Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Did I mention practice? Oh and this book is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEIW9E/ref=kinw_myk_ro_ti

Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Did I mention practice? Oh and this book is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEIW9E/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEIW9E/ref=kinw_myk_ro_... (hint - one of the tips is to practice!) EDIT: ProTip - "I've sent emails to various HNers asking that question, "What did your path from beginner to master look like?" but no one responds. (... Perhaps I didn't write the email very well...) :)" Act like a hacker and treat this like A/B testing. Send out more emails and see which tone/message/etc sticks the best. Revise and refine over time!