Is this a bad reply?

My suggestion is to order this: http://tinyurl.com/6y3maw

Then mail him one.

 

I generally used some version of "Thank you so much for reading and for your input."
We all know readers can be heavily biased, but in one form or another, they're still reading our product. Showing them we're not robots is never a bad thing, and if we can make them feel some sort of connect to us, it goes a long way.

 

I always do the "thanks for writing" thang because I mean it. I appreciate they were moved enough by something I wrote to drop me a line, even if they're complaining. I'll explain my position and close. All bets are off, though, when then open their e-mail "Dear Dumb Fuckstick." Then I'm a tad less amenable.

 

I usually explain why I took the angle I took and then thank them for reading.

 

I wrote to Bob Ryan once to complain about a column, and he wrote back something like, "Thanks for the note. It's good to know people are reading, even if they don't agree." I'm sure it was just a form letter, but I thought it was a fine reply. Acknowledged me without getting in a pissing match.

 

What not to say:

"Dear sir,

Thank you for your interest in my story. Please tell me which shift you work at McDonald's so I can come by and critique your work."

 

Wish I had read this an hour earlier.

 

Just offer a concise, emotionless explanation for the way you wrote your story, thank him for reading, type your name at the bottom and hit send.

"Dean Jackoff,

Thanks for taking the time to write me. I chose to focus on the boys because (any reason except, "people only care about boys anyway" will do here).

Thanks for reading,

Me"

 

wishing to go to his job and critique him is childish.

 

Yeah, but being a kid was way more fun than being an adult.

Don't forget where you came from!

 

Ok, quick question from a non-journalist. Why bother responding at all?

Damien Cox (the hockey columnist for the Toronto Star) NEVER responds to e-mails.

Now he can be a bit arrogant but his point is that he's hired to write a column and has no interest in engaging in a one on one debate with Gord from Scarborough. It's a newspaper, not talk radko.

However, he does run a selection of e-mails once a week in his blog, along with his responses.

 

I think there is nothing wrong with a quick reply. Short and to the point. If someone wants to cut hairs and get into a debate, well, time to just say thanks for the input and move on.