Yesterday morning I had to send emails to two different editors. Both emails included attachments in Word format. I first wrote the email to the book review editor, intending to save it and then make a few more minor edits to my reviews before attaching them. Instead of pressing "Save draft," I hit "Send."
"Wait!" I yelled, but the computer acted like it didn't hear me and off it went, zapping the email through cyberspace and confirming to this editor that I really wasn't as competent as my sparkling prose might have lead her to believe.
You know how it is. You're working hard to make a good impression. You're double-checking your project instructions and following the guidelines. You're making sure your book review falls into the allotted word count. You meet your deadlines with room to spare. And then you forget the attachment.
Luckily, I switched to another email program (Gmail, Google's program) before I sent my sent message to the second editor. I wrote my email, pressed "Send," and saw this warning:
I quickly pressed "Cancel," attached the Word document, and hit "Send."
I've learned that it's little moments like this that make me eager for the Jetson-type world I was promised as a kid. The kind of world filled with technology that cleans your house, drives your car, and oh yes, prevents you from looking like an idiot to those you're trying to impress.
That, and I should never email editors before I've had my morning coffee.