The other day, Xerxes phoned me. (I know, the name is most unusual, and it could well be a nom de plume, but, of course, he was phoning, not writing.)  Anyway, whether he actually is Xerxes or not is of little importance. This is the gist of our conversation:
Xerxes:   Do you know that ‘thingy’ on your blog?
Diane:     ??
Xerxes:   Something about a letter…
Diane:    A Newsletter?
Xerxes:   Yes, that’s it. A Newsletter.
Diane:    And?
Xerxes:  Well, I didn’t get one.
Diane:    But you had subscribed?
Xerxes:  Subscribed? I read every blog post you write; I assumed that it was automatic; that it was like a reward for like ‘sticking around’.
Diane:    No, I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that.
Xerxes:   It doesn’t?
Diane:    No, it doesn’t. If you want the Newsletter, you actually have to subscribe. There is a subscription form on the left of the blog. You type in your email address and then click on ‘subscribe’.
Xerxes:   And that’s all?
Diane:     That’s all. You don’t have to put in any other information, and if you later want to unsubscribe, it’s just as simple to opt out.
Xerxes:   So what’s the difference? I mean, like, what’s the difference between your Newsletter and your Blog?
Diane:     The Newsletter only comes out twice a month, while I post twice a week on the blog. On the blog, I review books I’ve read; in the Newsletter, you can read about Vegetarian Cooking, Numerology, Creating gardens, the books I’ve written, and much more…
Xerxes:   But I’ve already missed the first Newsletter…
Diane:     That’s really not a problem. The next Newsletter will be published on the 18th November, and there you’ll have a chance to download the introduction to the Numerology Course that was in the first Newsletter. The first Newsletter was more of an introduction, so you haven’t missed a lot.
Xerxes:   I’ve always wondered what vegetarians eat, and that about Numerology might be interesting – perhaps it will tell me if I’m going to win the lottery?
Diane:     No, it won’t tell you that, but it will tell you other things.
Xerxes:   I’ll subscribe today.
Diane:     Glad  to have been of help, Xerxes. Keep in touch.