Comments on: FAQs: Please Help Me!

By: Miki

Miki — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:34:44 +0000

Yeah, email can be a huge time hog.
I had my Outlook email configured to automatically put new email into predefined folders based on who the sender was, and I also had it highlight the messages from my boss and my reports.
There are a few time saving tricks listed in this article:
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4438.html
I used to have a better article but I junked all that stuff when I took my severance last year.
Now that I am back working part time, I may need it again but they haven’t given me e-mail,,, yet!

By: Colleen

Colleen — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:18:26 +0000

Actually, I had a nice lady assistant for awhile, but I just can’t afford one right now. Wagh! I pity me.

By: Torsten Adair

Torsten Adair — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:01:35 +0000

What? You have an email address?!? Let me send you this…

I save up all my questions and ask them whenever I see you at a convention.

As for showing you my ideas, I’ll wait until I get a contract, and then need someone to provide the visuals.

As for stupid questions, well, I’m a librarian who has been using the Internet since back when we had to use ASCII characters to make pictures. I know well enough to do Google and Wikipedia searches.

I a bit surprised that someone has not yet impersonated a celebrity’s assistant.

Speaking of which… why not outsource your generic email address to an online assistant? THEY scan your email each day, send out automated replies when necessary, forward the important ones to your super secret email address located in the monkey house at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and post the crazy ones here for our enjoyment.

By: Colleen

Colleen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:45:27 +0000

Between the paranoia about the Sekrit Cabal, and the paranoia about the mythical blacklist (and I know a few pros with more than their fair share of crackpottery who add to that myth), and the paranoia about having your work stolen, I conclude many of these people don’t need careers in publishing, they need a dose of valium. The anxiety level is off the scale.

We’ve all been ripped off, we’ve all been treated badly. The only way to ensure your work won’t be ripped off is to never show it to anyone. Which is sort of a career ender right there.

By: Arlnee

Arlnee — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:01:38 +0000

Or you want to send me samples, but want me to prove I am the REAL Colleen Doran first, lest I turn out to be a crook who wants to steal their brilliant ideas. That letter was awesome.

OMG yes, yes! “I’m spamming you unsolicited stuff, but first convince me I’m spamming the correct person!”

I can just see the answer that was expected: “Oh yes! How thoughtful of you to think of me to see your unsolicited work for which I have no use and no reason to look at! Where would you like my DNA and credit references sent to for verification?”