Microsoft Money Import Handler

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Admin
Microsoft Money Import Handler

Microsoft Money Import Handler

From the best-selling novelist to the occasional contributor of readers' letters, one thing unites successful writers - an obsession with the mail. Whether it's a rush to catch the last collection before deadline day or a nervous wait for that self-addressed envelope to drop on the mat, the postal system is a critical tool for the successful freelance writer. While this guide to getting the most from post and email services won't improve your writing it could increase your chances of success. If no one sees your work it isn't going to get published.

The correct way to send submissions to editors

  • Use the right postage. If an editor receives mail with inadequate postage, it is likely to go straight back in the mailbox - unread. Current US postal charges are available at USPS or at Royal Mail for UK rates. Consider investing in a cheap set of scales or use your kitchen scales to weigh your letters in advance.
  • Include a self-addressed, correctly stamped envelope with submissions and any other correspondence that requires a reply. This is the accepted procedure for successful writers and failure to provide one is likely to put you in a negative light. Save money by using Second Class rates on return envelopes. The reply may take weeks so an extra day won't matter.
  • Write the name of the publication/agent in small letters on the back of the stamped, self-addressed envelope. When it comes back you will be able to see who it is from before opening the envelope. This helps to reduce the tension in that horrible moment when you are opening the letter.
  • Use appropriately sized envelopes to submit your work . While most editors will accept A4 paper folded once, heavily creased pages that are hard to read will not be welcomed. The quality of the envelope is not important - the editor probably won't even see it, so recycle where possible.
  • When sending your book proposal to a large publishing house, find out the name of the relevant contact and address the envelope 'Personal and Confidential'. This might help to get your letter nearer the top of the editor’s slush pile.
  • Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard (or stuck down envelope) with a competition entry if you need reassurance that it has been received. Write on it something like 'acknowledgement of receipt'. Competition organisers will often be willing to put this back in the post to you.
  • Request a Certificate of Posting at your Post Office if you need a record of when you sent an item. This service is free of charge and although it won't cover any loss, it will prove that you posted something on a particular day, for example, when a deadline was missed due to postal delays. Keep a copy of everything you post in case it does go astray.
  • Save time by using USPS Click-N-Ship to buy and print shipping labels online. For very heavy users in the UK, SmartStamp software allows you to print stamps directly from your desktop but there is a monthly fee on top of the usual postage costs. A free demonstration is available at Royal Mail.
  • Use email to cut down on postage costs wherever possible. Most editors now embrace this form of contact. Don't forget to keep copies of all correspondence just as you would with conventional letters.
  • Keep your antivirus software up to date if you submit work via email. Your chances of acceptance will not be enhanced by sending the editor an infected file. Also avoid using keywords that might cause your email to get caught in a spam filter.
  • Keep a dated record of all correspondence and log all outgoing and incoming mail. Specialised tracker software is available for this purpose but any generic spreadsheet tool such as Microsoft Excel (or a notebook and pen) does the job just as well.
  • Walk to the post box. If you can build this into your writing routine it will give you a break from your desk, a bit of exercise and perhaps an opportunity for inspiration to strike.

Pitfalls to avoid when sending submissions to editors

Don't do this:

  • Sit behind the front door waiting for the mail to arrive or get into the habit of checking for emails every ten seconds. This is hard for new writers but a lesson that all successful freelancer writers learn. Try to concentrate on the next piece of writing and submit as often as possible. With lots of pieces of work in circulation there is always room for hope even when you do receive a rejection.
  • Use brightly coloured stationery. Cute stickers and homemade gifts (yes it really happens) should also be avoided. Stay professional at all times.
  • Staple sheets of paper together. Editors hate them unless they have applied them themselves - often to rejection slips. Stapled sheets might be returned unread.
  • Use slang or text language in an email. Keep the content as formal and business-like as you would in a letter.
  • Email large file attachments such as photographs without checking with the editor first. If the recipient has a slow Internet connection they won't thank you for overloading it.

Applying this simple set of rules will ensure you correspond effectively with editors and maximise your chances of publication success.