лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл USING THE SHAREWARE MAILING LIST DATABASE лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл Please read this ENTIRE file prior to using the database. It will provide basic information and some clever tips you may find useful. The database file supplied with this package (DATABASE.EXE) is updated FREQUENTLY by the author. Register to receive the LATEST disk prior to beginning your mailing campaign. Shareware distributors, computer clubs and BBS systems change addresses and phone numbers rapidly! You can thus avoid a large number of returned envelopes and out of date information! On average, I find more than 130 entries added/changed every few weeks! Many clubs and distributors call me or send postcards with updates as they move or change telephone numbers. Several software authors who initially decided to use an old copy of this package without first registering and receiving an update disk have told me they wasted more postage expense on old addresses than the low initial registration cost of this package. Please support the shareware concept! The database mailing list is supplied in a self-extracting file. The file contained on this disk, DATABASE.EXE, will unpack to produce a dBase III format file. The file is large and is best unpacked onto a hard drive. To unpack the file, once you have safely copied it onto your hard drive into the same subdirectory or area as your database, simply execute the command: лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл C>DATABASE produces dBase format file: DATABASE.DBF NOTE! DATABAS2.EXE is a self-extracting file of BAD AND NO LONGER ACTIVE ADDRESSES. Useful for those maintaining their own lists and wishing to delete known bad addresses. Unpack this list with the command: C>DATABAS2 produces the dBase format file: DATABAS2.DBF лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл The file has "live data" already inserted and ready for you to import into your database. The data consists of lists of computer clubs which maintain shareware libraries, commercial shareware distributors and BBS systems. The list of organizations within the database is the "target audience" for your software mailing or BBS upload campaign. The primary database is retained in Borland's Reflex V2.0 (tm) which can export to MANY popular formats as well as dBase III. You should have a database product to use this data. This package contains a dBase III file which can be loaded into products such as dBase, PC-File, Wampum, Rbase, Reflex and other popular database packages which accept or translate and import a dBase III file. A hard drive is suggested, but the author can supply the file in smaller portions suitable for floppy drive systems. If you do not use or understand database software, I can make available small, simple packages which allow you to use the data with Wordperfect (tm), or popup the data for editing and printing (see file GOODIES.TXT on this disk.) Alternatively I can print labels for you or prepare a simple ASCII file (see file REGISTER.TXT on this disk.) Write the author of this package if you need an unusual format or prefer an ASCII text file version which can also be imported into many database products. For those not having a hard drive, a special "multi- part" database file is available which can be used with floppy systems. The shareware database program PC-FILE (tm) offers a mailing label generator and may be attractive if you have not as yet selected a database package. The label generator within PC-FILE is a separate file (PCLABEL.EXE), use the command C>PCLABEL . The label generator is discussed in detail within the PC-FILE main program documentation. Next, let's look at an example record within the database: лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл DATABASE RECORD EXAMPLES лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл TYPE: D RATING: A DATE REVISED: 9/11/90 ------------------------------------------------------------ COMPANY: PC-SIG FIRSTNAME: RICHARD LASTNAME: PETERSEN ADDRESS: 1030D EAST DUANE AVENUE CITY: SUNNYVALE STATE: CA ZIP: 94086 POSITION: PRESIDENT ------------------------------------------------------------ DAY TEL: BBS TEL: FAX TEL: TOLLFREE ORDER TEL: 800/245-6717 ------------------------------------------------------------ REMARKS1: One of the largest, excellent author support. REMARKS2: Top quality catalog, library on CD ROM. ------------------------------------------------------------ PRINT?: LABELTOP: AUTHOR SUBMISSIONS & UPDATES AFFILIATION: ASP лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл A few field names deserve special examination. The TYPE field is a simple entry code: D=DISTRIBUTOR, F=FOREIGN DISTRIBUTOR OR CLUB, C=COMPUTER CLUB, B=BBS SYSTEM, M=MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER WRITER, A=ASP KEY CONTACT PERSON. RATING field: A = PREFERRED status. B = COMMENDABLE status. C = ACCEPTABLE status or PENDING FURTHER RESEARCH. лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл The PRINT? field can be used by yourself to mark selected entries prior to printing. The DATE REVISED field is the date the record was last updated or created. My favorite use of the data fields for mailing label production is to use the LABELTOP as the first line, COMPANY as the second line, ADDRESS as the third, and finally CITY, STATE and ZIP on the final line(s). Add the FIRSTNAME and LASTNAME to the LABELTOP field if you have a name in the name(s) field. Next, a sample printout of a portion of the database file in final mailing label format which might give you an idea of the "live data" inside the database as well as consideration of the final mailing label format: AUTHOR SUBMISSIONS & UPDATES COMPUTER HUT 1825-F1 TAMIAMI TR. PORT CHARLOTTE FL 33948 SHAREWARE LIBRARY SUBMISSION FOG POB 3474 DALY CITY CA 94015 AUTHOR SUBMISSIONS & UPDATES DISK COUNT DATA PO Box 36 Lake Hamilton AR 71951 SHAREWARE LIBRARY SUBMISSION CAPITOL PC USERS GROUP 4520 EAST-WEST HWY, STE 550 BETHESDA MD 20814 AUTHOR SUBMISSIONS & UPDATES PC ARCADE 276 MOREHOUSE RD. EASTON CT 06612 лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл MARKETING AND TARGETED USE OF THE DATABASE лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл Just as there are many different types of shareware packages and authors, there are many ways of using the database mailing list. Prior to printing mailing labels you might wish to sort the database by type or by rating to examine the data for interesting trends. Some authors may prefer to sort the database by RATING and mail exclusively to the "A" rated vendors or BOTH the "A" and "B" rated vendors. This can be EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE. You could mail to only "A" rated distributors but not computer clubs to save postage. You might also wish to sort by the type code which will allow you to separate out certain classes of vendors for consideration. This is very useful to allow you to mail your software to only computer clubs or distributors, if you wish. Other shareware authors may wish to mail only to vendors within their state or possibly only computer clubs. If you are on a tight budget, I might suggest mailing to only the ASP disk vendors (sort or search on the affiliation field in the database.) This will narrow your mailing down to some the the largest, if not most reputable vendors. Other unusual mailings might involve sorting mailing labels by zip code or by state. Yet another way to use the database is to import the list and then ADD additional custom fields yourself to track response time by the distributor, date you mailed your shareware, name of key contact person or even a tracking field to show you which distributor has higher registration response for your package judging by registrations from that state, city or county. Some shareware authors may wish to add field(s) describing particular distributor specialization (e.g., bible shareware, graphics images or application packages.) I have carefully added a field showing the date the database entry was revised or listed in the database, so if you wish to examine or append the latest updates to the list, sort on the date field and you will locate the latest revisions which need to be added to your list. Most database products will let you append a similar file to an existing file. Thus you may add to your list or simply start over with the newer, larger and revised list from my quarterly update. If an entry has a new phone number, rating or other update, the date field will be changed in my master listing so you can always spot changes by sorting on the date field! As a final cost saving note, consider printing your mailing labels on ordinary paper, two or three labels wide, cutting them out with a paper cutter and attaching them to your disk mailers with a glue stick. For small mailings, this isn't terribly tedious and will save you money compared to purchasing gummed labels. лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл ABOUT THE DATABASE RATING SYSTEM лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл The rating system for each entry in the database listing is very simple to sort, use and understand in maintaining your direct mail campaign. Each entry receives a rating of A, B or C. A rating of A is PREFERRED status. A rating of B is COMMENDABLE status. A rating of C is ACCEPTABLE status or PENDING FURTHER RESEARCH. Affiliation with a professional group if noted means membership in the ASP (Association of Shareware Professionals (tm) or other trade group as noted. Ratings of shareware distributors are based on a variety of factors in approximately the following priority (highest to lowest): evidence of registration volume, evidence of customer volume, volume of direct mail and national magazine advertising, quality and size of catalog, degree of feedback and support to AUTHORS, years in business, professional trade affiliations, telephone support, multiple offices/sales locations, BBS support, promptness of shipments, refund policy, reporting of sales volumes to authors and other criteria. I also consider requests by vendors for extreme discounts on registered packages and overt requests for advertising revenues or other solicitations of money or exclusive distribution rights from authors by a vendor as negative factors. In general a high rating may indicate a high volume of customers and thus a more attractive distributor to whom a shareware author might wish to submit software. The rating does not in any way provide an endorsement and as such is is offered only as a SUGGESTION. The purpose of this software package is to serve shareware authors as a primary concern. If a rating does not seem appropriate, contact SMS. лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл INVITATION TO DISTRIBUTORS AND COMPUTER CLUBS лллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл A listing in the main database should ensure you will receive frequent mailings and updates of shareware - a good thing in our relatively young industry. Please submit update information if you move, change telephone numbers or cease business. Unlisted distributors and clubs are encouraged to submit a catalog or newsletter and detailed letter ON DISK (ASCII format) explaining helpful evaluation factors if they wish to be added to or revised in the database. The reason I would like the detailed letter on disk is that I may more easily insert those comments directly into the remarks field of the database if I determine this is helpful to shareware authors.