PSA: Inbox Etiquette

plotsforall:

How to Approach Someone for RP and How to Handle an invitation to RP

It occurs to me that there are 2 sides to making a new RP partnership happen. It takes 1 person to send an initial message of interest, of course, but it also takes 1 person to receive that message. I firmly believe that you should always be polite when inboxing someone first and that it’s the best thing you can do to find new partners because it shows that you’re assertive and puts you on that potential partner’s radar. However, I realized that I haven’t mentioned how the recipient should behave once they get such a request. So for good measure, that’s what the latter half of this post is getting around to. Okay? Okay. 

How to Approach Someone for RP

• Be Brave – Even if you’re nervous to approach someone for a partnership. Do it anyway. It could work out. You’ll never know if you don’t ask. The worst that can happen is your ask goes unanswered or your request is denied. If that happens, move on to the next! There are so many people on tumblr looking for partners, so don’t dwell on that 1 or 2 that don’t work out. 
• Be Polite –

  Greetings are important. Your potential partners are human just like you. So talk to them like you’d like to be talked to. ‘Hi’ ‘Hello’ ‘Hey’ are good starts as opposed to a naked ‘wanna rp?’. It also never hurts to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, when appropriate. If you are denied,  please don’t continue to message the person asking/demanding for explanations or begging them to reconsider. This is unfair.

• Be Patient – It might take a few seconds, minutes, or days for a potential partner to reply to you. Wait at least 1-2 days before re-messaging. And say something like, ‘hey, I inboxed you the other day about wanting to rp and I’m not sure if tumblr gobbled the message or not. please let me know when you have the chance. thanks.’ Oh yes. Tumblr eats messages sometimes. It happens.

Example rp request messages which you may use:

• hey. i came across your blog in the tags and i have a muse i think might work well with your muse because —.
• hi. i saw your starter in the tags and I was thinking of replying to it with my muse, do you have any ideas where you want to take it?  
• hello. i just had to message you because I found your blog while scrolling through my partner’s blog and I love your muse/this plot you reblogged/your writing style, would you like to rp?
• hi. I saw you liked the plot about— I have a muse that’d be perfect for that if you want to discuss?

How to Handle an invitation to RP

• Be Considerate – It takes varying degrees of courage for someone to come into your inbox and state that they’re interested in rping with you. Especially if the person approaching you thinks that you’re god’s gift to writing. For some people it takes a tremendous leap of faith to make the first move. So when you receive an invitation for rp, please respond. Even if it’s just to say you’re not interested. It’s the polite thing to do not to keep them hanging. You were new to this stuff once. Remember?   
• Be Honest – If you’re open to new partnerships, say so. If you’re not open to new partnerships at the moment or ever, say so. If you’re open to new partnerships, but you just don’t see yourself gelling with the person who’s asking for a shot, say so. Don’t feel pressured to accept in order to be nice. BUT be nice if you’re going to say no. This person who messaged you is human, like you, and has feelings. Be respectful, especially if they’re respectful to you first. 
• Be Collaborative – If someone comes to your inbox with intentions of rping with you for the first time, it would be nice if you did a little grunt work too. You can take a look through their blog and see what might and might not work, instead of demanding they come to you with all of the ideas. If they say, ‘hey, how bout our muses meet at a cafe?’ take the idea further, if you like it (

  e.g., ‘sure. it can be during a rain storm and my muse is looking for a place to sit’ ), or suggest something different, if you don’t (e.g. hm, how bout something else? like our muses bump into each other in a doctor’s waiting room?). RPing is a collaborative process, after all. So–be somewhat willing to collaborate?

 

Example rp request denial messages which you may use:

• hi. thanks for messaging me, but I’m not looking for new partners at this time.
• hello. i got your message and i really appreciate the nice things you said, but I have a full plate with my partnerships/threads already. So I wouldn’t have the time or energy to devote to another one. sorry.
• hey. i took a look through your blog/at your guidelines/at your muses and i just don’t think that we’ll fit as partners. thank you for reaching out though. good luck!

Take Home Message to all of tumblr Rpers: 

Be nice. Be honest. Be collaborative. Don’t settle. Don’t be a jerk.