As I'm sure everyone is aware of, a lot can happen when you give out your email account. Spammers, con artists, and even hackers can use it as a weapon against you. I'm a pretty private person who even keeps her cellphone and home phone numbers close to her vest, so naturally I'm not one to give out an email address to someone I don't know—especially my private email.
That is why I created my mail.com account. I made it especially for my readers to get a hold of me, should they need to contact me for whatever reason. Normally, I welcome all kinds of feedback. But there are just certain things you don't like seeing in your inbox.
Here's a list of ten things that I do not want to see, things that will be deleted before being opened:
- Requests to write a story based off an idea you/someone else has. I have received a bunch of these ever since I've started writing, mostly from friends of mine. It's flattering that people think you're good enough to write their story for them—really, it is. But who better to write your story than you? If you believe your idea is good enough to be transformed into a short story, novella, or even a novel, write it!
- Requests to give feedback on a book/story/idea. I do occasionally read—and give feedback on—certain works from certain individuals. If you're looking for a multitude of opinions from writers just like you, posting your story on a site like fictionpress.net could be a good start. (That's where I began years ago—I won't tell you my old user name!) If a professional opinion is more of what you're looking for, I'm afraid I can't help you, since I'm just an aspiring writer, too. But there are plenty of professionals out there—editors, ghostwriters, etc.—who, for a small fee, can help you polish your work and be a better you. Once I've had a bit more experience in this area, I'll get back with you all on recommendations.
- Requests to borrow/copy my work. I'm not sure why, but I had this come up during my days on fictionpress quite frequently, and I'd like to go ahead and state, “No, I do not condone the my work being used for any reason, under any circumstances, within someone else's work.” Unless I know you personally, in real life, and give special permission, the answer will always be “no.”
- Requests to post my work on a third party site, or in some other form of media. The only one who will post anywhere other than right here, on the blogs under this user name, will be me. Same as above, unless I know you personally and give you special permission, the answer will be no. You can, however, provide a link to my blogs on your site to refer people here.
- Links. I do not accept links of any kind. I never click them for security reasons. Rather, tell me where I can find wherever it is you are wanting me to see and I will find it. I'm pretty handy with the search bar.
- Forwarded/party/group/chain emails. Same as links. These can carry all kinds of viruses, and I always delete them. Same goes for party and group emails sent out to a massive amount of people. I'll only accept these (and links) from people I know personally.
- Attachments. Unless I specifically give you permission to send something to me, I'd appreciate it if no attachments came for the same reason as those listed above.
- Spam. All advertisements/emails promoting a product or service will be deleted. No questions asked.
- Emails intended to personally offend/hurt me. Constructive criticism is okay; welcomed and appreciated, even. I would love to hear what you think about my stories or blogs, and I like people that give recommendations on how to make it better. But there is never any excuse for attacks directed at me as a person. If you do not like me, don't read my stuff, and don't visit my page. Just pretend I don't exist. Simple as that.
- Emails asking for personal information. Do not fish for information such as an address, alternate email, or phone number because I won't give it.
I've probably missed several things, and I'll most likely end up returning to edit it a great deal more as time goes by.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If there are any more questions you may have, not addressed on this page, feel free to email me at megcorpse@writeme.com.
Cordially yours,
Meg