Start Your Own Newsletter from Scratch

by Jim Terhune

This is an A to Z guide for launching a family newsletter, whether the focus is on genealogy, reunions, or related topics. As the editor of The Terhune Letter, author Jim Terhune, knows whereof he writes. In this book, he guides you through the stages of newsletter editing, complete with an appendix of facsimile pages from The Terhune Letter to illustrate how his own newsletter takes shape over time. While the author well knows that newsletter editing can be great fun and a terrific means for staying in contact with family members, gathering genealogical information, and so on, Jim is quick to explain to the reader what it takes in terms of time, resources, and readership to make a newsletter fly and survive. If you're game, you must then look at matters of cost, most of which will be tied up in computer equipment, copying, and mailing expenses. Jim shows you that you have a choice of hardware, layouts, paper sizes and qualities, and mailing considerations to choose from. If your efforts are successful, you'll need to keep tabs on your mailing list, and Jim shows you how to do that. Most of the book, of course, addresses what to include in the newsletter--genealogical tidbits, stories from county histories and old newspaper files, stories garnered from family members (both solicited and unsolicited)--and how to depict it by varying the fonts, utilizing graphics and illustrations, ornamenting regular features of the newsletter, etc. In short, Start Your Own Newsletter from Scratch is the first complete guide to putting out your newsletter - and it is the only one you are likely ever to need.

68 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some sound, basic ideas for starting a newsletter, especially for families. The technology mentioned is a little dated, but otherwise, it's a good, short reference book.