First Impressions:
Developing a Professional Cyber Image
by Kelly Huckaby

As the Webmaster for SPIRIT-LED WRITER magazine, I've had the privilege of seeing what goes on behind-the-scenes as I've worked on various aspects of publication design, website management, and content acquisition. I'm truly blessed to be able to work with writers at different stages in their careers. It's quite satisfying to know I've been able to help them navigate the waters of publication, even if just a little. Through the years I've corresponded with hundreds of writers, touched-up numerous photos, and edited many bios. Hopefully, I've helped new writers feel less intimidated, and seasoned writers feel welcomed back, when they submit material. And, I hope they've benefited from my advice concerning writing for Internet publications. Here I share some of that advice as it relates to email addresses and photographs. Keep the following in mind the next time you work with an Internet magazine.

FuzzyBunny2007 — Who Are You?

Your email address is an essential part of your cyber image. It either opens or jams publication doors, as it's the first impression editors receive when they pull up their email. That is true whether you've met at a conference, or you're submitting a query for the first time. In order to make the appropriate impression, therefore, you need an effective email address.

Five to ten years ago people were encouraged to have a generic email address. Women, especially, were discouraged from using their names within their addresses. This sparked the creation of vague addresses like newhope@WhoevermyISPis.com and JDZ5489@WhoevermyISPis.com. While these were very generic, non-gender-specific addresses, they also were unprofessional. Editors could not, at a glance, determine the sender, and often deleted the related emails without opening. Today, with the proliferation of junk mail, editors sill remain wary about such generic emails. Furthermore, filters often dump such emails into spam or trash folders. Obviously, that's not what you want to happen.
 

Use the following three tips to ensure your legitimate queries and submissions aren't lost in cyberspace:

1. Use an identifiable email. An editor is more likely to open an email from Bob@imafamouswriter.com than one from Bob@Hotmail.com. So, if you have your own website, use an email address associated with that.
   
   If you don't have a website, choose a variation of your name, or your "brand," for your address. SportsWriterBob is more business-like than PublicFamily452, but the best choice would be to use your name, RobertLPublic, for instant recognition.
    
2. Configure your settings. Be sure your email program is set up correctly. Send yourself an email and see what shows in the "from" line. Does it show your email address, or your name? I recommend configuring your program to show your name. When editors skim their inboxes, they look at names and subject lines (see next tip). With a legitimate, business-sounding name, your email is less likely to be sent to the junk file, and more likely to be opened. (See sidebar.)
    
Identify your subject. Keep your subject line concise and specific. Don't just say "hello" as that's too brief and too generic, and many email viruses often include that term. Instead, identify the subject of your query or submission. Article Query or Parenting article submission is better than a blank subject line for queries or submissions. For a status check, use a subject line similar to Query Status. If you have a question, use Submission Question.
 

Configuring Email Settings

If you're using Outlook or Outlook Express as your email browser, follow these steps:

1. Click on Tools
2. Choose Email Accounts on the next screen
3. Highlight the account you wish to adjust and click Change
4. Under User Information:
   • Your Name – Fill in your name or "brand" here
   • Email Address – Fill in your email address here
5. Click Next
6. Click Finish

Other programs generally work in the same manner. Look for words like Settings or Options if you don’t find Tools. Check your program’s "Help" feature if needed.

Think of your email address as a name tag. When analyzed against the above, is yours appropriate? If not, use it for emails between family and friends, but develop a more professional one for business purposes.

Picture That

You've pitched your query, it's been accepted, and you've submitted the final article. Now you're ready to sit back and wait for it to be published. Then you receive an email from the editor or webmaster asking for a photo and bio. If you are unable to find a recent, decent photo of yourself, it's time to create one. Make sure you take more than one photo, then choose the best one. Here are a few tips to make those photos picture perfect:

1. Use Color. Most publications do not want black-and-white photos. So, wear a color that makes you look good. If you're not sure, navy blue or black usually works. Avoid prints, stripes and plaids. You want to keep the focus on your face, not your clothing.
    
2. Cover up. Wear long sleeves so your arms are not visible. This assures that the center of attention is your face, the only skin showing.
    
3. Focus on You. Be sure the person taking the picture fills the frame with your head and shoulders. Readers want to see your smiling face, not the house behind you.
    
4. Match Your Surroundings. Use a backdrop that complements your clothing. Try hanging a sheet over a bookcase or use trees for a background. (But, make sure the photo is taken at an angle where foliage, especially, doesn't seem to be growing out of your ears or head.) Many digital cameras have a portrait setting that automatically blurs the background, which keeps your face as the point of interest.
    
5. Avoid Sunlight. For outdoor shots, plan to take the shot about two hours after the sun comes up, or two hours before it goes down, and always just inside the edge of the shade. Having the sun on your face can cause shadows or squinty eyes.
    
6. Reposition Yourself. If you are a naturally squinty person (eyes squint whenever you smile) slightly tilt your head down, and look upward. This will force your eyes to open more.
    
7. Don't Even Ask! Over the years, a number of writers, after seeing their photo on line, have emailed asking to submit a new photo. Unfortunately, SPIRIT-LED WRITER, like most Internet magazines, operate similar to print publications: What you provide at "press time" (barring any editorial mistakes), is what you get. Hence, the need to ensure your picture is perfect at time of submission.

For five more tips on taking photos, see the side bar in Catherine Tully's article, "Digital Photography for the Writer" in our February issue.

Save the photo as a .jpg, .gif, or .tff file, which are the easiest photo files to work with. Consider saving three different sizes of the same shot, so you'll be prepared for whatever sizes websites need. Also, check the site where you've submitted your work. If the guidelines don't state what size your photo should be, right-click on a few of the photos to see the related widths and heights. Here at SPIRIT-LED WRITER I aim for a width of 140 pixels or less.

Finally, when submitting to the editor or webmaster, state in the body of your message that your photo is attached as many editors and their staffs will not open an unsolicited email with an attachment.

Leave A Good Impression

My mom always told me to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, and this holds true in the writers' world, too. Show respect for the publication and those involved in its production. Make the staff's jobs easier: Use an appropriate email address, and submit useable photographs. Even if they don't thank you, they will appreciate the extra effort. Plus, if you've been pleasant to work with in the past, they'll look forward to working with you again.