Petey's Pipeline E-zine

Issue #3

July 14, 2003

Business First Editorial Strategies for Better Newsletters and E-zines—Part II
The Third Degree Interview with Diane Hughes
Random Ramblings and Miscellaneous Musings The shakeouts continue
Write Thinking Edit and Revise
Preview of coming distractions A glimpse into the future

Business First (Editorial)

Strategies for Better Newsletters and E-zines—Part II
Savvy Publishers Find Creative Solutions
by Phil Hanson

My last editorial exposed some of the problems that prevent newsletters and e-zines from ever being read. In this one, I'll show on-line publishers some effective strategies for making their publications as readable as possible.

Because I'm a writer and publisher I make it a point to subscribe to as many newsletters and e-zines as I can. Although I've opted to receive dozens of on-line publications and cannot possibly read them all, I continue to sign up for new ones at the rate of five or six per week. It's hard to compete if you don't know what the competition is doing.

Which publications do I read? With such a limited amount of time available, I read only the best-written ones, of course—the ones that provide useful information in an attractive package and an easy-to-read format. The ones that tell me intelligent people are responsible for their creation.

What strategies are the writers and publishers of some of the best newsletters and e-zines on the Internet using to make their publications stand apart from the rest? Good writing, valuable content and reader friendliness are things they all have in common, but there's more.

Another trait the best of the best have in common is their delivery—a simple, brief e-mail message containing a link to a Web page on which resides the newsletter or e-zine. It's a brilliant strategy that takes care of half of the problems discussed in my last editorial.

It allows you to get around the necessity of corrupting your written content to trick the spam filters, and it allows you to present your material in an attractive, very readable HTML format. Conscientious applications of good writing skills, accuracy and hard work take care of the rest.

The Third Degree

Interview with Diane Hughes
by Phil Hanson

Diane Hughes, of ProBizTips.com, is our interview subject for this issue of Petey's Pipeline. She's proof that hard work and persistence do pay off, and we're sure that you'll discover, when you read the interview, some valuable insights into Ms. Hughes success. Thanks, Diane, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions.

Petey: The Internet has changed in many ways since you started building your on-line business. How would starting an e-business in 2003 differ from starting one in 1997? Would it be easier, or would it be more difficult? What are some of the pitfalls you faced in the beginning?

Hughes: I think that it is more difficult to start an e-business today. The reason I feel it's more difficult is because it is rampant. Everyone owns an e-business and everyone can tell you how to get rich and how to start one of your own. It wasn't so widespread back when I started, and things were just a lot more laid-back, then.

Others may disagree. Yes, it's true that now there are many more developments and advanced programs and software to make running and starting an e-business a lot easier. I used to code HTML by hand, but competition wasn't as fierce and filtered e-mail wasn't a problem back then. These days, you're lucky to get your e-mail through to people and this makes it tough on e-businesses since an e-zine, newsletter or, at least, a customer contact list is necessary to succeed.

My major pitfall would be my ignorance. I knew nothing about e-business… heck, I knew very little about the computer I was on! I would be on the Internet for hours on end digesting everything I could and putting it to work. I guess it wasn't necessarily a pitfall, but it was definitely something that was very hard to do and VERY hard to keep dedicated to….

Petey: Was there anything in your education, training or previous experience that prepared you for conducting business on-line, or was yours a "learn as you go" approach?

Hughes: As explained above, I knew NOTHING. My job experience taught me very little. I was young – 21 years old – and it was a long journey!

Petey: How long did it take you, after you began your on-line business, to achieve your first major breakthrough? What are some of your most notable successes?

Hughes: It took me only a few months to make my first sale. That was a breakthrough for me. The major breakthrough? Making double my full-time job's salary. That took about 2 years.

My most notable success is my e-zine, ProBizTips at http://www.ProBizTips.com

Petey: Do you have any mentors or gurus who helped propel you to on-line success? Who are your favorite mentors and how were they instrumental in helping you?

Hughes: I had a group of mentors, not any particular ones. I joined the Internet Marketing Warriors group and it was the most important $30 I ever spent.

Petey: At this point in time, where are you in terms of reaching your goals?
Are you closer to reaching them, not as close to reaching them or are you about as close to reaching them as you thought you would be?

Hughes: I'm beyond where I thought I would be, no doubt about it. I never thought I would be working full-time on the Internet and having fun doing it.

Petey: You've indicated that publishing is one of your passions. Do you feel the same way about writing? Do you have any writing techniques or tips you'd like to share with other writers?

Hughes: I feel the same way about writing my newsletter. I'm not keen on copywriting—it's boring to me. I like to write about myself, or something I am excited about.

I have [two words of advice -ed.]. Be yourself!

Petey: What lies ahead for Internet entrepreneurs? Would you care to make any predictions about the future of on-line businesses? Do you see recent events and emerging trends as being problematic for 'Netrepreneurs? Finally, in your opinion, what are the long-term prospects for Internet businesses?

Hughes: I think we are going to be tested—it's already happening now with the e-mail filters. Having an e-mail contact list or e-zine is VERY essential to e-business success. The e-mail filters are making it very hard on us to get our letter through. We're having to work harder to make it work, but I DO believe we will persevere and make it through just fine . . ..

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Diane C. Hughes is the publisher of ProBizTips Weekly Newsletter and owner of ProBizTips.com. Diane provides e-business solutions and resources for today's 'Netrepreneurs.
http://www.ProBizTips.com
http://ProBizTips.com/contact.html
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Random Ramblings & Miscellaneous Musings

In part one of this series, we examined how shakeouts took their toll on smokestack economy businesses, citing examples from the trucking industry to prove our point. Now, we're going to show you how, and why, the same thing has already begun to affect on-line businesses in the same way.

The Business "Shakeout" Comes to the Internet
by Phil Hanson

There is, indeed, a business shakeout taking place on the Internet. It began almost at the moment e-commerce began, and signs are everywhere that it will continue.

Early Internet business failures occurred because e-business pioneers didn't have "road maps" to guide their on-line enterprises. They were blazing new trails in unexplored territory. Because they lacked clearly defined rules and were without guidance, without direction and without precedent, it's not surprising that many of them failed.

Some business failures resulted because a few commonly accepted business methods and practices that were so effective in a brick-and-mortar environment didn't survive the transition to a virtual one. Other businesses failed because their owners didn't understand that some business methods and practices apply equally, regardless of the venue in which the business is conducted. However, for every on-line business that failed, a dozen more sprang up to replace it.

People, enamored of the computer and quick to see the Internet's potential, embraced e-business with the same enthusiasm that their forebears had embraced the automobile. Once again, the future had arrived.

The first ten years of the Internet created more new millionaires than were created in all of previous human history. The sudden influx of entrepreneurs seeking quick and easy wealth spurred the computer industry's growth, which brought about the dot.com era.

False premises, faulty concepts, mismanagement and unrestrained spending caused many e-business failures during the dot.com era of shakeouts. Some of those entrepreneurs who were shaken out during the dot.com fiasco would later return, poorer, wiser and more determined than ever to succeed at Internet commerce.

A faltering global economy has also had a profound affect on e-businesses. Vast numbers of workers who were the unfortunate victims of corporate layoffs turned to the Internet to start on-line businesses of their own. The result has been a hodgepodge of immensely talented people who are misapplying their skills and who are attempting to sell the same recycled information to others who are in the same boat. A saturated market is a stagnant market, and a stagnant market has the same effect as no market at all.

Unnecessary rules and regulations imposed by greedy, shortsighted governments are directly responsible for many more e-business failures. Crazy tax schemes, anti-porn legislation, anti-spam legislation and anti-this-and-that legislation will adversely affect your business, no matter what kind of business it is, either now or in the future. The cut goes deeper than first appears obvious.

The fact is government doesn't want you to succeed on your own. It wants you to succeed with government help. When you accept government help you are, in effect, turning control of your business over to the government, putting your business, for all intents and purposes, forever at the mercy of some lame-brained bureaucrat.

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If you have ideas, opinions or commentary of your own regarding this subject, why not share them with Petey's Pipeline readers?

Submit your thoughtful, thought-provoking comments to editor@perfecttext.com.
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Write Thinking

Edit and Revise
by Phil Hanson

Writing is more than just banging away at your keyboard until words fill the blank spaces on your monitor. In fact, writing—good writing, that is—is more about rewriting and editing than it is anything else. Therefore, revisions are an important part of the writing process.

You should consider your initial output for any piece of writing to be only a first draft. It takes careful proofreading, diligent editing and, often, a substantial amount of rewriting to create a finished piece.

Begin your rewrite with a spelling check. A good word processor will catch the obvious errors, but it takes a human eye to detect correctly spelled words that are wrongly used. Once the spelling check is done, go back and read your piece, line by line and word for word, to be sure all of your words are the right ones. Revise!

Next, read for meaning. Do your words, sentences and paragraphs mean exactly what you think they mean? Misused words and awkward phrases can change your intended meaning into something that produces much laughter but no clear understanding. Revise!

Then, go back and read your piece again. Do your thoughts flow logically from one to the next? Do your transitions result in a smooth progression of ideas, or do they produce a series of bumps and jolts that jar the reader and obscure your message? Revise!

Now, read your piece one more time. Is it concise? Is the information it conveys accurate? Is your message understandable? Can you improve your piece in any way? Revise!

Finally, run your work by the spell checker again to catch spelling errors that you may have introduced during the revision process, then read your piece one last time to be sure you've eliminated all of the mistakes from your text.

When written content has all the earmarks of a professional's touch, readers respond in positive, more favorable ways. The bottom line is a healthier bottom line, and that is something that's well worth the effort, wouldn't you say?

Preview of Coming Distractions

How I Became a Theresa Cahill Fan is the subject of our next editorial, in which you'll discover the importance of a name. Tom finds another gem and spotlights it for us at Center Stage, proving once again that good things sometimes come in free packages. You can also read another great guest article, and learn how to avoid making a few more common writing errors. Look for the next issue of Petey's Pipeline E-zine on July 28th.

Disclaimer

The articles appearing in Petey's Pipeline E-zine are based on information believed to be true at the time of publication. Neither Perfecttext.com, Petey's Pipeline E-zine nor their publisher assume any liability or responsibility as to the accuracy or efficacy of any information, products or services that are submitted, advertised or rendered by contributors to Petey's Pipeline E-zine. While we make every effort to screen out scam artists and bogus offers, you should still do your homework. Caveat emptor!

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