Poor Richard's E-mail Publishing

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Summary: The definitive guide to e-mail publishing
Review: 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.

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Summary: Peter Kent is one of my favorite writers!
Review: As a writer myself (Quicken for Dummies and QuickBooks for Dummies), I think I appreciate more than most people the skill and craftmanship of a technology writer who knows how to make the complex simple, the tedious interesting, and the painstaking fun. Peter Kent is in that small group of writers who has this wonderful gift. Buy this book--you won't be sorry! (And thank you Peter Kent!)

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Summary: This Book Made my Ezine a Success
Review: 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. [e-mail].

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Summary: E-mail distribution made easy.
Review: Chirs Pirillo takes a complicated task and makes it easy. I've been publishing an e-zine for the past two years and I was relieved to know that I was making all the right moves.

However, I took a lot away from the book -- from strategies to monetize my list to garnering further exposure for my publication.

Even if you've been publishing for some time, this book is well worth the read. Well written and easily digestible. I found it to be GNOMIELICIOUS!

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Summary: Save time, money & headaches with this book.
Review: 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

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Summary: From one who knows, to one who wanted to know...
Review: Do you want to know how to start an e-publishing newletter? Well, this is the book for you. As a publisher of a newsletter called surfbits.com, that covers cool stuff on the internet, I wanted to make sure I was doing the right things. Since Chris Pirillo has "been there, done that", I thought it might answer many (if not all) of the questions I would have. Well, it delivered! Now, I have a website and newsletter that makes me proud and is working well.

This takes you through the steps that are necessary in building your newsletter and the companion website to make for a great product. Remember, the most important thing in publishing is content. Chris points this out many times and leads you down the path to making sure you do it right.

How many times have you seen a email in your inbox without knowing who is sending it to you? Well, as you might know, that's spam - not the kind we all hate to eat, but just as unappetizing. Chris tells you how to reach subscribers without "spaming" them.

There is a handy appendix that gives you all the tools you need to become a publishing magnet. Also, there are several publisher's stories that give their own experiences. This book is gooood! I keep it on my desk as a reference. Happy reading! :)

Rating:
Summary: Um excelente livro
Review: Excelente livro sobre o uso do e-mail para a divulgação de informaçòes pela Internet.

Livro de facil leitura, mostrando de forma clara e através de exemplos páticos e concretos a arte do uso do e-mail. Um dos melhores livros que ja li sobre o assunto, que tem 100% minha aprovacao e recomendacao

Rating:
Summary: Um excelente livro
Review: Excelente livro sobre o uso do e-mail para a divulgação de informaçòes pela Internet.

Livro de facil leitura, mostrando de forma clara e através de exemplos páticos e concretos a arte do uso do e-mail. Um dos melhores livros que ja li sobre o assunto, que tem 100% minha aprovacao e recomendacao

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Summary: Finally a entertaining Internet book surfaces
Review: I have been a subscriber to Chris Pirillos E-mail newsletter for over a year. It is the only E-Zine that I read consistently.

I had to reward the author, and purchase his book (sight unseen). I figure On the downside, if its lousy it would be another way of paying for the E-Zine, or on the upside,if its good than I can get my moneys worth.

Not surprisingly, just as in his newsletter, Chris has succeeded in giving lots of info and tips in an entertaining fashion.

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Summary: How to succeed in business by LISTENING to your AUDIENCE
Review: 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.