Turning to email addresses, put word “mailto” plus a colon before address. For example, mailto:info@yoururl.com rather than simply info@yoururl.com . When readers click on an address with a mailto: before it, a new message automatically pops up in their email programs, with your address already in TO field. That also has advantage of reducing errors in transcribing or copying and pasting.

Also, be wary of URLs that split at end of a line. While URL may not split in your email program, it may do so in subscriber’s. I usually try to set up so URLs fall at end of a paragraph, and then put in a return before them, so they are on a line by themselves.

Finally, after you’ve emailed a test copy of your newsletter to yourself, test links on copy that arrived at your IN box. Click each link to ensure your readers can get to your page or to their email program with just one click. No copying,. no pasting, no transcribing - just one click.

In summary, by taking these few simple steps, you can make your newsletter more readable. And if it’s more readable, it’s more likely to get response you want.

And, it may seem obvious, but if you send out a text email newsletter, separate paragraphs with double returns. Don’t try to use tabs or spaces to set off a new paragraph - in many cases formatting will go astray and your readers won’t know you’re starting a new paragraph.

If your original document doesn’t use double returns, you can change it over quickly and easily, using our old friend, Find & Replace function in your word processing program. Put one return symbol in Find field, two in Replace field, and hit Change All (or whatever your program uses for these terms).

One thing you can generally ignore is font or typeface (unless, as noted you’re setting line lengths). Many readers will set their email programs to display all text messages in a font of their choosing, and likely won’t see font you use anyway.

After drafting your newsletter, email a copy to yourself before sending it to your list. Even better, send it from one program and receive it with another. If you’re like me, you’ll be surprised at problems that pop out when you do this. Not only content, but also formatting and links may look different, and you’ll likely find errors that were not at all obvious in original version.

While we’re on this subject, don’t forget to test links you place. Click on each one to make sure it takes you where you want it to send your readers.

Summing up, be conscious of your formatting techniques when you create a text newsletter. A little bit of extra attention will keep text itself from getting in way of your message.