Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works [Paperback]

Mathew Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2010

Build Your Own HTML Email is a step-by-step guide to creating HTML emails. It begins with an introduction to email covering topics such as: how email design differs to web design; different types of emails; and the anatomy of an email.

The book then shows the reader how to build simple HTML email designs, then goes on to explain more advanced techniques. Finally the book covers important tasks like testing, spam compliance, and known hacks and workarounds.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mathew Patterson is the community manager at Freshview, the team behind the popular email newsletter web apps, Campaign Monitor and MailBuild. In past lives he was a web designer for the Australian Stock Exchange and Priceline Europe among others. He runs Designers Inhouse, the list for web designers in non-design firms, and recently spoke at the Future of Web Design in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: SitePoint; 1 edition (April 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980576865
• ISBN-13: 978-0980576863
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, free sample code and examples. What more do you need?, May 23, 2010

By 

C. Miller "IdoNotes" (Missouri) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works (Paperback)

With the recent switch I had of all of my newsletter subscriptions (found in upper right of my blogs as well), I wanted to make sure I could give content that pretty much every mail client could read. This book was right on time. Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works (Disclosure: I received the book as a review copy selection and am allowed to say whatever I wish)

The first thing I realized is that every mail client renders so many parts of HTML email differently. The book is only ~139 pages, but it hits home fast with tons of free sample code to download. The author of the book is with a large email distribution platform, so the knowledge was definitely there. The chapters broke down as follows:
<ol>
<li>Why Email?</li>
<li>Planning an Email Campaign</li>
<li>Design for the Inbox</li>
<li>Coding Your Emails</li>
<li>Understanding Permission</li>
<li>Selling Email To Your Clients</li>
</ol>
Chapter 6 was for those that provide solutions to businesses and customers. He did a good job summarizing, but I will skip that part of the review since I read the other chapters twice.

He does an excellent job covering the business case and some basic statistics. But, more importantly, how people interact via email compared to other mediums. From the opening chapter he delves into formatting, structure and client support. I think it was one of the most important areas for anyone to be aware of. With the listing of numerous tables, it showed how every email client provider lacks support for so many areas of tags, formats and just plain simple HTML.

He gives great visual examples from numerous newsletters, makes block representation of successful examples and then gives away about 30 free templates to start using immediately that will work with any client type (outside of text clients of course).

The chapter on permission and some legal requirements was well needed for anyone getting into HTML mail. Some would think that HTML email is past it's time. Web 2.0 is the total future and stop wasting time on just email. After seeing the power of what it can do on my own the past few months, I am sold.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where's the beef?, February 22, 2011

By 

Frogman (Cupertino, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works (Paperback)

Book's only 137 pages, poorly written, unenlightened, repetitive, decidedly dull, and reads like a preface. Tirelessly promotes author's company, Campaign Monitor. Conveys negligible technical information; even within its paltry 137 pages, resorts to tiresome screen shots and tables for filler material. Self-published quality. I'll steer clear of other Sitepoint publications: their standards are LOW.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but he forgot to teach the basics of sending HTML emails, November 28, 2010

By 

book worm (Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works (Paperback)

The book itself is useful, but I searched the entire book and could not find out how to send the HTML emails I created. How could the author overlook something like that ? I Googled and Youtubed and found out that you cannot send HTML emails directly with Yahoo, you have to upload it as an attachment, and nothing on how to send HTML emails with Outlook 2007. With Outlook Express you can choose the rich text (HTML) option, then choose to see the source code and cut & paste the email you've created. I couldn't believe the author not showing readers how to send the emails. It's like writing a book on how to build a website and not showing readers how to upload their site.