For startup musicians, email is a gift of God. When I first started managing bands a number of years ago, I spent hours licking stamps and sending out postcards for upcoming gigs, spending over $100 on people that never showed up to my bands' gigs. We didn't even make that much at the gig, and we were blowing money left and right.

Don't get me wrong. For a band that sticks around, $100 for one fan is worth it, in my opinion, because that fan will be tell friends, buy CDs, and more, but there is a cheaper alternative. Start your own band ezine.

If you don't already have one, I strongly urge you to head over to eGroups.com and setup your own newsletter. If you haven't already, start collecting addresses today. Don't use this as an excuse not to pick up snail mail, mind you. In the next few weeks we'll talk about how to get the most out of your email and snail mail addresses.

GETTING YOUR LIST STARTED

1. Send Invites to all of your friends, ASK them if they want would like to get your fan news.
2. Specify how often you intend to mail out your ezine (weekly, twice monthly, monthly).
3. Provide info your fans would consider interesting (tidbits about the band, bands you like, favorite recipes).
4. Provide an easy way automatically unsubscribe.
5. Add a "Subscribe to My Newsletter" link on your homepage.

VERY IMPORTANT DON'TS

DON'T auto-subscribe people from other mailing lists, even if they May like you. (This includes the Media)

BETTER: E-mail them. Include their name in the message, and ASK if they would be interested in subscribing.

DON'T send out an email before Every gig. Especially if you start getting a lot, you will only end up allienating fans. Stick to the schedule.

DON'T make your newsletter filled to the brim in formality.It's got to breathe. People want newsletters that are personal, so talk to 'em.