Writing Lessons & Advice: Writing Emails
Throughout history, the act of writing has embraced many tools and mediums. Writers of previous centuries wrote with quill pen and ink. The written word went from preservation on payprus scrolls to the printing press. Writers of previous decades wrote with pencils, ballpoint pens, or typewriters. Even more recently, writers have shifted from using paper to digital forms. For all the evolution in the act of writing, the art of writing still prevails. Spelling, grammar, and effective communication are no less hallmarks now as they were in previous eras.
Email is the written communication of this digital age. One might like to think that writing is more easily refined than ever before with the features that improve writing and education’s emphasis on digital literacy. Yet regardless, I still regularly receive half-baked emails at work.
Writing an email is still writing, so the basics of grammar and the writing process still apply. Here are some things that can be done to write better emails:
Punctuate and proofread. There’s a matter of principle in doing so. I cringe at messages that appear to be unedited, lengthy streams of consciousness. They are harder to read and don’t give a good impression of the writer. Every writing project is better-received and understood when it follows conventions. The errors I commonly see in work emails either ignore or disregard a lot of simple, basic writing formalities, like: not writing complete sentences, not using punctuation, not capitalizing, not spacing or spelling correctly, not limiting a sentence to one idea, and/or including too much or irrelevant information.
Before hitting send, be sure to proofread and correct your message. A Grammarly plug-in for your browser will quickly identify needed improvements on the spot in your message. Additionally, check the email address in the To box. If the address is spelled/typed wrong, the message will not be sent/received. In fact, most browser programs will point out if the address is obviously wrong before it can send. Also make sure that the address is for your intended recipient as well. Otherwise, it goes to someone who cannot address or assist the matter and it takes longer to resolve or manage.
If you need a starting point or refresher on these topics, review the lessons on writing basics, proofreading, and/or punctuation.
Keep the subject line brief and well-written. The subject line is intended to only hold a title for your email, not the complete message (Yes, I've actually seen a message in the subject line before!). A well-written subject can give the recipient a preview to the nature of the message before it is reviewed at length. To build off the last point, a subject may even help the recipient determine who the message is for or what needs done with it.
If you didn’t know, an email without a subject appears as “no subject” in one's inbox. Its not the most make-or-break thing, but at first glance, a message with "no subject" could be anything. So, an ideal email subject that gets an email read is either a few words, a short phrase or sentence that summarizes your message. Some examples:
Concerning your application-please respond
Department memo no. 403
Expired registration
In response to your vacancy
Your vacation photos are ready!
Each of these provide a snippet of what the following email entails. The recipient seeing these in an inbox can also determine the importance or relevance of the message. He or she may check the vacation photos during lunch while the others get first priority. That's how the subject is an effective part of email-writing.
Write an appropriate message in the appropriate section. The large textbox below the subject line is intended for your message. This is where the details of your subject go, written to align with grammar rules. Your intended recipient and the purpose of your message can influence what you write and how much you write.
For instance, if you’re writing a formal email or to a professional entity, your message should be brief and direct so their time isn’t wasted getting to your point. A good minimum might be at least one paragraph that briefly explains the reason for your communication. Limit or avoid exclamation points. Strong opinions and emotions may have a place in compliments, complaints and maybe discussions, but not so much in questions or requests. "Text-lingo" and slang should also be avoided. Definitely use manners, like please, thank you, sir, ma’am, etc.
A friendlier, casual email can take more liberties in length and content, but just don’t monopolize or waste the reader’s time with nonsense.
The WikiHow page on this subject has more insight on writing and using casual or formal emails.
If your message concerns an account, transaction, application, or some other kind of record-keeping, you will want to include relevant details or identification connected to it. Include your proper, legal name at some point, especially if it's not reflected in your email address. Otherwise, be prepared to share that information if it's requested.
If attachments are involved, do not forget to include them before hitting send. Some browsers will remind you to add your attachments if they aren't there already. Conversely, a subject or short message that pertains to the attachments can be very helpful to a recipient in an office or place of business that may deal with hundreds of correspondences a day. If the purpose of the attachments is not clear, any related processes could be delayed if dealt with at all.
Some additional tips:
Writing an email from a desktop or laptop computer can help the task feel more important or professional. Most proofreading tools should be easier to access too.
Writing and/or sending your message with a clear head can help too. Mistakes are more likely to happen if you're tired, hungry, emotional, distracted, etc.
Avoid sending a premature email by leaving off the recipient address until after you've written and proofread your draft.
Check and respond to emails in a timely manner as well, especially if something important or time-sensitive is on the line. I'm baffled by email responses that are sent several months to a year after the last correspondence (Yes, I actually see this too!). Regular checks don't have be be hourly or even daily if you aren't expecting anything, but don't leave an active conversation hanging for that long without excusing yourself or for good reason.
The art of writing should not be lost in this digital age. Again, producing quality work is more accessible than before; just the time, principles, and resources need to be utilized more often. An email may be the first, if not only, impression you have with the other party so effort should be taken to ensure both are decent. Hopefully you’re encouraged to give your digitally-written communication the attention it deserves!
If there's a topic you want me to cover in the future, you're welcome to reach out to me on the web chat feature or socials!
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