[thelist] sending mail to someone youve never met before

[Carolyn Jewel]

so in todays age, people who have a site and they leave their mail, they
want comments about their site. ...?

is this the only way to build a rapport? or is it the best way?

lets not forget that the very problem im experiencing is what site
holders have too - everyone wants more exposure, right?

I have my email on my site for a lot of reasons not necessarily related
to wanting comments (though I do): 

I am a writer (yes, published) and I have an email address "exposed" on
my writing website. My site hits increase dramatically when I have a new
release out, when I also get more emails from readers who went to my
site and had something they wanted to communicate to me. New readers
generally go looking for my backlist titles and quite often email me
about my other titles and future ones. Those emails _are_ important
because my replies help cement my name and titles with the reader. It's
a great way to keep and grow a fan base. By the way, I also have my
email address appear in the back of my  books, under the author picture.
I have gotten emails from readers within 24 hours a title's release. A
sudden surge in emails is important because it means a good review has
been posted or I have been mentioned or linked to someplace useful.
That gives me important information to share with my editor who,
ultimately, is in charge of the size of the advance for my next book. 

But I also get "targeted" emails from people trying to get me to pay to
be published (sorry, but I get paid to write) or to sell me marketing
etc.  They're irritating emails but I might look once and then 99.99% of
the time delete or block the domain.

What I really object to is hundreds of emails pushing the same stupid
writing or marketing service. That's spam and I detest it. And what I
really hate is knowing that I have probably mistakenly deleted emails
from readers because they didn't have a subject or used an
unintentionally spam-like email or subject.

In short, my email on my website is an important business tool.

Carolyn J.