E-mail is not hard copy

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that an e-mail is just a document you read on a computer
screen. Because it’s not. E-mail is designed to move or transact information as rapidly as possible
from writer to reader. E-mail usually produces immediate action, often in the form of another e-
mail. Hard copy is designed for contemplation over time. Hard copy does not necessarily move the
reader to act. Readers don’t immediately respond to hard copy with more hard copy, if ever. E-mail
is a transaction; hard copy is a reflection.

E-mail is more than rectangular

E-mail appears in a window, with clearly defined edges. The window is on a screen, and the edges of
the screen are reinforced. The edges of the computer conceal armatures that hold the screen in
place. These edges and frames—windows and screens—focus reading in a way that is very different
from the way we read hard copy. The edge of the piece of paper, of the book or booklet, is not so
insistent. It’s easier for the eye to lift, to wander, to reflect.

Boxed-in

In e-mail, multiple frames relentlessly focus the eye on the text. Rigid borders confine our gaze, keep
it on the words. The trapped-in quality of the text affects our expectations about the purpose and
intent of reading. When we look at an e-mail, we expect to receive information—right away. And we
get frustrated when we don’t get it.

E-mail in the box

The frame pops open; the e-mail appears. In a click, the window closes and it’s gone. The ephemeral
character of e-mail means it can’t waste time. It either rapidly communicates, or it doesn’t
communicate at all.

E-mail is not quaint

Since e-mail and hard copy don’t deliver information in the same way, they’re not written in the
same way either. Everything from layout to sentence patterns to vocabulary changes. For example:
long, ponderous paragraphs don’t work well in business e-mail—it’s better to divvy the text up into
smaller units. And standard hard copy letter formulas, such as “Yours very truly,” sound quaint in e-
mail. It’s better to go with “Regards.” In business e-mail, efficiency of communication takes
precedence over literary style and social conventions.

Do-it-yourself reading

To communicate information rapidly, let the reader direct his or her own reading. Map the
document so that the reader intuitively knows where to look for specific information. Simplicity gives
the reader freedom to navigate the e-mail without wasting time.

To skim and scan

Skimming means that the reader gives different levels of attention to different parts of an e-mail.
Some sentences receive a close, word-byword, focus—other sentences aren’t read at all. Scanning
means the reader is looking for specific information and ignoring the rest. For example, a reader may
skim an itinerary in an e-mail from a travel agent and scan for the price of airfare. Knowing how to
set-up a business e-mail for skimming and scanning is a highly sought after skill.
More white space, please

In order to skim and scan, the eyes need to be able to move around the text. The eyes want to focus
in some places, rest in others. A dense block of print on the screen does not encourage rapid eye
movement. It’s impossible to jump around, because there’s nowhere to jump to. The reader has no
choice but to continue, sentence by sentence, word by word. It plods. It takes time. Contrast speeds
things up. Alternating print with empty white space gives the reader wings. In the rhythm of black
text and white space, attention can vary with curiosity. The eye has freedom to alight here and there
in the text, instead of just dutifully soldiering on.

White space is meaningful

White space is not empty. It’s full of meaning. White space tells the reader that there’s a change in
idea, a shift in the argument, an example on the way, a contrast coming, or an objection being
raised. Readers use white space to navigate information in an e-mail as much as they use printed
words on the screen.

First things first

Years of reading practice have taught us to emphasize first-things in a text. In business e-mail, the
first sentence of the text is more important than the fourth sentence in the third paragraph. And the
first sentence in any paragraph is usually more important than any other sentence in the same
paragraph. Readers skim first sentences in paragraphs to decide if they need to take more time to
read the paragraph slowly in its entirety. And readers will also decide to read an e-mail immediately
or save it for later based on the first sentence.

The paragraph rule

The business e-mail paragraph often moves from a general idea to specific ideas, or from the most
important idea to least important. The most general or important sentence goes first. The other
sentences amplify the idea, extend the idea, compare or contrast the idea, or support the idea.

Of course, not every single e-mail paragraph follows the general-to-specific, or most-to-least
important pattern. But that doesn’t mean the reader doesn’t pay attention to the first sentence of
each paragraph anyway. In fact, it’s very hard not to. Ever since we learned to read, we’ve been
taught to pay close attention to the first sentence. And we do!

Readers are creatures of habit

Want a reader to notice a particular point? Put it at the top of the e-mail or in the first sentence of a
paragraph. Want to hide a point you still have to make? Bury it in the fourth sentence of the third
paragraph.

Announce your subject

The most important sentence in an e-mail is the first one. It often decides whether your reader will
read on grudgingly or with interest. In fact, it decides if your reader will read on at all! For that
reason, the first sentence announces the main point of the e-mail. Readers want to cut right to the
chase. Occasionally, the subject announcement may extend to two sentences, but one sentence is
preferable.
Make sure the intent is clear

Begin with your conclusion, then explain. —For replies, give your answer in the first sentence and
explain your reasoning below. —For requests, telling the reader straight out what you want saves
everyone time. —For updates, summarize the situation in the first sentence and then detail it in the
rest of the e-mail. —If you have a question to ask, do so right away. —If the reader has asked you to
reply, remind him or her at the start. Introduction 11

Attention diminishes with length

The longer you carry on, the less likely the reader is paying attention.

Headers can help

Using headers—or subtitles—enhances skimming. Headers give readers clues about e-mail content
so that they can make decisions about what they want to read, the order in which to read, and the
material they don’t need to bother with.

For example, you could label paragraphs with headers describing stages in a process, such as
“Problem,” “Analysis,” and “Solution.” Or you could use paired headers, such as “Assets” and
“Liabilities,” or even “Action” and “Outcome.” Dates, or steps in a sequence, also work well.

E-mail’s odd relationship with print

Business e-mail has, in fact, spawned its own writing conventions, such as signature lines with the
information that once appeared at the top of hard copy, such as snail-mail addresses and phone
numbers. Semicolons, already on the wane in hard copy correspondence, are rare in e-mail, while
the dash is rapidly gaining ground. As generations who have never known a world without the
Internet hit the marketplace, they’ll continue to shape language to our evolving digital needs.

A little less formal

E-mail is more like sticking your head through a colleague’s office door than introducing yourself at a
conference table. It remains polite and dignified, but it often loses many of the trappings of hard
copy correspondence. One-word sentences or paragraphs, for example, are okay. Roman numerals
(I. II. III.) look fussy in e-mail, while Arabic numbers (1. 2. 3.) work just fine. Or, better yet, drop the
numeric system altogether and go with a simple bullet point (l).

Simplify, simplify, simplify

An excellent test of a writer’s skills is the ability to translate complex subjects into straightforward
prose. In business e-mail, the smartest writers use short sentences and common vocabulary
whenever possible.

Short = fast

Short sentences keep ideas on track—for the writer as much as for the reader. They’re a quick
remedy against grammatical issues clogging long, convoluted sentence structures. Short sentences
don’t usually have as many grammar issues, if any at all. They speed along, unencumbered by
pretentious—or misguided—mass.
Length matters!

Because e-mail is designed to be skimmed, screen-size document length is preferred. Long e-mails
should be divided up into short, concise e-mails whenever possible. Supporting information, the
backstory, and contextual documents should be relegated to attachments—they stay off the center
stage (or in this case, out of the active window). A short e-mail targets its subject, allowing the
reader to hit the reply button right away. No scrolling necessary.

Hold the fancy vocabulary

“Perspicacious” is a great word, but “sharp” is better in a business e-mail context. The idea isn’t to
impress the reader with semantic subtlety and texture—the idea is to get the message across, right
away. Longer words take more time to process than short words. We don’t have to spend a sliver of
neural time to observe, “Wow—haven’t seen that word in a while!” We just keep right on going.

Keep the tense simple

The trend toward simplicity in e-mail English extends to verb tense. Who needs “He would have
been phoning” when “He phoned” will do? Simple present and past tenses can do a lot of the tense
work in English. They’re shorter, quicker, and less apt to fall victim to grammatical error. Their
authority shines through.

What’s with indents?

The indent at the beginning of the hard copy paragraph has gone the way of envelope. It’s a relic of
how we used to communicate in the past, not the way we’ll communicate in the future…at least as
far as e-mail is concerned. Why? Because the eye needs a full empty line between paragraphs to
skim.

Dear Reader

The elaborate salutations of hard copy correspondence disappearing. For example, instead of “Dear
Mrs. Notley,” or even “Dear Alma,” in a business e-mail, just “Alma” will do, even when the
correspondents don’t know each other personally. Most business e-mail favors a comma after the
name, unless the writer is trying to send a signal of high formality— then the colon comes into play.
“Alma:” tells the reader that something very important is about to follow, while “Alma,” signals
business-as-usual.

E-mail is economic

The economy is based on transactions of goods and service. You want to get the most for your
money. You want to spend as little as possible and maximize the returns. The same thing is true in e-
mail. You want to get maximum returns on the fewest words possible. That’s just good business, and
good communication.