Email is an odd phenomenon. No one who is over the age of 12 grew up with it. Many of us are still learning the ins and outs and idiosyncrasies of our email programs. While I receive and send a couple of hundred emails every day, I still don’t know all of the intricate aspects of my system. But I am learning more about how to handle incoming and outgoing email messages so that only the important ones are received and read and fewer of those are lost.
Think about this, do you often feel rejected because your email messages are ignored? Do you envision a black hole where your outgoing email is swallowed up, never to be read by human eyes? Well, that’s exactly what happens to thousands of valid email messages each year. And it’s mainly because of what we put (or neglect to put) in the Subject Line.
What’s the big deal about the subject line? Right up there with the “to†and the “from,†the subject line is the most important aspect of any email. Why? This is what causes the recipient to open it or discard it. Think about how you determine which email messages to open and which to delete.
You will open email with information or words that are familiar to you or that relate to someone you know or something you’re involved in. I typically open email from people I know and those that look as though they relate to one of my books, writing, publishing or SPAWN. If the email lands in my bulk/spam box, it has an unfamiliar return address and the subject line reads, “I’m confused,†“Waiting to hear from you,†“Need information†or another generic phrase, I may delete it. Occasionally, however, I follow my intuition and open one of these messages. Often, I’m glad that I did because it is from a potential client. But I wonder how many email messages I delete every year just because it doesn’t appear to be legitimate.
Folks, think before you click “send.†If you want your email to be read and, especially if you want a response, pay attention to what is in your subject line. Maybe you have a question about our networking organization, SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). Or you read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, and you need help with your book proposal. Instead of typing, “Question,†or “Interesting Proposal†in the subject line, type, “Question about SPAWN,†or “Need help with my book proposal.â€
Likewise, let’s all pay closer attention to the email we delete. Just because it lands in our bulk/spam email box or just because it has an unfamiliar email address, don’t discard it.
Look at the name. Read the subject line. Is it familiar? Check closely before deleting because it may just be the response you are waiting for.
We’re all guilty of deleting legitimate emails. But this will occur much less often if we will type reasonable, clear messages in the subject line and if we take a little more time to review the messages in our email and spam mail boxes.
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