily.
- Do all Web links
include 'http://' before them?
Some e-mail programs won't automatically hyperlink a URL in
your text without this prefix. So don't take a chance — make
it easy for your readers to click and link, especially to
YOUR site!
- Do all e-mail links
include "mailto:" before them?
Same idea here: Some e-mail programs won't automatically
hyperlink an e-mail address in your text without it. Be sure
to leave no space between the colon and the first character
of the address.
- Is your masthead at the
very top?
The masthead, or "nameplate," typically features your e-zine
name, your name, your e-mail address, your Web address, and
the correct date, volume number, and issue number. Make it
the FIRST thing your readers see.
- Have you reminded your
readers right away that this is a *subscription*
publication?
Don't let them forget that they *asked* to receive this!
Something like this right under your masthead will do:
"You've received this e-zine because you subscribed to it!
If you wish to unsubscribe, please scroll to the end for
more information."
- If you have a table of
contents (TOC), do its listings match this issue's articles
and features?
For example, if your TOC says your second feature in this
issue is an article on Web site marketing, make sure it's
right!
- Have you included a
copyright notice?
At the end of your content, before your contact info, post
'(c)' immediately followed by the year and your name or your
company's name. You should know that a copyright notice does
not protect your ideas — instead, it protects the way you
express them.
- Are the correct
advertisements in place?
Keep track of all your ad swaps and purchases in one main
document to make this easy to look up each time. I use an
Excel spreadsheet, which works great for me.
- Do you give clear
subscribe and unsubscribe instructions at the bottom?
Include subscribe instructions, because your e-zine will
likely get passed on to others who'd like to sign up. The
unsubscribe instructions are just BECAUSE — it's plain
courtesy, and the law of the land. : )
- Does your subject line
include both the name of your e-zine and the issue topic?
By seeing your e-zine title, your recipients will know the
e-mail is not spam. And by seeing the issue topic, they will
know what's in store for this issue. Example: "Sara's Cash
Flow Tips: Increase Your Income Today!"
- Have you sent a test of
the issue to yourself or an associate?
Make sure it comes through reading well and looking great!
(Check for any strange symbols that magically appear, odd
breaks in the copy, inactive links, etc.) And this is a
GREAT time to give it a final proofread.
(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K.
Brown. All rights reserved.
Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of
the award-winning manual, “Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.”
To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips
like these, visit her site at
http://www.ezinequeen.com/
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