Don't delude yourself: first impressions matter. We judge people by those first few seconds and it is incredibly difficult to change someone's opinion after that judgment has already been made.
"Don't judge a book by its cover." Yet, we do it ALL THE TIME.
There are countless examples where first impressions matter. But the one arena that people tend to forget about is digital communications (email and social media). It has become way too easy to send off emails, treating it like a text message with a friend rather than a business or formal method of communication.
While I can rant until I'm blue in the face about social media interactions, I've already taken the time to look at how one's messages could be a turnoff without even knowing it. Please read that post from last year, because for social media, you need to focus on your target audience and ignore everyone else.
Today, I want to focus on email communications and the hidden messages that exist in those lines of email.
I will be taking examples from some of my communications with prospective clients, paraphrasing and hiding identity of those email writers, but I want to give you some insight into the subtext I garnished from those emails.
Disclaimer: In no way is this post meant to be a shaming post, but rather highlight what sort of thoughts might go through my head about the type of client you will be based on your communications.
It all starts with the inbox.
I have a contact form on my website that places your messages lovingly into my inbox. However, I know from experience that sometimes those contact forms have issues rendering. It's more often than not because someone is blocking the cookies in their browsers, which is why I also share an email address directly on my website.
From that initial communication, and from the email address used to reach me, I know exactly where that communication has come from, be it via social media, referral, or my website. I know how you got my details. And it tells me that you took the time to find my contact details.
To me, this is a good sign, because it means that you are actually interested in potentially working with me—or not.
GDPR grumps and aggressive spam filters... Bah humbug!
So, that communication found in my inbox is something you sparked, giving me the right to respond to you. But I have encountered some who wouldn't even let me respond, even though they initiated the contact.
There are some out there who are GDPR grumps, those who get pissy with you for responding to their email. Folks, if I respond to your questions in your email, I'm still GDPR compliant, because it's communication you initiated. But for the GDPR grumps, the conversation abruptly stops right there. I don't want a client who gets pissy with me because I send them an email.
This leads to another type of client I've given up on a few times now: the ones with aggressive spam filters.
So, you inquire about the services that I offer. I respond with links to my website, pointing you to packages I think you might be interested in. However, I hit send and within 30 minutes I get an email saying that my email was deemed as spam by some spam filter. WTF?
The first time I encountered this, I tried to be accommodating to the aggressive spam filter, but after the fifth email attempt to send the information requested, I just gave up. If that spam filter is too aggressive, will it block my emails with edited manuscripts too? This is not a worry or a headache that I need to have.
I have no issues with those wanting to protect themselves, trying to avoid the viruses and malware, but when that protection moves to paranoid levels… Not happening. So, bye bye, dear prospective client with an aggressive spam filter. Take that aggressive spam filter somewhere else.
The "you're my editor" message with no information about the manuscript
It's great to see that you want to hire my services, but I might not be the editor for you, and with no information about your manuscript, I can't make that judgment.
I get that you might be just randomly emailing from your phone (and yes, I can tell if that initial email came from a phone), but sending me messages with a single line of "I have a book that needs editing," isn't productive. If anything, it tells me you're not ready for editing.
Here's why.
When someone asks you about what it is you write, you need to be able to give others a simple description of your project. Imagine that you have just joined a new writing group and you're in those initial introductions. What do you say?
For myself, something like the following comes out of my mouth:
"Hi. My name is Judy, and I write thrillers of various ilks, including those with fantasy and science fiction bents. I also write non-fiction with a focus on social media and internet security. I'm also a developmental editor, fascinated with how stories are constructed."
Okay, I might say that exactly, but just from that brief exchange, you know if we will find something in common.
Even if you don't know exactly which genre your manuscript might fall in, a brief description of what that manuscript is about can go a long way to telling me if there is even a chance that I might be able to help you edit that manuscript.
There have been situations that have never gone past the initial email because I knew from the genre that I wouldn’t be able to help.
I've had requests from writers of regency romance and those who write Christian fiction. Neither of these genres are something that I work with. I don't read them, and I don't write them. I know what the tropes are, but that's about as far as it goes. I referred those clients to another editor, providing them with contact details. The rest was up to them.
There was a recent case where the email exchange went for a little longer than the initial email, but still, from that initial email, I knew there might be an issue.
I had received this inquiry from a prospective client who was looking for a developmental editor for a literary romantic suspense novel that was 70,000 words, and she was adamant that it was a literary novel. She was querying her novel, but it was constantly being rejected. She wanted another pair of eyes to help her identify why.
Without even looking at her manuscript, I could identify one potential reason (word counts for the given genre). However, from that exchange (which was all of two paragraphs in the original email), I knew the writer was fixated on the literary aspects of the story. While I could help her with the genre aspects of her novel, I wasn't the right editor for her.
I have had communications with those who wanted editing on nonfiction (topics that didn't interest me), others who wanted proofreading only, and from those who were working on assignments for school and needed quotes from editors for those assignments.
Those initial communications are vital, as they dictate how I'm to respond.
"I fired my last editor" email
I haven't had one of these—yet—but I see comments about them in my various editor groups.
There could be a legitimate reason why you're now seeking another editor. You could have had creative differences, and you didn't agree with much of what they were suggesting. It happens. But if you badmouth another editor, it will leave a sour taste in my mouth.
Don't get me wrong, I grumble all the time about the crazy things I see in manuscripts, but I keep those grumbles to myself. If I talk to others about your manuscript, it's always without your name attached, and it's because I'm seeking advice and insight from others who are more experienced in particular areas than I am.
Saying that, if you have worked with an editor before, it is good to know.
Advice for that initial email
Every editor wants different information before quoting on a project. The editor will follow up your initial inquiry with questions of their own, narrowing things down, and each editor has their own process for this. However, in that initial inquiry, here are a few suggestions on what to include as a minimum.
- Genre:
- This need not be super specific, but if I was to find your book in a bookstore, what section do I go to?
- Age category:
- Are you writing a children's book, young adult, or adult? Trust me, a crime story written for children is an entirely different beast to something written for adults.
- 1-2 sentences describing your story or project (optional, but ideal):
- This is not vital to include, because an editor will either ask pen-pointed questions regarding this, or they'll get it from the materials you send them, but it is handy to know if the topic is something that might be a trigger for an editor. For example, if the novel deals with the death of a loved one, the editor might not be in the right head space to edit that work because of their own personal reasons.
- As a side note, for me, no topic is taboo. I have zero issues with the dark sides of society. If your story gives me the heeby-geebies, you will make me smile because of it.
- Word counts:
- Am I looking at a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel? As I have mentioned before, those word counts when combined with the genre can tell me a lot about your style of writing.
- Any areas of concern within your manuscript (optional, but handy):
- If there is anything in particular that you would like feedback on, mention it.
- The editor should be working on the manuscript as a whole, but if there is a particularly sticky section that you want examined, they can give that section extra attention.
- If there is something within your writing style that you want particular feedback on, tell the editor that too.
- You're paying for feedback on your writing. Get the attention where you feel you need it.
- Production plans (optional, but handy):
- Are you looking at self-publication or traditional roads? Do you have any deadlines you're working towards?
- This particular aspect will be important for scheduling work. Some editors fill up their editorial calenders months in advance. They might not be able to slot you in when you need the work done.
Remember to be polite and professional. Those initial communications will tell the editor what type of client you will likely be to work with, so make sure you give the editor a good first impression.