5: Publishers Negotiate through E-Mail

#5: Publishers Negotiate through E-Mail

We "nerds" rely on e-mail much more than "normal" people do. We type at each other in IRC, we debate on ICQ, and sometimes we e-mail each other when we're within speaking distance. This works fine for us, but it's often detrimental when it comes to talking to, and especially negotiating with, a publisher.

The simple rule is, "never negotiate through e-mail." Pick up the telephone or arrange to speak face to face. E-mail is an impersonal way of communicating, good for conveying technical facts but embarrassingly bad for conveying the nuances of personality. When negotiating, these nuances matter as much as (and possibly more than) the words being spoken.

When you communicate with a publisher, use your voice as your primary communication device, backed up by e-mail. However, do not assume that publishers always return telephone calls. Most of the time they do, but everyone gets busy, forgets, or accidentally deletes someone's contact information, so err on the side of safety and don't be afraid to pick up the telephone just to ask "how's it going?"

Don't overdo it, however. Use good judgment, as if you were looking for a job. When in doubt, just ask the persons on the other end of the line when you should contact them next, and then don't call them back until then.