Writing email: my top ten tips
29 February 2024
I'm often asked to offer guidelines on writing email. So here goes.
The first and last thing to say is that email is a form of writing. It may feel like a conversation, and we might feel that we're speaking when we rattle off an email. And yes, it helps to imagine speaking to your reader as you write. But email is text; we all need to remember that the reader is doing just that - reading.
For the rest, here are my top ten tips.
Keep the text focussed and readable.
Write a meaningful subject line.
Avoid attachments if you can.
Identify yourself early.
Be kind; don't flame.
Proofread before hitting that 'Send' button.
Don't assume privacy.
Distinguish between formal and informal situations.
Respond promptly.
Show respect and restraint.
Keep the text focussed and readable.
Decide what your message is: the most important point you want to make. Your message should convey a single idea in a single, simple sentence of no more than about 15 words. What do you want to say to the reader?
Put your message first, or as near the beginning of the email as you can.
If you need to make multiple points, list them before discussing them, so that the reader can see them immediately (rather as I have done with my top ten tips, here). You’re not holding a conversation, so what you write must be immediately understandable without the need to ask questions. If you can avoid making the reader scroll down, do so.
To make the email readable, use all the basic techniques of plain English.
Write a meaningful subject line.
The subject line is not well named. Think of it as your 'message line': put a headline version of your message into subject line. That headline should have the sense of a sentence, even if it's not written out as a full sentence.
For your reader, the contents of the subject line are probably the second most important factor in deciding whether to open the email. (The most important factor, apparently, is the name of the sender.) Before you hit "send," take a moment to write a subject line that accurately conveys your message.
Avoid all-purpose subject lines like:
Urgent!
Read now!
And avoid subject lines that give only a subject:
Quick question
The file you requested
Instead, use the subject line for a ‘headline’ version of your message. If the reader can see your message in the subject line, before they open the email, you have helped them read and manage their inbox.
File 23b: do you need the whole thing?
If you are creating an email thread, change that subject line each time you add an email, to keep it relevant to the email you’re sending. Subject lines very quickly become irrelevant as email threads grow.
Don't forget the preview pane: the window in your reader's inbox showing the first few words - or lines - of the email text itself. Write the opening sentence of the email to make it as inviting within the preview pane as you can.
Avoid attachments if you can.
If your recipient actually needs to view the full file in order to edit or archive it, then of course sending an attachment is appropriate.
In general, attachments take time to download (and check for viruses), take up needless space on your recipient's computer, and don't always translate correctly for people who read their email on portable devices.
If you must attach something, make the file as small as possible. For example, convert Word documents containing large picture files into pdfs, if you can.
Identify yourself early.
Especially when contacting someone cold, always include your name, occupation, and any other important identification information in the first few sentences.
When contacting someone cold, always include your name, occupation, and any other important identification information in the first few sentences.
If you are following up on a face-to-face contact, you might appear too timid if you assume your recipient doesn't remember you; but you can drop casual hints to jog their memory: "I enjoyed talking with you about new project in the lift the other day."
Always add a signature line that includes your full name and contact details. If you are in business, include website addresses, Skype number, blog details and any other way of contacting you.
Be kind; don’t flame.
Don’t shout: no capital letters, underlining or bold. Avoid headings like ‘Urgent!’ And write nothing that you wouldn’t be happy to say face-to-face.
If you find yourself writing in anger, save a draft, get a cup of coffee, and imagine that tomorrow morning someone has taped your email to the office door for all to see.
Would your colleagues be shocked by your language or attitude? Or would they be impressed by how you kept your cool, how you ignored the bait when your correspondent stooped to personal attacks, and how you carefully explained your position (or admitted your error, or asked them to reconsider…).
Don't pour petrol on a fire without carefully weighing the consequences. Will you have to work with this person for the rest of your career? Do you want a copy of your tirade to surface years from now, when you want a letter of recommendation or you're up for promotion?
Proof read before hitting that 'Send' button.
We are judged on the quality of our writing. Don’t rush. The email will travel through cyberspace in milliseconds, so you can take your time writing.
If you are asking someone else to do work for you, take the time to make your email look professional.
While your spellchecker won't catch every mistake, at the very least it will catch a few typos. If you are sending an email that will be read by someone higher up on the chain of command – or if you're about to mass-mail dozens or thousands of people – take an extra minute or two before you hit "send". Show a draft to a close associate, in order to see whether it actually makes sense.
Actually, sending blanket emails to large audiences may not be the best idea, anyway.
Don't assume privacy.
Email is as public as a picture postcard. Remember also that most email is stored on a server somewhere. It can be (and has been) used as evidence in tribunals and courts of law. A curious hacker, a malicious criminal, or the police, can easily intercept your email. In some companies, the email administrator has the authority to read any and all email messages (and may fire you if you write anything inappropriate).
Praise in public; criticize in private.
Distinguish between formal and informal situations.
When you are writing informally, to a friend or a close colleague, you might use:
emojis ( like this :-) or this L);
abbreviations (IIRC for "if I recall correctly", LOL for "laughing out loud," etc.); and
‘textspeak’ (nonstandard punctuation and spelling).
These linguistic shortcuts are generally signs of friendly intimacy. It’s not wrong to use them. If you are writing in a more formal situation, avoid them.
In all situations – formal or informal – I recommend that you abide by the basic rules of grammar and syntax – and avoid, in particular, writing non-sentences.
If in doubt, go formal.
Think also about the visual design and keep it simple in business situations. No fancy coloured backgrounds or curly fonts!
Respond promptly.
Actually, what I mean is: respond. I hate it when people don’t respond.
If you want to appear professional and courteous, make yourself professionally available. Even if your reply is, "Sorry, I'm too busy to help you now," at least your correspondent won't be waiting in vain for your reply.
Show respect and restraint.
Write as an individual to an individual. Avoid blanket copies or ‘political’, 'covering-my-backside' copies. (Yes, I know; I’ve done that one, too.) Keep cool. Write less.
It’s good form to ask the sender before forwarding a personal message. If someone emails you a request, it is perfectly acceptable to forward the request to a person who can help. Forwarding a message in order to ridicule the sender is plain tacky.
Use ‘bcc’ instead of ‘cc’ when sending sensitive information to large groups. The name of everyone in the ‘cc’ list goes out with the message, but the names of people on the ‘bcc’ list ("blind carbon copy") are hidden. Put your own name in the "To" box if your mail editor doesn't like the blank space.
Be tolerant of other people's etiquette blunders. If you think you've been insulted, quote the line back to your sender and add a neutral comment such as, "I'm not sure how to interpret this... could you elaborate?"
So there we are. The first thing and the last thing to say is:
Email is writing. The quality of our writing matters. So, the quality of our email matters.
Read more:
Avoiding misunderstandings on email