This flies in the face of conventional wisdom because you've been "trained" by your high school English teachers and college professors to write properly, use big words, and follow grammatical rules.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Those rules work in the classroom to impress your teachers, but you'd fall flat on your face in the real wor

I didn't know how to write it, market it, or even know who'd be interested. I didn't even know how to type—except with my two index fingers.

Seven years later...

It was in Orlando, 2005, when the same mentor suggested everyone at the conference publish an e-zine and create a database. I agreed. But I didn't know how to produce one.

Another repeat performance...

But this time I took some action. I subscribed to other e-zines, read related articles, and was given the blueprint to get started. (Still typing with my two index fingers.)

What became the hardest part?

Content. The technical stuff like templates, autoresponders and software can be learned, or farmed out. But the most important element for a successful e-zine is your material.

Without valuable, unique, and original content—you'll appear like all the other e-zines competing for the same marketshare. And that may mean you'll build a pathetic database who might buy from your competitors instead of you. Which generates a hobby income for you.

If your titles, articles, and resources are similar to your competitor's—why would subscribers choose you over them? What is it about your information that makes you stand out from everyone else? What would draw them to look forward to your newsletter?

If you want your e-zine to stand out from the herd, you must write with impact. You write in a style uniquely your own. And presenting your message in a way no one else in the world can duplicate.

Here's how you create impact to build a growing database...

1) Write like you speak. Use a conversational tone. It's the friendliest way to get your message across.

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom because you've been "trained" by your high school English teachers and college professors to write properly, use big words, and follow grammatical rules.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Those rules work in the classroom to impress your teachers, but you'd fall flat on your face in the real worl

Another repeat performance...

But this time I took some action. I subscribed to other e-zines, read related articles, and was given the blueprint to get started. (Still typing with my two index fingers.)

What became the hardest part?

Content. The technical stuff like templates, autoresponders and software can be learned, or farmed out. But the most important element for a successful e-zine is your material.

Without valuable, unique, and original content—you'll appear like all the other e-zines competing for the same marketshare. And that may mean you'll build a pathetic database who might buy from your competitors instead of you. Which generates a hobby income for you.

If your titles, articles, and resources are similar to your competitor's—why would subscribers choose you over them? What is it about your information that makes you stand out from everyone else? What would draw them to look forward to your newsletter?

If you want your e-zine to stand out from the herd, you must write with impact. You write in a style uniquely your own. And presenting your message in a way no one else in the world can duplicate.

Here's how you create impact to build a growing database...

1) Write like you speak. Use a conversational tone. It's the friendliest way to get your message across.

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom because you've been "trained" by your high school English teachers and college professors to write properly, use big words, and follow grammatical rules.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Those rules work in the classroom to impress your teachers, but you'd fall flat on your face in the real wor

Without valuable, unique, and original content—you'll appear like all the other e-zines competing for the same marketshare. And that may mean you'll build a pathetic database who might buy from your competitors instead of you. Which generates a hobby income for you.

If your titles, articles, and resources are similar to your competitor's—why would subscribers choose you over them? What is it about your information that makes you stand out from everyone else? What would draw them to look forward to your newsletter?

If you want your e-zine to stand out from the herd, you must write with impact. You write in a style uniquely your own. And presenting your message in a way no one else in the world can duplicate.

Here's how you create impact to build a growing database...

1) Write like you speak. Use a conversational tone. It's the friendliest way to get your message across.

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom because you've been "trained" by your high school English teachers and college professors to write properly, use big words, and follow grammatical rules.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Those rules work in the classroom to impress your teachers, but you'd fall flat on your face in the real wor

If you want your e-zine to stand out from the herd, you must write with impact. You write in a style uniquely your own. And presenting your message in a way no one else in the world can duplicate.

Here's how you create impact to build a growing database...

1) Write like you speak. Use a conversational tone. It's the friendliest way to get your message across.

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom because you've been "trained" by your high school English teachers and college professors to write properly, use big words, and follow grammatical rules.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Those rules work in the classroom to impress your teachers, but you'd fall flat on your face in the real wor

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom because you've been "trained" by your high school English teachers and college professors to write properly, use big words, and follow grammatical rules.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Those rules work in the classroom to impress your teachers, but you'd fall flat on your face in the real world. Real world impact writing demands to be understood and nothing is clearer than conversational style writing. And it's rather simple...

Picture talking with your best friend over a cup of coffee at a diner. You'd say something like, "How was that movie I loaned you? Did Mary like it? I hated it because it was so shallow."

See—that was easy.

Don't try to impress anyone with your use of big words or blathering corporate mumbo-jumbo. That will have the opposite effect. You'd sound sterile and your message will end up forgotten.

Next...

2) Engage your readers. Write as if you were writing to one person at a time. This will keep the tone personal and warm. Nothing stinks of a mass mailing more than writing:

"Hey gang! I've been thinking about all of you. In our next meeting we're going to look at how to improve our membership numbers. If you've got a great idea, share it with the rest of us."

The person reading that will assume someone else in the group will come up with the idea. And so will everyone else reading that same message. But if you wrote:

"Hi Joanna. You've been on my mind. Do you have an idea that will grow our membership? If you do, I'd love to hear it."

Now you've engaged your reader. You've asked for help on a one-to-onel level. And you'll receive more replies.

Another secret to engage your readers is the power of stories. Stories always seem to take people on a magic carpet ride. Especially those from your own experiences.

It's not always a good idea to borrow your stories. Original content is much more interesting and powerful. Your readers will intimately bond with you.

I was in a client's office and I noticed a gold medal and jersey with the words "Ir