Contacting me

Recently, multiple folks have expressed some frustration with my response time or the shortness of my email replies. These people have ranged from friends to occasional correspondents to first-time emailing readers. On the one hand, I feel bad about not responding as quickly as they, or in most cases, I, would have liked. On the other hand, I also have to ask one simple thing:

Please cut me some slack.

By way of explanation, not complaint, I'd like to point out that my email total for most days is over 500 messages (that's the combination of my work and personal accounts, and in each one both the messages I receive and those I send.) I have a rather demanding job as CEO and head salesperson of a growing tech services company. I read and reply to all my own email. I blog daily. I read and respond to all blog comments (though the Web Weasel does also see those and could, in a pinch, handle them for me.) I write daily. I do some consulting. I'm editing an anthology. I have interviews, promotional material, and so on that also demands my attention. I have to write and work on my stand-up routines.

In short, I'm a bit busy.

And then there's that whole life thing, with family and extended family and friends.

Oh, yeah: sleep. I like a little of that now and again.

Again, I'm not complaining; I've chosen this life.

I would, though, appreciate your understanding if my responses to you are short, or if I do a quick email rather than a phone call, or if it takes me multiple hours or even--gasp!--a day to reply.

Thanks.