The Executive Guide to E-mail Correspondence

Introduction

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 ...