I’m going to send out my first email newsletter on Monday.
Except, it’s not really the first email newsletter I’ve ever written.
The folder is still hidden deep in the archives of my email program: “Greetings from Gretchen”. I began calling them such in January of 1999. But I’d already been sending out group emails to several dozens of my closest friends for a year by that time.
I tended to be just a bit loquacious. Which meant I often fell behind on correspondence in an effort to properly answer every letter and email. Group emails were my solution: I could include every single detail for every one of my pen pals to read.
Certain friends took to calling my emails “Gretchie’s Books.” And considering the word count of one random email I just checked was over 1,500, it’s no surprise.
I retold the details of our summer drama troupe trips. I regaled the times we spent visiting a certain family we’d met in Yellowstone. I told of scrapbooking retreats and my time at Summit. And if you were one of the lucky recipients, I’m sure you might have noticed that a certain young man’s name appeared frequently in those emails. (The same young man whose last name I now share—yes, I was smitten from an early age.)
I promise not to spam my newsletter list with 1,500 word emails.
My hope is to use my new email list to say hi to my blog subscribers on a bit more personal level once in a while. I’ll send you the things that don’t really merit a blog post (see, I’ve always loved using his name, one way or another!), but belong in an email. To let you know when I have a big giveaway, or to send particular tips your way if you’re the techie type (there are two options for subscribing—you can choose not to get the tech stuff!).
But I didn’t think I could start a new newsletter without telling the story of the old one.
Because obviously, I’ve always loved to tell stories.
And I’m hoping to do more of that again here in the future (stay tuned for details in the email on Monday!).
I think the story of your earlier email newsletter is sweet! I don’t remember emailing friends in bulk, but I DO remember writing looong letters and emails full of details about, well, everything. I’m looking forward to reading the installments of the story if your latest email newsletter now!