No one should be sending e-mail from ANY HarperCollins account to a bulk list of names.
If you are so inlcined, please view the Can Spam Act.
In December of 2001 Internet Development began the newsletter program with only one e-newsletter. There are now over 40 e-newsletters with more on the way. The constant and numerous technical challenges eventually led us to seek a better method of delivery.
I am happy to report that as of January 15th, 2004 we will be using a new vendor to distribute all our e-newsletters and most of our e-marketing materials. This means that we will finally be able to send newsletters out at any time of the day.
Still, we suffer from limited resources and I respectfully request that newsletter preparation adhere to the following guidelines. This will ultimately make all our lives easier.
1. If you plan on creating a new newsletter please contact Eleanor.Cox@harpercollins.com. You will need to provide the following information:
- What is the purpose of the newsletter?
- Where will you be collecting subscriber names?
- Is this a public or private list?
- How often will this newsletter be delivered?
- Who is the contact person for this newsletter?
2. Do not have ANY newsletters designed before you speak directly to Deborah Johnstone and/or William Kolasa. There are several technical issues and numerous design issues to consider before retaining a designer to build a newsletter. We cannot and do not have the time to spend on constant changes and fixes.
(We've already got TONS of terrifc designs and can come up with almost anything you'd like -- so check with us first!)
3. Please allow TWO WEEKS for the preparation of your newsletters. Yes, this means that you should devise a schedule for yourself or who ever is editing the newsletter. Begin to gather copy and ideas at least a month before you anticipate sending out the newsletter.
4. A good course of action would be to designate someone to be in charge of "Final Approval" of all copy and images. It is imperative that editors check and recheck copy thoroughly BEFORE submitting it for the design process. Think about what you want to say and how you would like it to appear. Do not submit copy before you thoroughly edit and tighten it. Band width limitations for the new vendor are strict and if necessary, we will be forced to cut newsletters that are too long.
5. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR COPY!! YOU are responsible for final corrections and errors including grammar, spelling and links. Changing anything after the design process begins will incur delays.
(If you need help with setting up a newsletter format please contact Deborah Johnstone for assistance.)
6. If you are charged with producing copy for a newsletter, set up a schedule of content delivery. You already know what books you will be publishing months in advance. Use this to your advantage and get into the habit of jotting down copy and ideas in a folder for future issues.
See "Streamline Your Newsletter Production".
7. MAKE SURE that any book you include in your newsletter has a working book page at our site with the jacket image posted. This also applies to chapter excerpts, reading guides and author Web sites. If you are not sure, simply GO TO THE WEB SITE AND LOOK. You will need to do so in any case in order to provide me with the URL of the page.
I can no longer perform updated design and copy edits on the fly since all changes must first be submitted to our vendor's technical team to be uploaded to their servers. This means that you will need to think carefully about any changes.
It is imperative that editors check and recheck copy thoroughly BEFORE submitting it to me for the design process.
If you are charged with producing copy for a newsletter, set up a schedule of content delivery. You already know what books you will be publishing months in advance. Use this to your advantage and get into the habit of jotting down copy and ideas in a folder for future issues.
Designate someone to be in charge of "Final Approval" of all copy and images.
MAKE SURE that any book you include in your newsletter has a working book page at our site with the jacket image posted. This also apply to chapter excerpts, reading guides and author Web sites. If you are not sure, simply GO TO THE WEB SITE AND LOOK. You will need to do so in any case to provide me with the URL of the page.
A Word About Final Jacket Images
HarperCollins provides direct feeds to many online sources such as: Amazon.com, The New York Post, Barnes& Noble, and Powells.com to name a few. From here, this content is sent on to thousands of other sites and it is impossible to change or retract a feed once it has gone out. For this reason, jacket images will not be published until they are marked final in Dam.
What is a URL?
This is a unique address which identifies every single page on the web.
Opt for Shorter, Pithy Copy
Tips to Streamline your newsletter production
1. "Calendarize" the Process
OK, that's a dreadful word. But it's easy to let the weeks go by and realize that your next issue is "due out" next week. Before panic sets in, turn to your point person and ask him or her to come up with a publishing calendar. Or hand the task to an outside editor. This should include deadline dates for:
" Collecting article ideas--getting reprint permission, if necessary
" Turning ideas into rough drafts
" Editing and cutting (the copy is almost always too long)
" Writing final article titles and a draft subject line
" Sending test issues to your internal "newsletter approval" group
" Checking every link
" Printing out a hard copy to do a final proof for typos
" Sharpening the subject line one last time before you publish (yes, do this last; it's key!)
You'll note that a number of the tasks above are not dissimilar to what your Web team does before revising your home page and reposting it.
2. Keep an Idea File for Each Issue
The best time to plan future issues of your newsletter (other than right after sending) is when you're not thinking about your newsletter at all. You may be responding to e-mail, looking for information on the Web, speaking to a colleague on the phone, etc. If a URL on another site sparks an idea, immediately cut and paste it into a "running ideas" file on your hard drive. If it's an email from a potential contributor, do the same. Better yet, put ideas into folders named April '04 or May '03. If you've got a shared drive, your point person will have access to them as well.
If it's a magazine or newspaper article, tear it out and stick it into a paper folder labeled, you guessed it, April, May or June '04.
3. Apply the Newsworthy Test the Day Before Publishing
Finally, apply the newsworthy test. Has something come up that will be of keen interest to your readers? A new regulation, a connection to world events? If so, add a blurb or publisher's note to reflect this. Making your newsletter "newsworthy" adds huge credibility.
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which I must submit, design and editorial
lFor production to run smoothly for this many newsletters, a considerable amount of preparation and forethought is necessary. If you will be producing content for any newsletter, please plan on having content to me at least two weeks before you wish the newsletter to go out. New newsletter guidelines are attached which will help you prepare copy in a way that will best accommodate the HTML build and expedite the process. Feel free to call me directly if there is something you don't understand.
Newsletters will still need to go through a technical test in the new program and editors will still be responsible for final approval of all copy. This means that the responsibility of copy editing and correcting all errors - including spelling and links -- lay with the person who submits the original content. Internet Development is not responsible for content errors.
One very important aspect to consider will be the size of each newsletter. Restrictions for length of content will henceforth be enforced. Recent developments in SPAM programs and Federal legislations dictate that excessive e-mails coming in over 70k will
of bandwidth will be necessary and copy will be cut to reflect the appropiiate allowable
All this requires time. It is imperative that you plan ahead for allow no less than two weeks for each newsletter you submit.
who will dWith the acquisition of our new newsletter vendor, the newsletters
Some Guidelines:
Announcement
Link to relevant site
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