Email sequences, promos, transactional emails

Email copywriting services

Email copy has four parts: a subject line that gets the message opened, a preheader that continues it, the body of the email and one clear call to action. We write all four for welcome sequences, promotional, transactional and win-back emails. A writer builds the email, an editor checks it against your brief and the facts, and you get a document that's ready to paste into your email platform.

A sample email, annotated

01 Basics

What email newsletter copywriting is, and why it needs its own writer

Email marketing means emails you send to people who gave you their address themselves: subscribers, customers, webinar attendees. A newsletter goes to the whole list on a set day. A triggered email goes out automatically after something a person did, such as signing up, buying or abandoning a cart.

We don't handle the technical side: setting up the platform, building the template, warming up a domain. That's the job of an email marketer. Our part is the words. And words in email work harder than words on a website, because the reader has no reason to continue past the subject line. An email nobody opens doesn't exist, and one that's opened and closed at the second paragraph hasn't done its job.

So hiring an email copywriter makes sense when nobody on your side has hours to spend on a subject line, your platform is already set up and the template is waiting for text. We work as a link in a chain: Roholeva handles copy, the website and promotion in one team, so the email points to a page written by the same people.

02 Types of emails

The emails we write: welcome, promotional, transactional, win-back

Emails are either one-off or automatic. One-off emails go to the whole list on a chosen day. Automatic ones are sent by your platform when a person does something: subscribes, leaves an item in the cart, hasn't visited for six months.

01Welcome email sequence3–5 emailsA series for new subscribers: it introduces the company, explains what you'll write about and leads to the first purchase. A welcome sequence can run for years without changes, which is why we suggest starting here.
02Promotional emails1–2 emailsA sale, a new product, a seasonal offer. One offer per email, an expiry date and a button. If the promotion runs for a week, a reminder goes out on the last day.
03Transactional emailsby listOrder confirmation, delivery status, appointment reminder, a request for a review. People expect them and open them willingly, yet they're most often written by developers. Hence “Dear customer, your request has been processed.”
04Abandoned cart and win-back2–3 emailsA nudge for people who put something in the cart and left, and a message for those who haven't bought in a long time. Tone counts for more than the discount here: the reader should feel looked after, not watched.
05Regular newsletteron a scheduleAn article digest, company news, product picks. We write the issues to your plan in one voice, so subscribers recognise the email from its first line.

03 Example

Email copywriting examples: a sample email, annotated

The first email in a welcome sequence for an online tea shop. The shop, the promo code and the prices are invented. On the right is an explanation of why each part looks the way it does.

Email 1 · right after signup

Subject: Your 10% off, and which tea to try first

Preheader: Code inside, valid for 14 days

Email body

Hi Alex,

You signed up for The Tea Shelf newsletter, so here's what we promised: the code WELCOME10 takes 10% off your first order until March 24.

If you're not sure where to start, try the Starter set: six teas, 25 grams each, from a soft oolong to a strong pu-erh. In a week you'll know what you like, and you won't have bought 100 grams of something at random.

[Button: See the Starter set]

After this we'll write once a week, on Thursdays: how to brew, what just arrived, what's on sale. You can unsubscribe at any time with the link at the bottom.

Why it's built this way

Four decisions in this email

The subject says what's inside. The person signed up for the discount, so the discount comes first. The line is short enough that a phone mail app won't cut it off.

The preheader doesn't repeat the subject. It adds a fact: the code is already inside, and it expires.

One action. No banner for another sale, no “you may also like” block, no three buttons.

The last paragraph says what to expect. A person who knows what will arrive, and when, is less likely to hit “Report spam.”

04 Subject and preheader

Email subject lines: how to write them and stay out of spam

The subject line and the preheader are all a person sees before deciding. The subject answers “what's in it for me,” and the preheader adds a second reason to open. We don't promise open rates: they depend on the list and the sending domain, not only on the words.

Subject of a promotional emailclothing store, invented example

Our biggest sale ever. Up to 70% off everything. Don't miss out

Winter jackets at half price until Sunday

why: “Biggest sale” and “don't miss out” sit in every second email in the inbox. A named product, the size of the discount and the last day set the email apart from its neighbors and fit on one line of a phone screen.

Win-back emailonline language school, invented example

We miss you! Come back, amazing offers are waiting for you!!!

Alex, your Spanish course has been paused since May. Pick up at lesson 14?

why: “Offers” promises nothing, while lesson 14 shows the email was written about this person. Exclamation marks and capital letters raise the risk of landing in Promotions or spam.

What we avoid in a subject line to keep spam risk down

words in capital letters, strings of exclamation marks and “$$$” symbols;
promises the email doesn't keep (clickbait costs you trust in the next emails);
“Re:” or “Fwd:” when the email isn't a reply;
subjects longer than 40 to 50 characters: the mail app will cut the tail anyway.

Beyond the words, spam placement depends on the reputation of the domain, how the list was built, the authentication settings and complaints from recipients. That part stays with your email marketer. We make sure the words don't let them down.

05 Sequence

Welcome email sequence: the plan and the price

Four emails in the first nine days after signup. This is a starting point. For your product, and for how long people take to choose it, we change the number of emails and the gaps between them. Three emails cost from $540, four from $720, five from $900 and seven from $1,260.

Day 0
What was promised
The thing the person gave their address for: a discount, a checklist, access. Plus two sentences on what you'll write and how often.
→ the email is opened, the sender remembered
Day 2
Usefulness
We help them choose or get started: a short guide, a starter pick, the answer to the most common question.
→ the first click to your site
Day 5
Proof
A customer story, reviews, an explanation of why you. Whatever removes the main objection: “what if it isn't right for me.”
→ trust
Day 9
The offer
A reminder that the discount is about to expire, or the simplest possible first step. One email, one button.
→ the first purchase

06 Brief

What we need from you to write your emails

You don't need a full technical spec. Answer seven questions in any form, even as a voice note in Telegram, and we'll help you word anything you're unsure of.

Who we're writing to. New subscribers, customers, people who left. One email is written for one type of person.
What should happen after the email. A click to a page, a purchase, a reply, a visit. One goal per email.
What the person already knows about you. Subscribed yesterday or buying for the second year.
Facts and terms. Prices, expiry dates, promo code, limits, what you may promise.
Tone. Formal or friendly, with a joke or without. Two or three emails you like help more than a description.
Your platform's limits. Maximum headline length, number of blocks. Tell us before we start so nothing gets redone.
Who sends it. The sender name and signature: the company, a person, the founder.

The text arrives in Google Docs. From there you or your designer move it into Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo or any other platform. We don't build the HTML layout of the email.

07 Scope

What's included in an email, and what stays with you

Subject and preheader for every email. If your platform supports A/B tests, we give two subject variants.
The body with the call to action and the button label.
The sequence map: the gaps between emails and the conditions under which a person leaves the sequence. For example, they bought after the second email and no longer need the third.
Notes for the designer: where the headline, the button and the image go.

Stays with you or your email marketer

Building the email layout and setting up automations in the platform.
The list of addresses. We write for people who gave you their email themselves. We don't write for purchased lists: those emails land in spam and damage your domain's reputation.
Images and banners. We'll say what they should show, but we don't draw them.

08 Prices

Email copywriting rates: what an email costs

One email costs from $180, including the subject, preheader and call to action. A four-email welcome sequence is from $720. We confirm the exact amount after the brief, once it's clear how many emails you need.

A mailing rarely works on its own: emails lead to a page, and the same promotion is repeated in posts and ads.
Service	What's included	Turnaround	Price
Email copywriting	Subject line, preheader, body copy, call to action	2–3 days	from $180 / email
Social media copy	Post copy, hook, call to action, hashtags if needed	from 3 posts a day	from $60 / post
Ad copy	Several headline and body variants sized for each platform	2–3 days	from $0.28 / word
Business proposals	Brief, structure, copy, layout recommendations	4–5 days	from $750 / proposal
Website and landing page copy	Brief, competitor review, wireframe, copy for every block	5–7 days	from $1,200 / landing page

Why an email costs more than the market floor

On freelance marketplaces, email packages can cost several times less. The difference is what sits behind the price. Ours includes questions about your list and product, work on the subject with several variants, an editor who checks the facts and promotion terms against your brief, and a fast reply with a quote. An email with a wrong date or promo code costs more than any saving, because you can't recall it.

09 Languages

Emails for English-speaking and Ukrainian audiences

We write English and Ukrainian emails from scratch rather than translating one into the other, because a translated email shows: the phrasing gives it away at once. German and French emails are translated and adapted from a finished original. Terms and prices are on the page about copywriting in other languages, and if you already have emails and need them in another language, that is translation.

If you have drafts generated by a language model, we can edit them: remove stock phrases like “we are pleased to offer,” check the facts, add specifics. New emails are written by a person.

10 Questions

Questions about email copywriting

How much does one email cost, and how much does a sequence cost?

One email is from $180, covering the subject, preheader, body and call to action. A sequence is priced by the number of emails: three from $540, five from $900. We give the exact amount after the brief.

What does the price include: subject, preheader, body, CTA?

All four parts. We also give subject variants for testing, the sequence map with the gaps, and notes for the designer. Layout and setup inside the email platform stay with you.

How long should a subject line be, and what is a preheader?

The main point should fit in roughly the first 30 to 40 characters, which is about what a phone mail app shows. The preheader is the line after the subject that the mail app displays in the inbox list. If you don't set one, the start of the email goes there, often “Trouble viewing this email? Open in browser.” A good preheader continues the subject and gives one more reason to open.

How many emails should a welcome sequence have, and how long does it take to write?

Usually three to five. For inexpensive products that people buy quickly, three emails in a week are enough. For expensive services with a long decision, the sequence runs over several weeks and includes emails with case studies. Writing takes about 2 to 3 days per email, and we agree the final schedule at the brief.

Does the copy depend on the platform: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, HubSpot?

Hardly at all. We deliver the text in Google Docs, and you or your designer move it into the platform. If your template limits headline length or the number of blocks, tell us before we start.

Do you guarantee an open rate?

No. Opens depend on the state of the list, the domain's reputation, the sending time and whether people look forward to your emails. The text controls the subject and preheader, and those are what you should test: send two versions to parts of the list and see which gets opened more.

Can I order emails in English?

Yes. English and Ukrainian are written from scratch, and German and French emails are translated and adapted from a finished original. Details are on the page about other languages.

Is it worth starting with one email if my list is small?

Yes. For a small list, a welcome email and one regular series a month is often enough. Build out longer sequences once you can see which emails people read.

Do you write cover emails for business proposals?

Yes. It's a short email of three or four sentences: why you're writing to this person and what's attached. We write the proposal itself separately, and it has its own page on business proposals.

11 Related

Email copywriting services

What email newsletter copywriting is, and why it needs its own writer

The emails we write: welcome, promotional, transactional, win-back

Email copywriting examples: a sample email, annotated

Four decisions in this email

Email subject lines: how to write them and stay out of spam

What we avoid in a subject line to keep spam risk down

Welcome email sequence: the plan and the price

What was promised

Usefulness

Proof

The offer