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Email Writing Tips
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Read these simple tips and tricks for successful email exchange
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 Writing emails to your pen pals can be an easy and pleasant task. You don't have to be perfect in what you write. All you have to do is write from your heart and use a little creativity. These tips can also be applied to your snail mail correspondence.
Here are a few suggestions for writing email...
Make sure you fill in the subject line of your email. This will allow your pal to quickly identify your emails. Also, make sure your subject line of catching and applies to what you have written about.
Check that your return email address is correct on the system. It wouldn't be fun if your pen pal hit reply and sent you a note that got lost in void because of a typo.
Always use a signature file at the end of all your emails. Be sure to include your nickname/first name, email address and web address (if you have one). You can even include a short quote or small ASCII image.
If this is the first email you have sent to this person, always tell them where you found their email address and why you are emailing them.
Never use all capital letters in the body of your letter. Writing in all caps is considered rude because it means you are raising your voice or yelling.
Keep your letters short by using acronyms.
Show your emotions/feeling by using emoticons in your email.
Always reply to your pals questions and ask a few of your own. This keeps the lines of communication open.
If you are replying to someone's email, don't quote every line of their note. Instead, quote small portions of their note so they will be able to follow what you are saying.
No one likes to get a chain letter in the mailbox. Don't send them. The same goes for online money making ideas. This is very annoying.
Answer your emails as quickly as you can. Try not to let your pal wait too long to hear your reply.
Set a limit to the amount of pen pals you want. Be realistic. Remember that you have to keep in touch with each one regularly. Once you reach your limit, simply ask to be taken off the pen pal list. You can always be added again later if you need to be.
Always remember that letter writing will slow down and speed up at different times of the year and relationship. This is how it usually works. Lots of email at the beginning and then it slows down. Lots of email in the school year and not so much in the summer. Only cards or small packages during holidays.
If you cannot email your pal back for a while, and you know about it ahead of time, let them know.
If you do not hear from your pal for a long time, it could mean many different things. Perhaps their computer broke down, they had a death in the family, maybe they moved or were evicted. They could have even had a hard drive crash that caused them to loose your email address. Maybe your pal is on vacation or has been grounded from using the computer. Mom and dad may have told them they need to concentrate on their schoolwork instead of writing to friends. There are wars and natural disasters that may have caused your pen pal to go offline.
You will be curious and perhaps concerned or hurt when your pal does not email you for a long period of time. Be nice about it and drop them a brief note asking if everything is OK, and that you would like to hear from them again as soon as they are able.
If you receive an email that has offended you in some way. Perhaps there was swearing, bigotry, judgements made, etc. Think about if you should reply to the email or not. A good rule of thumb is not to reply to blatant ignorant things. Such as swearing, hatred or sex talk. Just delete these emails and find a new pal. If your pal offended you by accident then tell them they hurt your feelings. Try to work it out.
You are bound to get your feelings hurt or experience misunderstandings when being a pen pal. This is normal. Remember that different cultures and communities have different belief and value systems. Keep cool. Talk about it and work it out together. Don't judge each other!
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The Youth Online Club ©Shauna Lee De Feyter, 1997-2008 http://www.youthonline.ca/
