-^ offer no proof that the message was sent unless you or the recipient prints
a copy; thus, to use e-mail for important business or legal transactions can,
unless you keep a print file of all transmissions, cause problems years later
when you have updated your computer or hard drive, changed schools or jobs,
or for whatever other reason, lost your “Sent” file,
-^ provide no proof that the intended recipient actually received the transmission
(“return receipt requested” can be ignored or turned off); thus, the lame excuse
that the check’s in the mail now becomes it never came through,
-^ may not be able to be formatted to show italics or boldface; thus, if necessary,
surround the word(s) with underscores or asterisks: for example, Check the
Writer’s Encyclopedia for that information, or Use the word unique correctly.
Process
The following steps, combined with those found elsewhere in this text, can help you
send good e-mail messages.
STEP 1: Prewriting—Getting Ready
Have the recipient’s e-mail address handy. If you’ve not used it previously, you may
want to test it to make sure it’s accurate. There’s nothing more frustrating than work-
ing diligently on a message, resting assured that the message is in the recipient’s
hands, only to find it returned later as Unable to Deliver. If you don’t know the e-mail
address for the intended recipient, call or check an Internet locator search database.
STEP 2: Prewriting—Planning an Attachment
If you have already completed a large document that you plan to attach to your
e-mail, make sure beforehand that the recipient can retrieve it. If not, and if your
attachment isn’t too long, you may want to copy and paste the document into the
e-mail message.
STEP 3: Prewriting—Planning the Content
Creating an effective e-mail message requires the same process and skill as writing
that same message for delivery by any other means. See the sections in Parts II and
III most appropriate for the e-mail you intend to send. Follow the writing process
outlined there.
184 / Types of Writing