Writing better subject lines

A subject line has one job: tell the reader why this issue is worth opening now. Clever subject lines get attention once; clear ones get opened every week.

Patterns that work

• Say what is inside. "How to price your first sponsorship" beats "Money talk."
• Name the format. "A checklist for launch week" tells readers how much effort it asks.
• Use numbers honestly. "Five tools we actually use" works if there really are five.

Before and after (illustrative)

• "Some thoughts on growth" → "Three ways readers found us this month"
• "Big news!" → "We are launching a paid tier on 1 March"
• "Issue 47" → "Issue 47: the welcome email that gets replies"

Preview text

The line after the subject matters nearly as much. Use it to add the detail the subject left out, not to repeat it.

Habits

• Write three subject lines for every issue and pick the clearest.
• Read it on a phone: long subjects get cut off.
• Keep a list of your best-performing subject lines and notice what they share.