One of the worst things about being a freelance writer/editor (apart from never knowing when, or even if, the cheque will arrive, is not knowing if your work has reached its destination or if it has been eaten by cyber-gremlins instead. I do believe these creatures exist. No larger than a flea or a full stop, and coloured toxic green or violent violet, they lurk beneath the keyboard and inside your hard drive. When you press Send, they have just a split second in order to grab your precious megabytes and munch them, with fiendish cackles. Put your ear to your computer: can't you hear the little devils hissing and skreeking?
For months... no, years... I have been trying to impress on my various employers the importance of acknowledging receipt of my work. I always try to beat deadlines. For the last week, I have been editing a 100,000 word novel. The deadline was yesterday. I sent it Tuesday lunchtime, then checked my mail several times hoping for a 'thanks so much for getting it done early' email. Nothing. I emailed asking if they had got it. Still nothing. Now I'm worried that my follow-up email didn't arrive, either, and they are still awaiting my work!
I am currently working on a thriller written by a friend of mine. He is seeing a publisher in a few days' time and wants the first few chapters to give him. Last night, I sent over the 60 pages I had done so far, together with some general editing notes. Did I receive any acknowledgement that they had arrived? What do you think!
I also did some property research for a friend, and sent an email complete with photos and links. Yet again, there has been a deathly silence.
In olden times, I would ring to ask if work had arrived, as a combination of hard copy and snail mail often resulted in problems. But now that all my work is done via email, surely a quick 'Got it, thanks,' would not put the recipient to a lot of trouble, and would be a great relief to me - indeed, to any freelancer. Why should we have to do all the chasing? It's bad enough having to chase the cheque, without having to chase up the work itself and see if it has reached its destination.
Apparently there is something you can set up which tells you if the recipient has opened your email. But why should the onus be on me? Common courtesy costs nothing. Even cyber-gremlins (suggestions for names, please!) can't eat that!
Hello Again!
4 months ago
7 comments:
It is so frustrating when things aren't acknowledged and emails do go astray from time to time so then it becomes a worry. As you say, how long can it take to write "got it, thanks"?
Hog wash. I really do hate it when people don't send receipt of a much-valued email/piece of work. Bastards, the lot of them.
I WAS going to suggest the 'request a read receipt' to you, though. Unfortunately, these are the times we're in (though I find HIGHLY unacceptable! *hrumph*!). You'll just have to /conform/. *shudder* (read my blog to understand my distaste for that word).
xx
I did read it, Perovskia. You made some really good points and I can't understand why you never took a psychology qualification, because your insights are so clear and valid.
I finally had a 'thanks' three days later, but only after I had nagged a lot. I think Perovskia may be right and I should set up that bit of 'it's been read' software.
And I could even expand my rant - I hate (hate, HATE!) it when people don't respond to text messages. Late? No problem, I get people are busy. But never!? It flippin' irritates me!! I could pull my hair out!
I think your hate for unreplied emails is the same as my hate for unreplied texts. It takes two seconds!!!
*sigh*
I find unreplied-to texts happn mainly in romantic situations (!). And that's another subject entirely!
I find they *do* happen in those situations, but for me, not entirely. Which is sad.
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