Speculative fiction writer, translator, and editor

I receive a lot of messages and have a demanding day job as well as multiple disabilities. To manage expectations on both your end and mine, here are the response times you can expect for communication from me, as well as things you can do to increase the likelihood that I’ll respond promptly to you.

Click on each item to show details.

Expected response times

Postal mail (personal)
Account
Personal
Target Response Time
never unless response is requested
Typical Response Time
±2 weeks of respond by date
Postal mail (business)
Account
Business

115 W California Blvd #9168
Pasadena, CA 91105 USA

陕西省西安市长安区万科棉花15-1912号2069邮箱
邮政编码:710119

Forest House, 3rd Floor
16-20 Clements Road
Unit #2088
Ilford, IG1 1BA UK
Target Response Time
never unless response is requested
Typical Response Time
not enough data
Phone (personal) – missed call
Account
Personal
Target Response Time
never
Typical Response Time
never
Phone (business) – missed call
Account
Business

(626) 869-6373
Target Response Time
never
Typical Response Time
never
Phone (personal) – voicemail
Account
Personal
Target Response Time
6 hours
Typical Response Time
1–3 days
Phone (business) – voicemail
Account
Business

(626) 869-6373
Target Response Time
3 business days
Typical Response Time
not enough data
Text (personal)
Account
Personal
Target Response Time
4 hours
Typical Response Time
15 minutes–2 days
Text (business)
Account
Business

(626) 869-6373
Target Response Time
1 business day

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
not enough data
Signal
Account
Signal
Target Response Time
24 hours
Typical Response Time
1–5 days
Discord/Slack
Account
Discord/Slack
Target Response Time
72 hours only when DMed or pinged

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
Servers and channels never checked

Not enough data for individual message response times
Google Hangouts
Account
Google Hangouts

Only enabled for personal accounts and <[email protected]>. Disabled for magazine and other Gmail accounts.
Target Response Time
72 hours
Typical Response Time
2–5 days
WeChat
Account
WeChat
Target Response Time
72 hours

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
not enough data
Basecamp
Account
Basecamp
Target Response Time
48 hours only when pinged
Typical Response Time
not enough data
Email (personal)
Account
Personal
Target Response Time
1 week
Typical Response Time
1–2 weeks
Email (business)
Account
Business

<[email protected]>
Target Response Time
5 business days
Typical Response Time
2–3 weeks
Email (magazines)
Account
Magazines

<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
Target Response Time
2 weeks
Typical Response Time
1–2 weeks
Direct message (DM) – Twitter
Account
Twitter
Target Response Time
48 hours

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
2 hours–1 week
Direct Message (DM) – Instagram
Account
Instagram
Target Response Time
72 hours

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
4 weeks
Mention (@) – Twitter
Account
Twitter
Target Response Time
24 hours

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
Seen within 4 hours

Replied to within 12 hours only if I have something to say
Mention (@) – Instagram
Account
Instagram
Target Response Time
72 hours

Business inquiries will be redirected to email <[email protected]>
Typical Response Time
Post tags seen within 4 weeks

Story tags often missed because they expire before I see them (only up for 24 hours)

No replies unless requested

Accessibility accommodations

To improve the likelihood that I’ll respond promptly, you may do the following:

Multimedia summaries (video & audio)
When to use
When sending a link or embedding a video or audio, include a summary and/or why you want me to see it. I heavily dislike video as a medium and usually do not watch anything sent to me. I am more likely to click your link if I know what to expect.
Examples
[link to video] I think you’d love this video of a cat eating sashimi!

[link to video] This is a great summary of the history of the printing press.

[link to song] I love the bass in this song! It feels like a cross between metal and dubstep.

[link to movie trailer] This looks totally up your alley; it’s dieselpunk set in Hong Kong!
Descriptive subject lines
When to use
All emails and messages. I am far more likely to open your email if it has a summary of its contents, rather than a generic title.

Guide: How to write an effective email subject line for media requests by Gretchen McCulloch
Examples
Not descriptive: Translation request

Descriptive: Translator needed for science fiction short story by [author] (# of characters)
Prefix email subjects with [URGENT]
When to use
ONLY when you need a response from me within 5 business days or 1 calendar week. You will be blocked from emailing me if you use this prefix for something that doesn’t require a response or isn’t urgent.
Examples
Subject: [URGENT] Invitation to speak on panel about decolonizing fantasy

Body: Hello, we’ve had a panelist drop out last-minute and wanted to see if you were available on [a date within 5 business days]…
Include key dates and times in subject line
When to use
Anything time-sensitive. The further toward the beginning of your message that you place the date, the more likely I am to pay attention to it and schedule it in my calendar.
Examples
Will be missed: Author event on Thursday!

Might actually attend: Author event on Thursday April 12 at 5pm!
End email subjects with <EOM> (End Of Message)
When to use
If the entire contents of your email can fit in the subject line, just put it there, end with <EOM>, and leave the body of the email blank. Typically used for announcements with no response needed.
Examples
Subject: Book club meeting postponed to Wednesday September 30th at 7pm <EOM>

Body: [empty]
Prefix email subjects with [NO REPLY NEEDED]
When to use
Use if you don’t need a response from me. I am more likely to open an email if I know I don’t have to take action on it.
Examples
Subject: [NO REPLY NEEDED] Agenda and Zoom link for next meeting

Body: [details]
Prefix email subjects with [RESPONSE REQUESTED]
When to use
Use if you need me to reply to the email or to a link within the email, such as a form.

Do not use if a response is optional.

Do not use if you are sending a query—use a descriptive subject and I will infer that you are looking for a response. This tag is more to distinguish emails that I may miss because they look like notifications, and to prioritize emails that I may mistake as not requiring a response.
Examples
Subject: [RESPONSE REQUESTED] Publication contract for [piece]

Subject: [RESPONSE REQUESTED] Dietary restrictions for potluck

Subject: [RESPONSE REQUESTED] Scheduling our next meeting

Thanks for making my inboxes more accessible.

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