The Importance of Being Professional

These days, more and more, electronic communications are replacing snail mail. Or, for you older folks, that's what the kids call - letters. Querying agents and managers via email is increasingly the norm - not that snail mail isn't okay, I'm actually one of those superstitious types who feels that an actual letter in the hand is more personal, but I don't know that I can prove it's paid off. But I digress.

So email. We use it constantly in our personal and business lives. But let me tell you something, people, some of you have some pretty crazy email addresses. Hard to spell, hard to pronounce over the phone, easy to mess up and wind up receiving a DELIVERY FAILURE notice, which we all hate.

Now, I'm not encouraging everybody to change their email addresses all at once. No, that would really mess up my email list and yours truly would spend many an afternoon updating. But think about it - if your email address is SillyMilly27@whatever.com it's just not as professional as Milly@whatever.com or MillyJohnson@whatever.com. I have seen emails that just blow my mind, in all seriousness, folks, things like: Michael15llld@whatever.com llld? Or are those ones? And who is this SnowBunny38@whatever.com? Does she sound like a serious writer? Not so much.

In a business in which you have very little time to make a favorable impression, even details like a crazy, hard to spell email address could be a barrier between you and the agent of your dreams. Make it easy and simple for people to contact you.

You may want to set up an email account that is only for your screenwriting career. That way, you don't have to hassle with changing Bupkas337fish@whatever.com for those friends and relatives who think it's cute and who are used to it.

But for an agent or exec squinting at that email address, needing to get ahold of you, it is unprofessional and annoying.

Just food for thought, guys. Make it simple and easy to get hold of you. Put your best foot forward.

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