Those of us using computers to write often do something else of importance: stay connected to others via e-mail.
E-mail is the gift and curse of communication. On the one hand, it is the easiest form of online communication to those across the planet. On the other hand, it is the black hole of time wasters if not handled properly.
There are tons of articles out there on e-mail management; most oriented to business users. But Freelance Switch offers up 10 Essential E-mail Skills for Any Freelancer, and it’s a good article.
My favorite advanced tip: Filter out all but the essential. Most e-mail programs allow for setting up filters on your e-mail. Have a friend that just sends you jokes? Filter it to a different folder so you can look at it later during your non-writing times. Subscribe to so many feeds via e-mail that your regular e-mail is lost in translation? Filter the feeds into a different folder or use a different tool.
E-mail is fun. It can feel like being productive while processing all those e-mails — but it’s not really work. E-mail should be used to market your work. The rest is for fun after the work is done.
What’s your biggest e-mail time waster?
Scot
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