Some are free and others cost anywhere from $60 to $7,500 per year. Let's talk about free as that is normally within budget of most people. There are a number of free list servers available, and a search on Internet of "Free List Servers" will quickly provide this information.

One I found, which I like is "Topica". In point of fact, I have four of my lists there. Before doing this, I did considerable research on Company, and while I had a number of questions, they were all answered to my satisfaction. They also recently revised "look and feel" of their web site (where you interact with them) and that was a definite positive as it is now a lot easier to navigate their site.

My largest list is "Your Business Newsletter" with 10,000+ subscribers. This is an announcement list, which means that only I can send information to subscribers. My smallest is "Just Jokes" with just 22 subscribers, which started last week. This is an open discussion list, which means that anyone can send out a post to subscriber base.

Now Topica obviously has some high powered computers as messages sent are usually delivered within minutes of being sent. Now my next question would be - how can they afford to do this free.

Advertisers pay freight. You get a small and very unobtrusive ad for their services at end of each email sent, and they provide archival services on their web site. If you visit there, you will see banner ads of their advertisers - a small price to pay for quality of their services.

As a prudent person, once a week, I download all email addresses of my subscriber lists. Does this mean I expect a problem with Topica? No, it means I am a prudent person. They do allow you to download all of your addresses to your local computer, which is a plus. If you ever decided you wanted to leave their service, your mailing list will be intact.

You are limited to 500 addresses that you can load directly, and this is to prevent UBE spamsters from abusing their service. If you do have a larger list to import, you can make arrangements through their customer support.

Anyone who uses a mailing list should definitely check this out at: http://www.topica.com/ - feel free to visit our newest list at: http://www.topica.com/lists/justjokes/ - and if you have some humor to share with us, don't hesitate to subscribe.

To put this into practice, deliver value aspect of your ezine in form of word pictures. Tell a story drawing on your personal experience and show how you were awakened to a solution. Paint a picture with words to describe benefits or pitfalls you found by following a particular path.

Publishers who do this are regarded as trustworthy experts. Consequently, they create a following of subscribers who buy products and services based solely on a recommendation.

It is noteworthy, and should come as no surprise, that affiliate commissions are highest among those who use products they recommend. They are in a position to comment first-hand on benefits and solutions available in owning product.

3. Let Your Readers Interact With Your Ezine.

You engage people more fully by allowing them to participate and interact with your ezine. Plus, this interaction lets you take pulse of readers and find out what's important to them. You can then tailor your content and marketing efforts accordingly.

Here are some ideas to get your readers involved:

> Take a poll. Invite your readers to respond to a short survey question. Provide a set of two or three responses from which they can choose by clicking on appropriate link.

> Reserve a section of your ezine for reader feedback and invite people to email you with their comments. Personally respond to all email and reprint those which you feel are most beneficial for your readers.

> Have a section of your ezine devoted to reader's questions. Respond in your ezine with thoughtful and insightful answers. This establishes you as an expert in your field, thereby enhancing worth of your ezine as a source of credible information.

Put above three principles to work for you and see if you notice a difference. Just keep in mind your reader's desire for goal-based solutions, and let your must-read ezine be a source of must-have value and must-get benefits. You can't lose!