Best Practices for Email: Part 1

Whether you love it or hate it, for business purposes, email is here to stay for the foreseeable future for lots of solid reasons. Although it has been superseded by texting and other platform-based messaging systems in some areas, it remains a valid option in many business contexts.

According to a study by The Radicati Group, the total worldwide emails sent/received in 2025 is projected at 376.4 billion. This is a 4% increase over 2024. The number of users is 4,594 million, a 3% increase over 2024. These increases have been forecast to continue at these rates through 2028.

In terms of the advantages, an important point to understand regarding the value of email for business versus a telephone, texting, or even in-person conversation is that the email creates an archivable record of what was said. The email will include the date, time, and the recipients. This written documentation can be critical if there is a legal or contractual dispute of any kind. Of course texts can be forwarded, but it’s nowhere near as convenient or practical.

As is the case with any tool, when it’s used properly, it works. When misused, or used carelessly, the potential benefits are undermined. Instead of being a means of saving time, it can lead to people wasting time: both the original sender and the recipient. In the context of book production for an independent author, this can be critical.

It’s been estimated that about 65% of email is read on a mobile device. It’s critical to keep this in mind when writing messages.

The primary goal for email is that each message be opened and read. Radicati previously reported that the mobile ‘click-to-open rate’ for U.S. marketing email was 13.7%. For desktops it was slightly higher: 18%. 

It’s estimated that 33% of mobile users indicated that they opened an email based on the subject line. The average length of a subject line for the highest read rate is 61 to 70 characters.

This crucial aspect of any email is likely the one most neglected by most users: It’s tougher to see a complete subject line on a handheld device than it is on a laptop or desktop. So this tells us that using a clear, concise subject line increase the chances that your email will be read, regardless of the device on the recipient’s end.

I have an acquaintance who frequently sends emails that involve asking a question. His subjects lines tend to be the same: “?” This tells me that he has a question, but I have no idea what it concerns. And to make matters worse, if I try to find a previous email he sent and sort by subject line, I get dozens with a question mark (and nothing else) in the subject line.

Although it may seem intuitive, in practice it’s not: It’s always best to include what the subject of the email is in the subject line.

For an independent author, it may be something like this, when asking when the copyediting will be completed:

copyediting / completion date?

When I’m handling production for an independent author I always use a standardized format that’s clear. For an author names Jones, it might look like this:

Jones / copyedited manuscript / for review

Using effective subject lines can be very helpful in terms of speeding up communication and, in turn, the entire production process.

In the next installment we’ll look at other areas of email correspondence that deserve proper attention.

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