Get help from the pros! One nice thing about email marketing is the "we are all in this together" spirit that has prevailed from the very beginning. Help in this channel is never too far away-- iMedia Connection, of course, being the perfect example.
Another terrific resource is the newly created Email Experience Council, which is made up of the industry's best and brightest. I encourage you to get to know them better. They do wonderful work such as helping the email efforts of The Ryan Andrew Kaiser Memorial Foundation (which gives financial aid to families with critically ill children). And, yes, by all means sign up for their newsletter!
Additional resources:
Read the iMedia Connection review of Michael Mayor's book: "Sign Me Up: A Marketer's Guide To Creating Email Newsletters That Build Relationships & Boost Sales."
More iMedia Connection email essentials: