How To Set Up an Ezine Encyclopedia

 by: Michael Southon

Do you read all your Ezines? Or do you file them away in special folders and then forget about them?

I used to be like that.

When I first started subscribing to ezines I was amazed at the quantity of valuable information that was available for free.

But I soon became complacent about it. If anything, the 60-odd newsletters I was receiving each month became a burden. I was suffering from 'information overload'.

Ezines contain a wealth of information. Every week, in hundreds of newsletters across the Web, experts share with their readers the latest tips, techniques and resources they're using to succeed in the world of online business.

But if you don't have a system for processing and organizing that information, you'll quickly become overwhelmed by it.

I use a system that I call the 'Ezine Encyclopedia'. This is how it works:

1. Open a document in Microsoft Word. At the top of this Word document, type in 15 to 20 'Category Headings', one per line. These are the categories I use:

2. Now highlight all of these category headings. Then go to the toolbar at the top of your Word screen and click on 'Format'. In the drop-down menu, click on 'Style'. A new window will open with a box titled 'Styles'. Click on 'Heading 1' and press 'OK'. These category headings will now all appear in 'Heading 1' format.

3. Now place your cursor at the end of the first line (in my example, 'Ad Tracking') and press RETURN twice. Two paragraph marks (in 'Normal' style) will appear beneath your first category heading (this is where you will insert the text of your articles). Repeat this for each category heading (place your cursor at the end of the line, and hit RETURN twice).

4. When you see an ezine article that contains valuable information, highlight it, copy it, and paste it under the appropriate 'Category Heading'.

5. Highlight the title of the ezine article and use the same procedure described above, but choose 'Heading 2' (instead of Heading 1).

6. Now click on INSERT in the toolbar of your Word screen and go down to 'INDEX AND TABLES'. In the new window that opens up, click on 'Table of Contents'. In the lower right of that window is a box with a white background that allows you to set the levels between 1 and 9. Choose 2. Then click 'OK'.

You'll find that your 'Information Categories' appear as Chapter Headings and the Title of the ezine articles appear as a Sections within a Chapter.

Notice that the page numbers at the far right of your Table of Contents are hyperlinked; you can go to any ezine article with the click of a mouse.

This Word document will become your personal 'Ezine Encyclopedia'.

It will contain everything important that you've ever read in an ezine. Isn't that better than having that information scattered amongst 20 or 30 ezines?

When you have in place a well organized system like this, it changes the way you view new information. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by new information, you'll simply place it under the appropriate Information Category.

And when you need that information, instead of searching through dozens of folders in your email client, you'll know exactly where it is. This system has saved me an enormous amount of time.

Eventually you'll end up with a large document that contains as much valuable information as any web marketing book. And it'll be much more up to date!

(c) 2000, by Michael Southon