So… Google has tagged me as SPAM

Communications is the key

It might seem obvious, but for whatever reason, it isn't. Occasionally, I get the odd email that actually tells me more about the writer than anything else. And when my spidy-sense kick in, I tend to have one response: "Danger, Judy L Mohr. Danger."

I've written before about how those initial communications with an editor play a big role in the working relationship. I've written on the topic a few times, in fact. And there were a few occasions where I've described how I turned a client down because of it.

In today's post, I want to show you how your messages could easily lead to the incorrect assessment of the situation, which could also have a negative impact on a potential working relationship.

Mailing Lists: Unsubscribe Doesn’t Mean Forgotten

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation for the EU) is now a few years old. As a global internet-based society, we're still trying to get our heads around the implications of the legislation. As a small business owner, I too have been trying to understand. However, over the past few years, I have noticed a few quirks about the way email mailing lists are handled, identifying some of the hidden traps within the systems. There are things that we need to be aware of from both sides of the equation.

The biggest hidden trap is associated with the right to be forgotten. Under the GDPR, if you want your email (and other contact details) to be removed and deleted from a database, you have that right. However, most people assume that just by unsubscribing to a mailing list that is what you're doing.

WRONG! Unsubscribing from a mailing list does not mean that your details have been deleted from the database. Let's delve into this particular issue based on my personal experience.

Save Me From Spam Hell

So, there is this website that is offering something free and you want it. Let's face it, free things are always good — well, most of the time they're good. However, the moment you sign up for that free thing, handing over your email, you know you're going to be giving the owners of that email list permission to send you spam. You don't want that. So, what is a girl to do?

Easy. Use an email specifically intended for nothing but spam.

But for writers, it's not a simple matter of spam versus general communications. You also have administration details, submissions and blog subscriptions. The email inbox of a writer can quickly become a nightmare. Important emails can become buried without you even realizing it.

Do you want to fight the email crazies? Well, here's how.