CAN-SPAM act specific question relating to relevancy of email.

Can you tell ice cream vendors about your new ice cream directory?

[rollinj]

I am creating a multi-author blog related to Widgets.

I have no authors.

Can I email any and every company/individual involved in the Widget industry and invite them to write for (or read) my multi-author Widget related blog?

If not, can I email just one company/individual?

If so, can I email just two companies/individuals?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks for reading!

[lorax]

Blanket emails are not a good idea. Develop the relationships first and you will likely earn a more reliable source of content that actually cares about what they're writing because they know you.

[piatkow]

I can't comment on Can-Spam because I am located in Europe where the legal framework is different.

Your email processor is likely to have a stricter view of what constitutes spam than the lawyers if there are complaints. Also there is always the risk of ending up on a blacklist, despite being technically legal, if too many people get upset.

I would agree with lorax, approach authors individually, preferably by personal contact rather than email. As editor of a print magazine I use a mix of email and face to face contact. The best articles that I have had have been derived from conversations over a drink.