I just discovered this!

✉️ Gmail templates to save time

Click “Listen to Post” to hear me read it. I record every Weekly Artists Newsletter just for you.

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Hi everyone,

I’m really excited to share a Gmail trick that I just discovered. You can SAVE TEMPLATES for specific types of emails. Maybe you already knew this, but if you didn’t, I’ll explain how to do it.

Why make templates?

I keep my email templates in a Google Doc (I wrote about them here). When I’m ready sending a pitch to agents, publishers, or stores, or if I’m following up about a commission, all I need to do is copy and paste the text into an email. Of course I personalize the email, but a lot of information about pricing, timeline, how to order, etc… stays the same, so it’s useful to have a template that is ready to go.

The problem with pasting text into Gmail is that links, formatting, and attachments need to be done manually. But with Gmail templates, I can save all of my formatting and links! I had been formatting each email individually, so if you’re doing the same thing, here’s how you can make a gmail template instead…

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How to make an email template on Gmail:

1. Open Gmail and click this button to open your Settings:

   

2. Then click the word Advanced:

   

3. Select Enable to active email templates

   

4. Create a new email, and while it’s in draft form, you can save it as a template:

   

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How to access the template later:

Click “compose” to start a new email. Then choose the three dots and select Templates. Click your saved template, and the email will populate with everything you’ve already written, and you’ll have saved a bunch of time.

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Templates that I wrote to save myself time:

• Emails pitches to stores (more on that here)

• Specific product pitches, like for my DIY Sticker Cards

• Illustration portfolio pitches for agents and publishers

• Emails for commissions for different points in the process (the first email with all the info, one for the invoice, etc…)

By having all of these pre-saved in my gmail, I can quickly click them and then write something more personal to the client, publisher, etc… It’s a great hack that has saved me tons of time!

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So next time you’re writing a pitch about your portfolio or a product, save it! Your future self will thank you :) Gmail templates have been a huge discovery for me, so I hope that sharing it will save you some time too!

If you have any other gmail tips or thoughts about this time saving hack, the comments are always open :)

See you next week for the Monthly Newsletter,

Katie

PS - If this tip was useful, check out the Library of Guides and Toolkits for more posts about children’s book illustration, greeting cards, and commissions!