Have you noticed it too? This sudden change in email newsletters? Lately, newsletters I've gotten for years in plain text format have been switching to HTML.

And I don't like it. Not at all.

Aside from changing my subscription without my permission (a huge, big-fat no-no, if you're building reader trust), most of these publishers are also making four other errors in judgment in switch.

Ask yourself these five questions so you can avoid making same mistakes.

...................................... Is it up to your reader? ...................................... Always, always, always let your readers decide which version to choose. Sure, you're excited about your great-looking new HTML version, but there are at least a dozen good reasons why readers may prefer text. And it's not up to you to change their minds.

Look at Newsletters in Focus--I design HTML email newsletters, and yet I still let people choose a plain text version if they'd prefer. And many do. (And yes, they still go on to be clients.)

...................................... Did you keep it small? ...................................... File size is crucial to your readers on dial-up. It's also a big deal to those readers who route subscriptions to limited-size email boxes (like Yahoo accounts).

HTML automatically means a larger file size--don't make readers mad by sending bloated code, too.