I have been getting numerous emails lately from people who want to start publishing an ezine, but really don't know where to start. So, I am going to write this series of articles from start to finish in the hopes of helping some of my associates get started with their own ezine! Please feel free to email me if you have questions about anything stated in these articles.

First of all, what is an ezine? An ezine is simply an electronic magazine or newsletter sent out periodically to a list of Opt In subscribers. Opt In means they have voluntarily signed-up to receive your ezine and were not added to the list without their knowledge or permission.

This is one of the reasons an ezine is so valuable to your business. Your subscribers have given their consent to receive announcements, promotions, ads, recommendations, etc. from you!

BUT, let me stress this, you must treat your subscribers with respect, provide valuable and helpful content and be there for them when they want or need you. You do not want to USE them as a mailing list for every ad that comes down the pike.

Ok, to get started, one thing you should do is look over a few successful ezines to get a feel of how they are done. Each publisher will add his/her own style, personality, and soul to their ezine which in turn is what makes it unique and successful.

A few ezines I would recommend are: Rim Digest at http://www.rimdigest.com Simple Biz Ezine at http://www.simplebizpublications.com Ideas By Post at http://www.ideasbypost.com and also, My Own Ezine at http://www.myownezine.com ;-)

These ezines are very well written and each publisher has a very distinct style and personality to go along with the useful content.

What you want to do with your ezine is establish a trust relationship with your readers. You want them to get to know you and learn that they can trust you and your recommendations. Be there for them if they have questions, if they need advice, or support, or if they just want to talk with someone who has more experience.

Your ezine is much, much more than an advertisement for your business. It is a bond between you and your readers. Treat it as such!

Ezine publishing can be a very rewarding, fun, challenging and if done right, profitable venture!

In Part 2, I will be dealing with layout, design and format and also naming your new ezine.