Customer Reviews

Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

You've never heard of Lockergnome? Where've you been hiding out? It's only one of the best e-zines out there, and definitely the best Windows e-zine by far! The reason why Chris is such a success is because he focuses on CONTENT, and so does this book. Lots of information here, all packed tightly into a small space.

Doesn't matter if you're brand new to the Net or a seasoned veteran - this book is the only one you should reach for if you're looking to publish through the Internet! From Chapter 3 ("Why E-mail? Little Glamour, Plenty of Results") to Chapter 7 ("Subscription Management") to Chapter 13 ("Guerilla Promotions") to Chapter 14 ("Money from Your Mailing List") -- it's all here!

I've been writing my entire life, been on the Net for five years now, and been publishing my own e-zine (the "Cattle Prod Humor List" shameless plug) for the last several, even if I didn't know to call it an e-zine at the time. Being somewhat of a "Net Vet," it was somewhat tempting to skip the first couple of chapters ("Are You Ready?" and "E-mail Primer - How It All Works"), but I'm glad I didn't. Even those had information I'd never even considered (or knew), especially the questions to consider before publishing. And thank you, Chris, for the section on E-mail Etiquette! (Now, if we could just make those two pages mandatory reading for every person before they're allowed to play on the Net...haha.)

I've been reading Lockergnome for over a year now, and there's a reason. (Well, several reasons, actually...) Chris tells it like it is -- no flowery words or high-fallutin' language peppered with all the associated Buzzwords O' the Day! No, sir! Chris puts in all in every-day language -- and humorous every-day language to boot -- that doesn't alienate either the layman or the veteran. He follows one of the all-important rules, as far as I'm concerned, and that's "Write like you speak."

Anyone can slap together an e-mail and shove it "out the door," so to speak. (And trust me...many, many DO...) But to gain thousands and thousands of readers -- to make people come back, begging for more -- that requires a lot more than an e-mail program and an Internet connection.

With "Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing," Chris will give you years of publishing experience without having to make all the mistakes yourself. From questions to choosing your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to looking at domain names to formatting and layout to marketing...this book covers it all, and then some. In fact, he gives out so much good information, I'm having to read this book with a notebook and pen nearby so I can take notes!

So you wanna be a Write & Roll star? Forget all those marketing books you're thinking of buying (or maybe already bought). Run -- don't walk -- to your mouse and keyboard right there and BUY THIS BOOK! If you want to reach the masses, you need to understand something that Chris already knows -- in the E-zine publishing business, Content is King! Thank you...thank you very much.

Chris Pirillo advises editors of newsletters to get straight to the point and deliver their most important message first. Taking his literary advice, I would begin like this: Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing is the most clear, straightforward, and information-packed book you'll find on the subject of setting up and running a newsletter using email.

Three outstanding features of this book make it unique in its field. The first: Enthusiasm. Chris Pirillo loves email. He absolutely loves it! Pirillo believes -- and after half a moment's thought he convinced me -- that people enjoy getting email much more than they enjoy clicking around various websites. Thus, in the right hands, a simple email newsletter which gets delivered every week can be a far more powerful communications tool than the slickest web site that somebody checks in to once a month.

The second great feature of the book: Integrity. There are hundreds of Internet marketing books, websites, and newsletter that don't care what they do -- or tell you to do -- to grab a customer, to snatch an email address, or to close a sale. Pirillo is different: he's an honest entrepreneur. As much as he loves email he hates spam. All the ideas in his book are shrewd yet at the same time always respectful, sincere, and considerate to subscribers on his list.

The third reason this book stands out from the pack: the quality and quantity of information is superb. You get all the gritty-nitty about email fundamentals, publishing newsletters (plain and HTML-flavored), finding the list service you need, and making money from the whole shebang. Yet underneath it all is a realistic vision. This isn't a book -- thank goodness -- that promises you'll get rich quick. Instead, it prepares you for the hard work of making a commitment to a new and exciting enterprise.

Pirillo's book is like having a friend in the business who leads you step-by-step through the treacherous minefield -- and the potential goldmine -- of the Internet. If you're running a email newsletter (large or small), or thinking about starting one, you'll save time, money, and headaches by investing in this book.

Michael Pastore, Reviewer

I received this book as a x-mas gift and immediately put it where all good book gifts go, on a shelf to be forgotten until the content is barely relevant anymore. Then one day, about 3 months later, I remembered that 4 years ago I had a brilliant idea to start an email newsletter about the Des Moines, IA entertainment scene. When this idea first popped in my head, I kicked it around, made a issue template, designed an overly complecated website tie-in and promptly gave up because I couldn't find any good resources to guide me in my pursuit.

Four years later, no one else has "stolen" my brilliant idea AND I have a book on the subject, written by an old high school friend, collecting dust on my bookshelf. Had I known that Chris Pirillo, the afore mentioned high school friend, was stumbling through the very same process that I couldn't quite grasp as he developed his wonderfully informative Lockergnome newsletter at almost the same time I gave up on email publishing, I might already have a readership and I might even have been qualified to write my own book.

Anyway, I read this book in parts of two days and have been referring to it almost daily as I go through the process of setting up an email newsletter about...entertainment options in Des Moines, IA.(When I get an idea I just don't let go.)

Chris covers all the bases. From choosing between Text or HTML formatting to deciding on who to use for a list host. He advises the aspiring publisher to choose a name that is both memorable(for branding purposes) and an available domain name. He emphasizes again and again the importance of building your readers' trust by making it clear that you have no intention of spamming the readers or of selling out and providing your list to someone else who might be a spammer, just to make a quick buck. He lists an extensive list of resources in the back of the book as a guide that allows the reader to make informed business decisions. Chris is also more than willing to point out the mistakes he made in his four years of publishing Lockergnome.

PR's Guide to Email Publishing has one key point that shouts out louder than any other. YOU MUST HAVE GREAT CONTENT TO KEEP YOUR READERS COMING BACK FOR MORE. Chris emphasizes the importance of providing things that you the publisher as a reader would care about learning. He clearly points out that in order for your readers to keep wanting to read your publication, you must listen to their ideas and act on their suggestions.

If you have any interest in publishing an email newsletter buy this book. It breaks down all the complicated details you need to get started into easy to digest, bite sized pieces. Thanks to Chris, my email publication that has been 4 years in the making is finally going to be a reality on June 1, 2000.

Before changing my Publishing Poynters newsletter to an ezine, I discussed the project with Peter Kent and read this book. With their help, I did it right the first time. I have not had to tweak the layout, purpose or setup of the newsletter, even after five months. Happily, the circulation is growing virally as readers forward it on to the friends.

This book is about publishing online. Chris Pirillo describes how to design your ezine, manage your subscription list and promote your newsletter. Pirillo goes on to discuss bulletins, discussion groups and other powerful communication tools. For coverage, click on Table of Contents in the left-hand column of this page.

As the author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in business. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.

Real world experience and advice, told from the electronic trenches. Chris Pirillo does an amazing job with Lockergnome (his daily Windows newsletter). This book spares no details in how to publish a successful email newsletter.

Mastering email publishing is like growing corn, to use an Iowa analogy. There are different kinds of each, different ways to "grow" them, various methods of determining the success of each and ways to produce hybrids to get better results. Making the e-mail publishing business work for you can be done two ways. You can go it alone and suffer the torture of trial and error, or you can avoid the stupid way and listen to everything our small-statured friend, Chris Pirillo has to say.

Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing is THE book that speaks to the subject of producing an e-zine, newsletter or whatever else you plan to put out via internet e-mail. Taking someone else's advice and experiences to heart doesn't make you a copycat, it makes you smart. After all, taking a doctor's advice when you've hacked off a limb while harvesting the corn is a smart idea, right?

When you open the front cover of this book, a bright shining light will emit from the pages. That's the Lockergnome's wisdom glowing from the pages within. Soak up the light of the first 4 chapters that cover the basics and guide you through what e-mail publishing is all about and what you need to get started right without offending your readers.

The book next goes into the guts of e-publishing, covering topics such as managing a website alongside your newsletter, setting up your internet domain, how to handle subscriptions and the details of actually getting your newsletter out the door. The level of detail Chris provides is suitable for virtually anyone already familiar with how to simply send an email. That's nearly everybody these days!

Once you're off the ground, you'll still need a little hand-holding to avoid the costly mistakes that many others have learned the brute-force way. Specifically, how to handle the various types of e-zines. Should you use plain text, HTML, a discussion group, etc.? These questions are answered, giving the pros and cons of each and into which situation each best fits.

Ok, so you've learned everything there is about how to create a fantastic e-zine. Time to learn how you can benefit from all of this. If you do this simply to edify a particular topic, then you're done... happy e-mailing! Many, however, want to make a little cash on the side, or even start a new career in the e-mail publishing business. To do this, you'll need the help of professional list services and probably some advertising in your publication as well. Chris deftly dodges the flying bullets there too, showing you where to look, what to look for, and when to duck so bad practices, or crummy service offerings don't put you out of the game.

The most engaging part of the book is the last 1/3 that is chock full of detailed experiences and advice from other successful e-mail publishers that Chris knows. Reading about how various operations have implemented what Chris explains throughout the book is invaluable. There are some fantastic ideas in there that are all meant to help you become the next Lockergnome!

Is that all? Nope! The Appendices cover yet another 80 pages that list various service providers, software packages, e-mail applications, lists of other electronic publications and even fifty great e-publishing tips.

The completeness and depth of the knowledge that Chris displays via Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing far outweighs what you could learn on your own, so buy this book if you're even half-serious about putting out an e-mail publication of some sort. You won't be sorry you did!

-Furo

This book is cram packed with interesting and informative information about e-mail publishing. Chris' experience with Lockergnome was balanced and enhanced by the excellent chapters by other e-mail publishers.

One of the key things for me was that the need to plan, utilise industry strength technology solutions and automate as many of the administration functions as possible right from the start.

An excellent book. My copy has yellow highlighter marks all through it. It made great vacation reading (much to my wife's displeasure!!)

An interesting book. Chris Pirillo discusses publishing an e-mail newsletter, or e-zine. In fact, he covers it almost completely. The only problem I had with this book was the author's incomplete and sometimes rambling discussion of configuring an e-mail account for your mailing list. I had to look elsewhere (online) to understand this. To his credit, it is difficult to understand.
Other than that, this book is a fabulous introduction to e-mail publishing and will give the reader many good ideas and tips on publishing online.

If you have not yet joined the E-Mail Publishing Revolution, I would suggest that you take a look at it. There is a great book on E-Mail Publishing available titled: Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins, Discussion Groups, and Other Powerful Communication Tools.

When I began The Machinist Information Exchange Web Site, I thought that if I built it they would come, like in the popular movie (The Field Of Dreams). Well guess what? They didn't! I knew immediately that I would have to do something differently. That is when The Machinist Information Exchange Newsletter came into being. I will be honest with you. I made very many mistakes in the beginning. I only wish that I would of had Chris's Book back then because it would have saved me a lot of grief. Now that I have read it I would have to say that it is an absolute must read if you plan on being successful on the internet and especially in e-mail publishing.

This book at any price is money well spent and quite possibly the best investment you will ever make in your online business. The 362 page book is a paperback filled with detailed information, tips and useful URL links that will help you to be a success in your e-mail marketing campaign. It is very easy to understand and an interesting read. Chris stresses the ethical way of doing things and not only denounces the cancer of SPAM, which affects us all in a negative way, but tells you why it is bad for you and your business.

Learn from the man that is a great success at doing what he is writing about. Chris Pirillo is the publisher of Lockergnome, one of the largest e-mail newsletters of all time.

Book Review By Gary Pinson GPinson@yahoo.com

Say you want a volume that will teach you to build email communications with a regular audience - not just email marketing, but email newsletter publishing.

Poor Richard's Email Publishing isn't written by any Richard; it comes from the word processor of Chris Pirillo, known to many PC users for his Lockergnome newsletter of PC tips. Pirillo began using the Internet before www. was invented, and refuses to yield to the Web's flashy seductions. He titles his third chapter "Why E-mail? Little Glamor, Plenty of Results". And he doesn't yearn for email to succeed the Web as an electronic commerce nirvana. His target is the person with something to say, rather than something to sell.

Pirillo's email argument is the same one made for "push technology" back in 1997, except that email's compelling in a way push wasn't. "Web pages rely on people to visit and revisit them," he explains. "E-mail messages will sit in your mail account and wait for you to retrieve them".

The book works best for complete email newcomers. A lengthy primer will educate anyone who ever wondered what that Bcc: box does in their email software. Other chapters step you though configuring email accounts and teach you "How to Communicate without Spamming". And Pirillo happily admits to making errors; indeed, his book quietly chronicles his own development from email amateur to expert. So readers get a highly accessible volume.

The same readers must remain ignorant about topics which Pirillo never spent time exploring. Many CGI scripts will let your server send your email newslettter. But Pirillo concentrates on dedicated list server software and list management service providers, which he used as his newsletter evolved. Other analytical gaps grate too: the effects and eccentricities of Web-based e-mail; the behaviours of the key Netscape and Microsoft mail clients; soliciting advertising to support your emails; the weaknesses of HTML email and the promise of the MHTML format (MIME Encapsulation of Aggregate HTML Documents), which will package the images up with the HTML email text.

Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing, then, falls just short of being the comprehensive guide to email newsletter management. It succeeds, though, in a broader purpose: to tell of the excitement of communicating each day, week or month with an audience whose continuing attention tells you that you're helping them.

Pirillo communicates this unique thrill well. But most readers new to mailing lists will gain greatest pleasure from reading the seven "Publishers' Stories", tales of email newsletter publication by everyone from Mercury Mail founder John Funk to Randy Cassingham, who every week collects and distributes bizarre news stories in the column called This Is True. Most of these people made mistakes, just like Pirillo; all of them had fun.