Newsletters have always been an effective way to give your clients, contacts and associates valuable information and at the same time keep your name and product or service in front of them. While the standard one-color, four-page printed newsletter format is still used, electronic newsletters and E-mails are more cost-effective ways to stay in touch with your base.

Here are some steps you can take to create and develop a newsletter:

Make it an Option at Your Website: Every author needs a personal website. Period. This is in addition to the page the publisher has for your book. Make it clear that people who visit your site can sign up for a periodic newsletter. The key is to offer something in the newsletter of value. If you write cook books, offer a free seasonal recipe or tips for the beginning chef. (I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat .) Please note: The technical side of setting this up may be something you'll need to discuss with your web designer/technical person. (You can have a page on the SMA website free.)

Work to Add Names to Your List: If your website does not get much traffic, then you'll need to be proactive. If you speak at an event, tell people about your terrific newsletter and what it offers. Then ask people for their business cards or let them fill in a sign-up sheet with their names and E-mail addresses. Then you add them to your data base.

Create Template Content: Decide what should go into every issue. It can range from a personal note from you to five tips related to your book. Or it could be your comments on trends related to your book. Maybe even comments you've gotten from readers. (Be sure to ask permission to publish someone's name.) The point is to have something that's easy to fill in month after month.

Always Give Away Valuable Information: It's all about good content. If you make it just a commercial for your book, people will get off your list fast. However, by providing helpful, simple information and short tips, you are likely to keep recipients on your list.

Don't Send Spam: If you're sending out electronic newsletters, be sure that people on your list either signed up or know that you were planning on adding their names. And most important, be sure to include with every message a way for people to get removed from your list.

Please keep in mind the purpose of your newsletter is to creatively stay in touch with the people who are interested in your expertise. The goal is that somewhere down the road, when they or someone they know needs a book related to your topic or expertise, it will be your book they buy.