Contents:
1. What's Hot at DCW

• DCW Of The Month

• Card & Gift Exchange

• Contest Sponsors Needed

2. Business & Entertainment

• DCW Christmas Party!

• Let's Talk Business

• Halloween Party Planning

• Food - Halloween Recipes

• Crafts for Halloween

• Contests

Congratulations to TRACY LYN MOLAND for being chosen as our DCW of the month for October 2003.
Using her entrepreneurial and teaching skills to make a vast difference to the lives of women, the Best Selling Author of 'Mom Management', believes in Managing Mom Before Everybody Else, which in turn, improves the ability to perform all other roles that a woman plays in her life. http://www.dotcomwomen.com/dcw.shtml

CONTEST SPONSORS NEEDED
Dot Com Women's biggest ever event - The DCW Christmas Party - is scheduled for this Christmas. A number of contests are lined up to be a part of this event.

http://www.dotcomwomen.com/christmas_contest_sponsor.shtml

CHRISTMAS CARD EXCHANGE
Spread the Christmas Spirit Around the World! Exchange Cards with other women worldwide. LAST 2 DAYS REMAINING! For discussing the card and gift exchange, there is a special forum at http://www.dotcomwomen.com/forums

http://www.dotcomwomen.com/christmas/card_gift_exchange.html

DCW CHRISTMAS PARTY!

CONTESTS BEGIN!!
Three contests begin this week. Stay tuned for more!

1. Just For Our Ezine Subscribers - WINTER CARE TIPS
Send me your tried and tested tips to get yourself prepared for winter. Tips may be for beauty, skincare, makeup, health, fitness etc. Anything that you do to equip yourself for the winters. Send your tips to me at lata@dotcomwomen.com with Winter Care Tips in the subject and ALL of the following info: Your Name, Your Country, Category of the tip (Beauty, Health etc.). You can send in more than one tip.

Prizes:
1st prize - Beauty Tips 4 a New You eBook by L'Exquisite Inc Esthetics & Nails worth $19.95
2nd prize - Unwind Bath Salt by ARBONNE Independent Consultant Ann Phelps worth $18.50

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2. Just For Our Forum Members - GIFT IDEAS UNDER $25
Post practical gift suggestions for this Christmas under $25. All details available at the forums - http://www.dotcomwomen.com/forums You have to register at the forums to be able to post your entries. Registration is FREE!!

Prizes: Holiday Duo Delight Candle set by Kathi's Partyshop

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3. 'A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS' - Travel Writing Contest (Open for all women)
Send us your most memorable Christmas Travel experience. You do NOT have to be a writer to participate. We will do any editing, if needed. For details, visit http://www.dotcomwomen.com/christmas/travel_writing.html

That's all for this week. Keep watching this space for Christmas Party updates and special 'Just for Subscribers' contests.

LET'S TALK BUSINESS

4 Success Strategies for Ezine Promotion

It's your masterpiece. You've worked hard to put together an informative and interesting newsletter. Your current subscribers often write to tell you how much they enjoy it. So why are you having so many problems getting new subscribers?

The fact of the matter is, there are countless free newsletters available to anyone who wishes to receive them ... so unfortunately for ezine editors, "free" isn't enough to draw people to you.

Here are a few suggestions to help you build your list ...

1. Be Consistent

Marketing your newsletter is the only way you're going to find new subscribers. You need to first let people know that your newsletter is available ... then persuade them that you have something unique and valuable to offer. Come up with an informative description that stresses the benefits of subscribing, and then start promoting. Some ways to promote your ezine include:

Submit to ezine directories
Use announcement lists
Promote your ezine in your sig file
Write articles and leave a link to your ezine in your resource box
Put a signup box on every page of your website
Experiment with pop-up subscription boxes
Propose ezine co-opts with other editors: you can promote your newsletters together for extra exposure
Include subscription links within your eBooks or reports.

2. Consider Pay-Per-Subscriber Services

No doubt you've heard the phrase, "Time is money". Marketing takes a lot of time. More and more, editors are turning to pay-per-subscriber services to help them grow their newsletters. An example of one such service is FunEzines.com.

These services charge you for each subscriber they find for you. I've seen prices ranging from an affordable $0.10 per subscriber to a whopping $0.85! Shop around. These services will usually charge you more if you use the double opt-in method than if you use single opt-in.

Reasons why you might choose to use these services include:

Not enough website traffic to get a steady stream of new subscribers.
Not enough time to spend marketing - or a lack of desire to spend the time necessary to promote your ezine.
Desire to build your subscription base as quickly as possible.

3. Don't Be Shy - Introduce Yourself

One of the big advantages of having your own newsletter is the leverage it gives you with other editors.
Don't be shy. Approach other editors in your niche market and offer to swap ads or run other joint ventures. This is a great way to increase your exposure without paying any out-of-pocket expenses.

Remember that editors are busy people, just like you. Make it easy by providing them with all the information they need to make a decision ...
Address the editor by name, if at all possible. Mention his or her ezine name. Personalized email is always appreciated.
Introduce yourself and your ezine. Tell the editor key pieces of information, such as the ezine's focus and circulation.
Tell him or her what type of joint venture you have in mind. Let her know how it will benefit her.
If you are proposing an ad swap, include your ad for her convenience.
If the editor agrees to your proposal, let him know when his ad will run in your ezine.

4. Be Yourself

You've already made the effort to get subscribers ... now make the effort to keep them! There are thousands upon thousands of free newsletters available ... what makes YOURS different?

Let's face it: great content is vital to the success of your ezine ... but by itself, it isn't enough. There are plenty of editors who consistently turn out a high-quality, content-rich ezine.

What helps to differentiate one newsletter from another is the editor. If you inject your own unique personality into your ezine, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much your subscribers will appreciate it. I have many loyal subscribers who tell me that they like how I come across as a "real person".

Publishing a newsletter can be very profitable. Stick with it and you'll reap the rewards!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical, down-to-earth guide to building an Internet business on a beginner's budget. If you enjoyed this article, you'll love the book! Visit http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com?  or request a series of 10 free reports to get you started.

PARTY PLANNING

Cool Halloween Party Ideas
by Becky Doland

Halloween is a favorite holiday for me. I've always loved autumn with it's chilly nights, clear skys, and crunching leaves underfoot. It's a great time for a really fun party, one where even us adults can let down our hair, dress up in costume and have as much fun as the kids. Here are a few ideas to help create the proper Halloween atmosphere in your home:

The Psycho Bathroom

I did this last year, and it was a huge hit! First, take down your regular shower curtain and replace it with a cheap, white, vinyl shower curtain liner. With a sharp knife, make lots of slashes in the liner. Mix up some fake blood from Kayro Syrup and lots of red food coloring, and sling it around the tub, up the shower walls, and on the curtain. Smear some of the fake blood on a large, plastic butcher knife (can be found in any store carrying Halloween costumes and props) and lay it in the bottom of the tub. For added coolness, hang a "Bates Motel" towel on the towel bar. I've seen these manufactured professionally, but couldn't find them last Halloween. Instead I bought a cheap, white towel, black fabric paint, and painted the words on myself. You should have heard people shrieking when they went into the bathroom!

Wormy Punch

I made a neon green punch for the punchbowl. I used Midori melon liquor, pineapple juice, and 7-Up for mine, but this can also be done in a non-alchoholic version using Mountain Dew and pineapple juice. I poured some of the punch in a ring cake pan, and added gummy worms all around the ring. Once frozen this makes an ice ring that will keep the punch cold without watering it down, and the worms look very cool.

Fog Machines

Fog machines have become reasonably priced in the past couple years. I've seen them at K-Mart for $39.95 this year. This is way better than trying to locate and purchase dry ice, and less dangerous too. (Dry ice cannot be handled without gloves.) Just make sure your machine has a chiller so that the fog remains low to the ground. Otherwise you'll have smog instead of an eerie fog.

No-Admittance Areas

Want to block off some rooms or areas of the house from partygoers? Keep in the spirit of the night and use bright yellow, plastic police tape printed with the words "Do Not Cross" and "Keep Out". If you look around Halloween and novelty stores you can usually find this.

Have a Ghoulish Halloween!!!!!

FOOD

HALLOWEEN RECIPES

Witches Fingers

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
1 tube red decorator gel
In bowl beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat in flour; baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons full of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for nail.
Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape. Using a paring knife make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet in 325 degree over for 20-25 minutes or until pale or golden. Let cool for three minutes.
Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 5 doz fingers!

Vampire Punch


8 cups cranberry juice
6 cups sparkling apple cider
6 orange slices

Put all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add ice cubes just before serving.

Makes 14 cups

And a special recipe for the Holidays by DCW Member Pennie Mills:

FOUR CHIPS FUDGE

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbs milk
1 (12oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 (11 1/2oz) package milk chocolate morsels
1 (10oz) package peanut butter flavored morsels
1 cup butterscotch flavored morsels
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 tsp almond extract
1 lb walnuts, coarsely chopped

~melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven over low heat
~stir in sweetened condensed milk and milk
~add all morsels stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth
~remove from heat
~stir in marshmallow cream and flavorings
~fold in walnuts
~spoon into a buttered 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan
~spread mixture evenly
~chill and cut into squares
~store in refrigerator
~yield: 5 pounds

this is the best tasting fudge, enjoy!

Pennie Mills
Owner, LadiesBlend.com
http://www.ladiesblend.com
On-Line Bath & Body Boutique

CRAFTS

Witch candy holder

Materials
baby food jar
sheet of black construction paper
scissors
hot or tacky glue
2" black pompom
1" tan pompom
2 small orange pompoms
4 tiny pompoms(2 green,1orange,1red)
15"ribbon
4"black twisted craft ribbon
black marker

1.For hat ,use jar lid to trace two circles on construction?  paper, then cut them out. Cut one in half, then roll it into a cone, glue and let dry. Glue cone to other circle and set aside.

2.Glue black pompom to jar lid, then tan pompom to black one.

3.Glue tiny pompoms to head for eyes, nose and mouth. Dot center of eyes with marker.

4.Glue small pompoms to body for buttons.

5.Glue ribbon to jar lid. Tie in bow.

6.Unravel twisted craft ribbon and glue around jar near, but not on the rim.

7.Glue hat to head. Fill jar with candy.

'The Dot Com Woman' Ezine is published by Lata Budhrani, Editor & Contributing Author.

You can send your feedback to feedback@dotcomwomen.com. Send in your short (yes! I mean that!) articles, tips etc. at lata@dotcomwomen.com

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