Staying on Top of All the Email
By Rebecca Matter

“You’ve got mail!”

I remember hearing that phrase when I first signed up for AOL a long time ago.

And later, it was made famous in the movie You’ve Got Mail when the character Kathleen Kelly describes the anticipation of receiving email from a friend …

“I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail.”

Back in the day, those three little words were exciting to hear when you sat down to your computer.

Today, on the other hand, with the number of emails we receive on a daily basis, that phrase can raise our pulse and give us a feeling that we’re drowning in a sea of information.

How are you expected to stay on top of it all?

For years, I struggled to manage my overflowing inbox, trying to keep up with news in the industry, marketing tips from the experts, and the latest health and fitness trends that would help me live a healthy life long into the future.

But as with most aspects of my life, I ultimately developed a set of best practices to help me keep up and reduce the level of anxiety caused by my “addiction” to information.

Now, I’m not talking about emails in general – I’m talking about all the subscription services you’ve signed up for. (Although I do have some best practices for managing your other emails. Like I told you earlier this week, I’m a huge fan of best practices!)

You probably get a few emails from AWAI each day, especially if you’re part of a membership group or any interactive training programs. And I’d wager to guess that AWAI’s e-letters and services aren’t the only ones you subscribe to.

I personally subscribe to at least 25 e-letters and services that mail me content on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. And that adds up to a lot of extra emails!

So to make sure it doesn’t consume me, I’ve come up with some best practices for managing it all …

First things first, separate all subscription services and e-letters into special folders in your mailbox.

Organizing your inbox is an important task to keeping on top of things. Start by creating folders that organize your e-letters and subscriptions either by topic or by purpose.

For example, I have a folder where all of my health and fitness tips and advice go. And another folder where my copywriting and marketing publications are filed.

That way, when I actually sit down to read, my mind is already prepared for the topic, and I’m not jumping from the latest cardio routine to a strategy on how to close clients faster.

Next, schedule time each day for reading this content.

Have you ever had one of those days where you were so busy all day, but at the end of the day, you had nothing substantial to show for it?

Email can contribute to that very easily, so it’s best to schedule a time to read your subscription content. That way, you don’t use it as a distraction, you’re conscious of how much time you’re spending reading, and you’re mindful of your time.

I literally set a timer for reading my subscriptions. When the buzzer goes off, the emails and folder get closed and I go back to my day. If I don’t finish the day’s emails, I know they’ll still be there tomorrow!

Of course, at this point, my best practices have only helped you organize your content so that it doesn’t take over your day and life. So, next we’ll tackle getting through it all faster …

When you open the email, scan it and decide whether it’s worth reading.

Even though all the content is well organized, you still have the issue of staying on top of it all. Your next step is to quickly evaluate the content and see if it’s worth your valuable time.

Open the email and give it a quick scan. Is the content relevant to you? For example, if you’ve chosen the business-to-business niche, and the email is about writing a 20-page sales letter, it may not be all that useful to you. If that’s the case, delete it, put it in another folder, or mark it as a low priority and come back to it another day. That way, you can focus your attention on the content that will benefit you most.

As a freelancer and/or business owner, it’s important that you always value your time. And sometimes your time is much more important than the email you’re reading. It’s okay not to read every email. (Unless, of course, it’s from me.)

Once you’ve read the things that are relevant, sort them once again when finished.

Many pieces of content can be read once and discarded. They serve their purpose in a single read.

Yet other things you read will be very useful in the future, like how-to pieces, inspirational or motivational stories, and examples of copy that you may be able to use in the future on a project.

If that’s the case, you’ll want to file it away when you’re done reading it so that you’ll be able to access it again when needed. But at the same time, you’ll want to get it out of your “to be read” folders.

Some samples of ways to organize content include:

1. Will help me achieve the writer’s life.
2. Is interesting and may benefit me in the future.
3. Save for my swipe file as an example of good email copy.

Of course, this will vary depending on what you subscribe to and your personal needs, but you get the point.

Finally, regularly audit your subscriptions, and get rid of subscriptions that aren’t benefiting you anymore.

At least once a quarter – if not once a month – ask yourself, why do I get this email? What benefit do I receive?

Regularly check in and see if you’re still benefiting from the subscriptions you have. Especially once you’ve chosen your path to living the writer’s life.

And be mindful if there’s a subscription you’ve stopped reading, and just get rid of it. Freeing up that space will give you a feeling of relief and also open up a place for new subscriptions that serve you better now in your current situation.

Speaking of new subscriptions …

I’m always looking for new and interesting writers and content providers who can provide valuable information to your fellow AWAI members and me.

What publications do you currently read, and which are your favorites? I invite you to share them in the comments below.