Email is the number one communication tool for both business and personal, and has been since AOL’s famous catchphrase “You’ve Got Mail.” In fact, its usage continually grows. This year alone, 347.3 BILLION emails are sent on average daily, and this is expected to grow by approximately 4.5% next year.
With so many emails being sent and received, how can we personalize them to show a bit of who we are to those we’re communicating with? Sure, personal emails can have fun and funky greetings and give off a more relaxed and personable tone, but what about professionally? Adding some spice or words of wisdom to an email signature can surely give a deeper sense of the person behind the screen.
So, let’s explore some literary quotes that would freshen up your email signature and maybe spark an interesting conversation.
Personal Email Signatures
Usually, if you’re sending a personal email, you already know the recipient. But even if that’s not the case, this is the opportunity to show them who you are. Maybe it’s also a time to let them know what you think, believe, and hold true, even if there’s a bit of side-eye thrown in.
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
―Mark Twain
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
―Paulo Coelho, The Alchiemist
“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”
―J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Maybe you’re feeling a bit spunky, and your recipient isn’t someone you’re a fan of. It doesn’t hurt to be subtle in your send-off.
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
―Oscar Wilde
Professional Email Signatures
Ah, the battleground of the business world. Where most of the work gets done because we all know it’s not in the boardroom or on Zoom. Email signatures here have to play a certain role, dependent on many factors. Whether you’re the team manager or the administrative assistant, the CEO or the grunt doing most of the active work, it’s important that your signature convey the right message. Here are some of my favorites, from inspirational to sassy.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
―T.S.Elliot
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
―Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go
“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone … just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
―F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
―Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
—William Shakespeare
For Any Signature
These gems can be placed in just about any email, so I’m not limiting them to the above categories.
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
―Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.”
―Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
“To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
―Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
―J.R.R. Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring
“Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.”
―Alice Walker, The Color Purple
Getting a bit snarky, are we?
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.”
―Isaac Amisov
We spend hours a day reading emails; there might as well be a bit of fun involved. Add a new literary quote to your email signature and see where it takes you. You never know; new friendships might be created, your business rival might see you in a new, more intimidating light, and you might just spark a back-and-forth signature war that’ll keep you entertained!
Want more literary quotes? Check out these articles!