I get a lot of spam. I get porn spam, mortgage spam, medicine spam, get-a-degree spam, software spam, virus spam, get-rich-quick spam, new job spam, website spam, and even green eggs and spam. Hundreds and hundreds of spams every day. Spam that makes my skin crawl, and spam that makes me wonder how stupid they can possibly think I am.
So I delete a lot of spam. And, unfortunately, ‘real’ emails get caught up as civilian casualties in my ongoing Inbox war.
Comparatively, my Inbox is tame. The art directors and publishers you might be trying to contact get thousands of spam e-mails.
Your goal? To get your e-mail noticed and read in that overwhelming Inbox. To help you achieve this goal, I give you a brief listing of good ways to avoid having your e-mail mistakenly deleted.
Spam Filters
Before I get a chance to wade through my e-mails, they go through a spam filter. I have mine set to leave anything it deems spam in my inbox, but to mark it with a [SPAM] in the subject line. If your genuine email gets tagged as [SPAM], chances are nearly 100% that I will delete the message unread. Many high-volume email recipients simply let those messages be deleted automatically.
You don’t want to look like spam and get caught in a spam filter!
Very simple spam filters can be set to blacklist (reject any e-mail from a particular URL) or whitelist (allow e-mail only from specified URLs). There’s not much you can do about getting around these spam filters except keep your reputation clean.
More intelligent spam filters use many different factors to determine if an e-mail is spam, and give an e-mail points based on several different categories. Primarily, they check the subject lines, and are generally set to narrow in on specific subject line keywords, like sexual terms, or drug names. Some spam filters also give an e-mail ‘points’ for other features, like having too many names in the address line. If you have an e-mail to send to many different people, it might be quicker to list all their names in the “to” line, but it isn’t as safe.
Subject Line
I delete nearly all the messages I get that have no subject. After months and months of opening subject-less e-mail and finding nothing but spam, I ceased to read any e-mails without subject lines unless I immediately recognized who they came from.
Don’t allow your subject line to be too vague, either. I also delete anything that is general: “Hi.” “How are you?” “Please Respond.” “Urgent.”
Be utterly specific and to the point: “Artist Guidelines’”; “Fantasy Artist Looking for Submission information”; “Question about Art Submissions for EMG’”-these are things that will catch my eye. Using the name of the company you are writing to is useful.  Most people can pick their own name out of a sea of text without trouble.
Messages with tags like “Curious about your products,’” “Shipping query,’” or “Business questions’” I will open, but others may not, since these are common spam headers. The more generic your subject line, the worse the chances of your e-mail getting the attention it should.
Don’t get overenthusiastic. Tagging your email ‘Important!! Open and read immediately!’ is too vague, and is often used by spammers.
Don’t tag your subject with a RE: unless it actually is a reply. Using RE: to fool you into thinking an e-mail is a reply to one of your own e-mails is a common spammer technique, intended to lull you into opening an email. If I get any RE: message without recognizing the sender or the subject, I often delete it unread.
From Line
Several times, in the previous section, I have mentioned recognizing the sender. Having a “from” line that is accurate, properly capitalized, and is not a pseudonym or obscure nickname is like a get-out-of-jail-free card. A questionable e-mail stands a chance of being read if it has a vaguely recognizable ring to the sender name.
Having a blank “from” line is a black mark, which lessens one’s chances of being read drastically. Having an e-mail address as the “from” field, as is usually the default setting on an email account, is a neutral mark. The exception to this is that e-mails containing random letters and numbers, instead of words or names, tend to set off warning bells.
Nonsense “from” lines (”euwioreqqq,” “fjdiiillll”) are often randomly generated by spam makers, and they run a high risk of being deleted.
Attachments and Viruses
In this age of viruses and worms, opening unknown attachments is a risk. I have made it clear in all of my contact information that I will delete any e-mails with attachments unread, and many companies have a similar policy. Unless you receive specific instruction to the contrary, never, ever send unsolicited attachments.
Being from someone you know does not automatically ensure a safe attachment. If I am not expecting an attachment from someone, I will not open it–but at least I’ll still read the e-mail!
Use Forms
The safest way to contact someone is to use a contact form on their webpage. Generally, these messages are sent with a recognizable subject and/or sender, and they can easily be filtered into a safe folder.
Follow-up
Even if you do everything right, the more prevalent spam becomes, the greater the chances that your e-mail will get lost in it. If you haven’t heard from the recipient in a reasonable amount of time, send a follow-up query.
Summary
An e-mail gets into my Inbox.
Automatically, it has a 5% chance of being noticed and read.
If the subject line doesn’t contain words like “Viagra”, “stock market”, “mortgage”, or “degree”, and isn’t obviously trying to sell me something, it jumps to having a 30% chance of being read.
If it has a real person’s name on the “from” line, that chance increases to 50%. (NB:Â Horacious D. Bodypart is not considered a real name.)
If it also has no attachments, it has a 70% chance of being read.
If it also has a general subject that could relate to me, it has a 90% chance of being read.
If it has a subject so specific it’s unlikely to be aimed at anyone but me in particular, it has a 99% chance of being read.
Increase your chances of having your important e-mail read by using some of these simple techniques!
By Ellen Million
http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com
