Things You'll Need:
- Group of interested subscribers
- A theme
- A format
- List of frequently asked questions relating to your group's interests
- Filler
- Interviews
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Step 1
Create an interest group, if you are not already part of one. Pay attention to the topics of the various discussions, especially the questions. Generate a list of frequently asked questions.
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Step 2
Choose a theme. Themes help you choose topics that complement one another to form a logical progression of ideas and activities from simple to more complex. Themes can be seasonal, interest-based or have a rotating format. Most magazines have their themes planned six months to a year in advance.
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Step 3
Choose a format. Formats for Internet newsletters range from the informal "letters to my friends" blog entry style to the professional look of a top-of-the-line newspaper. The advantage to using a newspaper format is automatically having sections devoted to a particular topic. Also, newspaper formats are familiar so that your readers have an idea what to expect.
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Step 4
Stick to a set publishing schedule. This can be weekly, monthly, every other month or quarterly. It is not a good idea to publish less often than quarterly, as people tend to forget about your publication when that much time passes. Also, because people change emails or interests rapidly, it is difficult to stay fresh and relevant.
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Step 5
Enable feedback in the form of comments on articles, email queries, suggestions, reader surveys and any other means of direct communication. Implement suggestions whenever feasible. Provide a section for reader-suggested topics and reader-created content. Feature members in each issue.
