Steps to newsletter success

Author Roger Parker lists 12 steps to newsletter success. Here are a few:

• Be consistent – in frequency, number of pages, ...
• Choose a distinctive nameplate (also called a "flag" – the part that has the publication title).
• Choose effective columns and margins layout. Make effective use of white space. Don't try to fill every inch of every column.
• Make headlines and subheads easy to find and easy to read.
• Use subheads to break up "gray" blocks of text.
• Make body copy as easy to read as possible. (choose a good font, use adequate font sizes, use ragged right text, ...)
• Use good grammar and punctuation.
• Use photo captions.
• Be restrained in any use of color.
• Check "the details" of your newsletter – Avoid widows and orphans in lines and subheads; use non-breaking spaces to keep first and last names (and similar) together. In MS Word, that's Shift+Alt+spacebar.
• Keep the design simple. Create a newsletter template, then use it! In the template, create "styles" for a few levels headlines plus subheads, body text, etc.