How to write an e-mail message

The subject-line of an email should let the reader know the topic(s) of the email to the point of differentiating it from other emails. Recipients use subject lines to organize the opening of e-mails, to know whether and when they should read the contents. If there is no distinguishing, specific subject, then the content isn't interpreted as useful or enticing. Following are some examples of useless subject lines.

Poor subject-lines on email can hurt productivity and make people either open a message that is useless or skip opening a message that would be useful. Poor subject-lines may make recipients reject the email, thinking it is from a spammer.

Examples of poor subject lines

Here we list poor subject lines and possible fixes.

Vague subjects

Question about Rosetta Stone

This line isn't as bad as "Question," but why not include a short version of the question itself?

Does anyone have this book I can borrow?

OMG, put the title in!

Lab report

Yeah, what about it?

Posting from friend..

That doesn't describe the content of the email. Better to mention the provenance in the body.

Subjects that could apply to any message

This is interesting

If it wasn't interesting why would you send it?

Subjects that simply mean reply or forward

Reply

Reply to what, or what is the gist of your reply?

Follow-up

FWD

Re:your message

I got your message

This would be acceptable only if that was the only thing "you" wanted to know.

Meaningless combinations

re:FWD

FWD:re

Replies

Reply all or reply to sender

Always be aware when replying that programs allow you either to reply to the sender or to the sender and all the recipients, usually using the command "reply all." Forgetting this leads people to reply to all when they intend the message go only to the sender, embarrassment resulting.

Quote only when necessary

A reader's common gripe is that quotes in threads waste space and time. We should only include parts of previous messages if we think the reader will need to refer to them quickly.