It’s only natural to wonder. Do those hype-y, over-the-top ads actually work? Are publishers who beg, plead, and cajole readers to buy actually making sales? And, is it possible to publish a profitable newsletter without resorting to slimy tactics?

The answer, of course, is yes. (To all three questions, by the way.)

Before I explain how to publish profitably without slimy copy, let’s take a look at the number one question I get about newsletter advertising–where on earth should the promo copy go?

In the song Upside Down (from Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George), Jack Johnson sings about turning “the whole thing upside down.”

Sure, it’s a song about a monkey with insatiable curiosity. But, it’s also a great perspective to take with your newsletter.

A few days ago, I attended a workshop at The Home Depot on embellishing basic furniture pieces. The attendees had varying levels of experience–some had never done anything home-improvement-ish while others had tackled complicated projects. And the questions they asked reflected each person’s level of experience.

Are you afraid of getting things wrong in your newsletter? Of saying the wrong thing in the wrong manner and then, horror of horrors, sending it out in completely the wrong fashion?

May I share something that’s more than a tiny bit embarrassing about myself with you? For many years, I feared that my secret superpower was this: If I made the wrong decision or took the wrong action the world itself would come to a speedy, complete, and painful end.

And I’m hardly exaggerating…

Every year, I find it really thrilling how many people launch new newsletters right around this time. All those fresh new voices in my inbox, new topics to read about, new publishers to get to know. It’s quite a lot of fun.

But what isn’t fun is seeing all the mistakes these new publishers make. And, one of the biggest mistakes they make is in not taking their distribution system seriously.

So, whether you’re just starting a new newsletter, or you’ve been publishing for awhile, let’s go through the steps of a distribution audit together so that you can make sure you’re using the best distribution system for you.

One of the things I really love about writing a weekly newsletter is that it reminds me to stop and reflect on the previous week each Friday. Whether I write about one of my accomplishments (or mishaps) in the feature article or in the Editor’s Note or not, this weekly ritual has made me much more aware of how I’ve spent my time.

Most of the time, at least some portion of my reflection does make its way into this newsletter, and even when it doesn’t, the time is never wasted.

Today I’d like to share the five questions I ask that lead to great newsletter content.