your emails are worth reading. let's make sure people actually open them.

A free guide to writing subject lines that sound like a human wrote them — because you did.

if you've ever stared at the subject line field for ten minutes and typed something like "August Newsletter" — this is for you.

Subject lines matter. Not because of some algorithm trick or psychological hack, but because they're the first signal your reader gets about whether this email is worth their time. A good subject line says: there's a real person here, writing something real.

This free guide is a collection of 50 subject lines and preview texts from my own emails — the ones that actually got opened, replied to, and forwarded. I've been sending a weekly email to my community for years, and these came out of real emails about real things: money, politics, my kids, cucumber beetles, my business, my failures, my partner, my dad dying.

Your voice will sound different from mine, and that's the whole point.

Drop your email below and I'll send it right over.

No spam. No hard sell. Just occasional emails I actually wrote, about building a business that doesn't hollow you out. Unsubscribe any time, no guilt.

what's inside the download

50 subject lines + preview texts from my real emails, shuffled and labeled by style so you can see the patterns
9 subject line styles I rotate through — story openers, single words, vulnerable takes, genuine questions, and more
What's actually happening with open rates right now (hint: the numbers are less reliable than they used to be, and here's why)
Sender reputation explained in plain English — including the technical thing that tanked my open rates to 10% and how to make sure it doesn't happen to you
How to segment your list so you're sending the right thing to the right people without it being a whole project
Words and phrases to avoid that trigger spam filters (and what to do instead)
How to write your own — prompts, questions, and a simple process that starts with the email, not the subject line
A note on voice and intimacy — including how to adapt this if you're more product-focused or not ready to write from inside your life

yeah, I'm in!

wait — isn't email marketing just... marketing?

fair question.

email marketing, in the mainstream sense, is usually about funnels. lead nurturing. conversion optimization. moving people through a sequence until they buy something. it treats your subscribers like prospects and your relationship with them like a pipeline.

that's not what i'm talking about.

the way i use email is closer to a community newsletter than a sales tool. it's how i stay in genuine relationship with people who care about similar things — ethical business, collective care, building something sustainable without burning yourself out or exploiting anyone else. sometimes i have something to sell. a lot of the time i'm just writing because i have something to say.

email also happens to be one of the few places online where you're not at the mercy of an algorithm. you're not paying meta to reach your own community. you're not optimizing for engagement metrics designed to keep people scrolling. you write something, it goes directly to the people who asked for it, and they decide what to do with it.

that feels really rad and worthwhile to me.

so yes — i care about subject lines. not because i want to trick anyone into opening an email, but because if i'm going to write something worth reading, i want it to actually get read.

💬 What People Are Saying

Sandi Konta

“Emily is an incredibly generous, engaging, and knowledgeable anti-capitalist business coach. Her workshops and advice have helped me build a business that aligns with my values. In addition to being an expert at taking an anti-capitalist approach, she has a wealth of knowledge about marketing and sales. You will benefit from spending time in her orbit. Highly recommend her offerings!”

Rose Sylvester

“Emily Eley is a badass and I feel extremely inspired by her. She makes running a business feel possible and accessible when it can feel overwhelming and impossible. I attend as many of her events as I am able while I'm getting my therapy practice underway. I look forward to revisiting her material and suggestions 1 year, 2 years and 10 years into my business.”

Jo Ann Endo

“Emily runs very practical business coaching workshops and office hours. She helps demystify a lot of the things we all need to do to run a business, and she does it with kindness, compassion, and humor. I want to run my business in a human-centered way, and Emily validated that approach from the first webinar I joined. I've been recommending her to everyone I know who has their own business or is thinking of starting one.”

👋 a little about me

Hey, I'm Emily. I'm an anti-capitalist business coach, activist & organizer, parent, and firm believer that business can be a tool for liberation, not exploitation.

I help small business owners build values-aligned businesses that center care, community, and sustainability — not hustle, urgency, or endless growth.

My emails are personal. I write from inside my life — my chickens, my finances, my politics, the things I'm figuring out. That's what this guide reflects. If that's not your style, there's still plenty in here that'll work for you.

If you ever want deeper support — whether you're overwhelmed, in transition, or just craving thoughtful partnership — my 1:1 coaching might be a good fit. I offer financial aid because I believe this work should be accessible, and I'm proud to be a VSAC-approved non-degree course provider here in Vermont.

No pressure, no funnels, just honest support when you're ready.

learn more about my coaching