Now picture the categories/topics that your newsletter might fit into. For example, let’s say your newsletter is mainly about your pet iguana.1 If someone were looking for a newsletter like yours, they might search for things like:
iguanas
lizards
pets
animals
Maybe another category or two (“reptiles”; what else?).
And if your newsletter were about caring for your pet iguana in Paris, you might add categories such as “Paris,” “France,” “Europe,” and even “personal blogs.”2
That example is just for illustrative purposes. It's better to use your own newsletter.
Which categories would you focus on when trying to find people who might be interested in your newsletter?
I ask partly for selfless reasons. I'm hoping to help you think about how and where to find more subscribers and readers.
I also ask for selfish – though noble, I hope – reasons. I intend to create newsletter directories,3 which would include categories.4 I'd like to know how publishers categorize their own newsletters, because it might illuminate how I should categorize newsletters.
If your newsletter included lots of lovely photos of your iguana with the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe in the background, you might consider categories relating to photography.
Mainly for paid subscribers. Hey, I said it was partly selfish. I can't just do this as a public service, you know. 😉 By the way, here's the link to the free trial.
Struggling with this. History for people who may flinch at the word history. Something to do in the queue at the post office. It's a toughie. Would love any and all ideas.
I don't know...I've seen "queue" more in American writing in recent years. Sort of like how some Americans started saying "on holiday" rather than "on vacation." Perhaps I should keep the queue?
The pernicious influence of Masterpiece Theatre and its heirs proceeds apace. Poor old American English. Meanwhile, in London, it's now apartment, not flat. :)
This is yet another issue for all writers because it depends a lot on knowing exactly who your audience is. My own newsletter (http://learned.substack.com) is a layman's guide to linguistics. So, do I put that in academic terms: arts & humanities -> language & society -> linguistics? Or, because I try to write in blog-style (informal, friendly) for laypeople and hobbyists, should I go with: education & learning -> languages -> word fun?
My wife's dissertation focused on a linguist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One lesson I took from her work is how much classification can affect one's mindset and vice versa. So I see what you mean about classifying in academic or layperson's terms. In the kind of directory I envision, I'd want to appeal to a wide audience: e.g., use "languages," "linguistics," and maybe even "words" as categories.
Cultural Heritage; Sightseeing; Tour Guide; Architecture; Bulgaria.
Struggling with this. History for people who may flinch at the word history. Something to do in the queue at the post office. It's a toughie. Would love any and all ideas.
I like the idea of a category "something to do in the queue at the post office." 🙂
I mean you could translate it into American if it's helpful! 😂
I don't know...I've seen "queue" more in American writing in recent years. Sort of like how some Americans started saying "on holiday" rather than "on vacation." Perhaps I should keep the queue?
The pernicious influence of Masterpiece Theatre and its heirs proceeds apace. Poor old American English. Meanwhile, in London, it's now apartment, not flat. :)
I'd put mine in the 'something to do in the queue at the post office' category too 😀
Okay, I'm totally going to compile a "something to do in the queue at the post office" newsletter directory. I welcome any additional suggestions. 😀
Freemasonry, Fraternities, Philosophy, Self Improvement, Culture
Fiction / Entertainment / Quick Reads?
This is yet another issue for all writers because it depends a lot on knowing exactly who your audience is. My own newsletter (http://learned.substack.com) is a layman's guide to linguistics. So, do I put that in academic terms: arts & humanities -> language & society -> linguistics? Or, because I try to write in blog-style (informal, friendly) for laypeople and hobbyists, should I go with: education & learning -> languages -> word fun?
My wife's dissertation focused on a linguist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One lesson I took from her work is how much classification can affect one's mindset and vice versa. So I see what you mean about classifying in academic or layperson's terms. In the kind of directory I envision, I'd want to appeal to a wide audience: e.g., use "languages," "linguistics," and maybe even "words" as categories.