what to do if your emails are too long

I recently watched the entire second season of Severance.

10 episodes.

Spread across 10 agonizing weeks.

And you know what?

I would’ve gladly binged the entire thing in one friggin’ sitting if I could.

Why?

Because I was hooked on the story.

And this same principle applies to your emails.

You see, when subscribers complain about your emails being "too long"... 

What they're really saying is "not interesting enough."

This is why publishers who focus purely on delivering information struggle to maintain engagement.

Information alone doesn't hook people.

Stories do.

And here’s the kicker:

These same people who "don't have time" for a 3-minute email somehow find time to binge watch entire shows, scroll TikTok for hours, and get lost in Instagram rabbit holes.

In other words:

People don't actually lack time… 

They lack interest.

Luckily, stories light up our brains like Christmas trees. 

They trigger emotions… 

And provide a Trojan horse for teachable moments.

That's the power of entertainment + education.

And why leading with story in your emails is so darn effective.

So the next time someone complains about the length of your emails… 

Don't make them shorter.

Make them more interesting.

Because at the end of the day… 

Nobody complains about the length of something they enjoy.

Jim Hamilton