Dear Anon-O-Box: Is “(No Subject)” Worse Than “Hi” For A Dating Email Subject Line?

Dear Anon-O-Box,

I know it’s important to create a subject line that stands out. I usually don’t write the subject until after I’ve written a good email, because I want the subject to relate to something in the email. But, at times, I’ve forgotten to put something in the subject before clicking “send”. (I don’t know why some sites even allow that.)

Is it better to just let the email go without the subject, or should I sent a follow-up that says “Whoops! I sent that too quick.”?

- Quick Clicker

e answers:

I had to think a bit about this one. There’s an answer I’m going to give YOU, and an answer I’m going to give some other people who aren’t you.

Your Answer:

Since you’re obviously crafting an email that is personalized and tailored to her profile, I would not send a follow-up email to draw attention to your (No Subject) subject line. If she’s the kind of girl who will appreciate your email and want to respond, the lack of a subject line shouldn’t turn her off.  (This is especially true if you have a great dating profile and good pictures.)  In fact, by leaving off your subject line, you’ve given her a low-stress thing she can write you back about.  ”Hey, you wrote me this great email, but I guess you go so excited to send it, you forgot to put in a subject…

For Guys Who Use the Cut-N-Paste Email Approach:

Seriously, quit it.  Write a real email and a real subject line. We can tell when you’ve sent the same email to everyone with appropriate genitalia in a 50 mile radius. It stinks of laziness and desperation, which IMO is even worse than the smell of Axe Body Spray. Check out our Guide to Geek Dating Success and learn how to write a real email that will get the responses you’ve been dying to see in your mailbox.

Happy dating, geek friends!

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Comments

  1. Desult says:

    As a heavy email user (although not a sexy single lady), I must say that I despise intentionally blank subject lines. Accidentally blank subject lines are annoying – but a follow up email would only compound the annoyance.

    They may have a harder time finding the email in a week, but at least they won’t delete it with an “ugh, this person is trying waaaaay too hard” vibe.
    .-= Desult´s last blog ..Django! Migrations! Can you dig it? =-.

  2. Michelle says:

    And even worse than one or the other above is the HI in the subject line and something along the lines of “i liked your profile, we should talk.” Really? What compelling reason have you given me to even want to talk to you? 1. a catchy subject line-NO 2. a basic idea that you’ve even read my profile-NO 3. any information about you other than what’s in the profile i can read-NO 4. a lack of initiative-YES 3. pure laziness–YES YES YES.

    *winks, waves, and other elements such as those fall directly in with the above.*
    .-= Michelle´s last blog ..Horns by Joe Hill =-.

  3. e says:

    @ Desult – My thoughts exactly. If your email is good, I’ll assume you accidentally forgot the subject. If you send a separate email to apologize, you’re gonna smell like desperation.

    @ Michelle – Ha, yes. Those are the guys who send the same exact email to 50 women at a time, hoping SOMEONE will write back.

  4. Dave_R says:

    I have been a perpetrator of the copy/paste faux pas. Reading this tonight has shown me the error of my ways and I now look to attempt redemption to those I have once slighted.

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