This week I spent more time sending emails than doing anything else. Email etiquette was one of my biggest concerns before I started my internship and until this week -despite sending many, many, many emails during the past month-I still had reservations. We all know to avoid the dreadful “To Whom It May Concern” and to use spell check (often) but there are many other pitfalls that unsuspecting interns can fall into. I interviewed an expert a few weeks ago and she told me that she knew I was rookie because of the formality of my emails. Trust me, that is a phrase you do not want to hear. In hopes of never having my stomach drop into my sensible yet stylish intern-approved wedge sandals, I reached out to one of the editors and asked her just what was up with subject lines, greetings, punctuation and everything in between. I’ve restructured her advice into these tips for a perfectly professional email, from start to finish.Â
 1) What’s in a name?  Everything. In the magazine industry Mr. _____ and Mrs. ______ are what people call their parents. It’s not Mrs. Wintour, it’s Anna. Overly formal prefixes expose your brand-spankin’-new intern status before whoever you’re emailing even reads your first sentence so check mastheads and phone directories for first names and use them instead. This goes for anyone in the editorial industry but not for people outside of it. If you’re doing research or reaching out for possible interviews, always start your email out with Mr., Ms., or Dr. _____. And remember, it’s always Ms., not Mrs., or Miss.,Â
2) You Don’t Have to Shout…but sometimes it helps. When you’re emailing people in your office it’s okay to show enthusiasm. I was initially taken aback by all of the exclamation points I saw during my first week as an editorial intern but then I got used to it and began using them myself.
 While this enthusiastic punctuation mark is usually frowned upon in academia, the editor I asked confirmed that they are perfectly acceptable in professional emails. Just make sure that every sentence doesn’t end this way! It gets a little overwhelming! It can start to seem kind of silly! Eventually, it even becomes irritating! So try and avoid overdoing it! Still, there is nothing wrong with expressing that you’re delighted to take on a new assignment! Or that you appreciate the feedback! However, no matter how often your editor sees fit to capitalize a few words for emphasis….LEAVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY ALONE. IT’S NOT FOR US INTERNS.Â
3) Blocks or Brief? Smart interns will say brief… and editors always agree. No one has time to read lengthy blocks of text so try and keep whatever you have to say to around a paragraph. At first it might seem tricky but eventually you’ll be able to introduce yourself, cut to the chase and make your request/update your editor/ask for a interview and wrap it all up in less words than it takes to describe your extracurricular activities on a college application.Â
4) Spamalot. Editors are used to getting their inboxes flooded with things they don’t want to read. They are used to pressing the delete button.
 They are used to marking things as spam. It is up to you as an intern to figure out if your editors appreciate follow-up emails (my editors love them) or if they would rather be left alone until you finish an assignment. What’s the easiest way to ensure your emails don’t get sent to the little pixel trash can? Ask your editor about his or her preference. However, if you’re sending emails to people outside of the office, always make sure to follow up with a thank you or a confirmation.Â
5) With Sincerest Warm Regards from Yours Truly. How you sign your emails is a compilation of all of the previous advice in this post. It speaks to your level of professionalism and its the last taste you leave in your readers mouth. Again, less is more. No matter how warmly you regard someone, or how sincere your message is, a quick “Thank you” is probably best. You can even include an exclamation point.Â
Have any questions about editorial internships, endless spare time or emails? Shoot me an email (I don’t mind if you warmly regard me) at amber.rambharose@hercampus.com and ask me anything, or follow me on twitter @amberdeexterous. I’d love to hear from you!