Did you even notice?

Admit it, you've done this

Hi and happy Friday,

I got some interesting email this week.

The first one had the subject line: “Admit it, you’ve done this.”

When I opened the email, she said “admit it, you’ve deleted my emails without even opening them.”

Guilty as charged. I had deleted some of her emails without opening them.

We all do it. Life gets busy, work gets busy and the infernal inbox growth gets out of hand. So we start deleting stuff when it gets to be too much. It’s not 1995 anymore and getting email isn’t a novelty like it used to be.

The second email had the subject: “Are you going to follow through?”

It was from an author I read. She’d convinced her publisher to let her give a bunch of books away at 99 cents in return for a review. Except, 75% of the people who got the book at 90% off didn’t bother to leave a review. Only 25% of takers left a review.

Ouch. I’m sure the publisher is not impressed.

Here’s the kicker. I wasn’t one of the people who got the deal. I’m in Canada. The deal was USA only because shipping cross-border costs more.

Clearly, she didn’t have a separate list of who got the deal, so she sent the follow up to her full list hoping the people it’s intended for will follow through. They won’t.

Both of those have the same root…

Know who’s most likely to delete emails without reading them? Everyone does it some time, but people who just signed up to get a freebie do it most often.

Same problem caused the second email, too.

Anyone who wanted to get a bestselling author’s new book for 99 cents instead of full retail will promise a review. Saying and doing are different animals. They were more interested in the deal than the author.

I felt really sad for her. Pity she didn’t offer the deal only to her most loyal or responsive readers. It would have worked out better in the long run.

Did you even notice?

Normally I send this email on Friday mornings. But Thursday was foobar and I ran out of time. My own fault. So I’m late, but not absent. :)

I wonder if you even noticed that I wasn’t in your inbox this morning. Lots didn’t. Unlike the author who gave away free books and didn’t get the promised reviews, I do know who signed up, and have never opened an email since. Most are the people who signed up when I was offering Medium tips as a freebie for signing up.

When my book is ready, they won’t be offered a review copy.
You will, though. So, thanks for being you.

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"Life is trying things to see if they work." -Ray Bradbury

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Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

xo,
Linda