[epub] ezine announcements "Buy that's not my ezine description..."

["Cantu from HumorMall.com" <HumorHelper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>    From: Mydenise@aol.com Wrote:
> Subject: Re: ezine announcements
<SNIP>
> My question is one of the lists (in my mind) totally misrepresented 
> my ezine since they reworded my description (without letting me 
> know of such changes). My concern is their description will set up 
> false expectations for some of the subscribers as to the nature 
> of my ezine.  I would love your thoughts on whether I should send 
> an email to the announcement list and let them know they have 
> misrepresented it?? 

Cantu says,

Yes they can do that and be happy they did publicize you.  

Three issues are involved here. 

1.  I have been around long enough (I turned 53 this month) to 
believe whole heartedly in the adage "I don't care you say about 
me (my 'zine) as long a you spelled my name right." (in this case 
get my ezine subscription address right)

You want as many mentions of your zine as possible anywhere, any 
place.  You will be astound in how many times it (that ‘unwelcome" 
blurb) will show up when people use different search terms in 
Google.com and other mega-search engines when people are looking 
for topics. Every mention of you is more free publicity pure and 
simple.

2. Announce list edits have their own formatting needs, structure 
needs, and writing style needs and editors change material to fit 
their formatting and structure and content needs, not yours.

3. And the third issue involves your perception of what your ezine 
  is and does and how it benefits people.

I am an ezine writer and a professional speaker (speaking is one way 
I market my ezines and get paid to do so). In speaking there is an 
oft quote aphorism, "When you speak, there are three speeches given. 
The one you gave, the one you think you gave and the one the your 
audience heard."

Translated in the ezine world this is  "When you publish, there are 
three forms of content given. The content you give, the content you 
think you give, and the content your reader perceives you as having 
delivered."

When I speak I have a questionnaire I use to get feedback on the value 
of my talk and I always ask "What was the most important thing you 
learned from my talk? "  - And wow have I learned about a lot of advice 
the audience heard that didn't come out of my mouth (I usually tape or 
video tape my talks - It becomes more product to sell. Just another 
way to sell my only commodity: information and advice).

And in the ezine world I am also often astonished at how is my 
ezine readers use my information. My information is supposedly 
nuts and bolts on how to create and/or deliver humor effectively. 
An essay on how inexperienced comedians could use charity work
(performing for free in hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, etc.) 
to increase their experience and visibility caused a subscriber 
(a fan of comedy) to write in that she was applying the principle 
to her massage and dog walking business: Giving free massages at 
nursing homes and walking some dogs for elderly shut-ins on limited 
budget.

Don't create problems that don't yet exist. It's not necessarily an 
issue of misrepresentation until your exit questionnaires (The ‘Why 
did you decide to leave?' questions) start letting you know that ‘a 
perception of misrepresentation' was why they unsubscribe -because 
they did in fact expect something else. Maybe your ezine is perceived 
as more nuts and bolts than you realize. 

Bottom line: Give thanks for free publicity and think of your choices:  written not exactly the way you would do it, or not written and publicized at all.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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<a href=" www.HumorMall.com/seminars/befunny2.shtml
">Click here</a>


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