magazine
By Leo Babauta
O
ne of the worst problems I’ve seen when people send me emails is amazingly common: they’re way too long. I’m a fairly busy guy, but who isn’t busy? I try to be responsive but when I get an incredibly long email there is no way I’ll answer quickly. If an email is short, I’ll shoot out a reply as soon as I read it.
So why send long emails?
© Pixel 4 Images / Shutterstock
Here’s a rule: a long email is never necessary. Never. Why am I writing this? Is it a rant against people who’ve emailed me? No, it’s a general problem that I’ve seen with email, and I hope this will help people write more effectively.
How I Use Email
Your Emails are Too Long If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea. – David Belasco
10
I’ve written before about how I ditched email. That’s only 90% true. I still do email on a limited scope – mostly for people I collaborate with (partners, designers, printers, etc.). I also respond to customer emails (refunds, download problems). For reader feedback and comments, I use Twitter. For family communication (like my family on Guam and other parts of the world), I use Facebook (I don’t “friend” anyone other than family, and have fewer than 100 friends on FB). That said, my email problem isn’t unique to my situation. No matter how you use email, no one you’re emailing wants to read a long essay or respond to 10 questions. We are all busy, and we all value our time. When I do email, I try to get through all of it quickly. I don’t like to be stuck doing email all day, so I get in, read and respond or archive/trash, and get out.