Like most folks, I suffer under the weight of an inbox that never empties. I'm not sure that tech journalists get more emails than any other professions do, but we seem to be a bunch of whiny bitches about it, and as folks who email us really do want something in return -- ya know, a story -- it makes sense, I guess, that we get to set some ground rules and offer some recommendations about what works and what doesn't work for getting our attention.
I Hate Email
I receive hundreds of emails a day, although admittedly I filter the ones that go to [email protected] directly into a folder that I sometimes glance at but more often simply mark all as read.
But even the messages addressed directly to me stack up. I'm not always fast to read them, and if it's not a conversation (in other words, if it's just a pitch), I'm even slower to respond.
Even though I tend to use my email inbox as a "to do" list, of sorts, sending me an email doesn't guarantee that you're "in." There are far better ways to catch my attention -- to send me a tip, to pitch me a story, to connect and communicate with me -- particularly if we have never spoken before. (Of course, if we have talked before and I've dropped the ball on a story, I'm sorry. You should pester me. Just not, maybe, via email.)
Alternatives to Email
Despite my loathing of email, I do spend my day tuned in to a multitude of other digital communications: RSS and Twitter primarily. And that's where I tend to get most of my story ideas. So blog and tweet -- that's your best bet for catching my attention.
Follow me on Twitter. Have an interesting bio -- particularly one that addresses my main interests and beats -- and I'll follow back. @ me, and you'll find I often respond.
CC me on a tweet, particularly one that links to a good blog post. I'm always adding new blogs to my feeds. Unlike my propensity to mark all read in email, I don't often do that in Google Reader. I'm more likely to give a cursory read to at an update to your blog (or better yet, save it to read in full later) than I am to glance at an email.
Use the contact forms here on this blog and on Hack Education. That shows me you've taken the 30 seconds or so that it takes to do a little bit more research about who I am (hopefully) than simply blasting out mass emails to every technology journalist in your Rolodex.
Know My Beat
I care deeply about education. If you are an ed-tech company, particularly a startup, I want to talk to you.
My background is in academia: politics, literature and folklore. So if you're working with e-readers, digital and cultural literacy, storytelling and/or social change, I'm interested in hearing about your projects.
I'm a big supporter of open source. I have a long history of activism and involvement in social justice movements. And I want to support women in technology and women entrepreneurs. Fall into one of those buckets, and hey, let's chat.
That isn't to say that if you don't fall into one of those topics that I don't care. But please, pay attention to what I cover, (or what ReadWriteWeb covers), and don't pitch me on stories that demonstrate you have no idea who I am or what I do. Don't think that because I'm a girl that I want to write about fashion. Check how many times I've written about dating apps or funny kitty videos. No really, go on. Check.
A Special Note to Teachers and Students and Political Activists
Contact me anytime.