Ben Settle Subject Line Writer

Generate 10 high-converting email subject lines using Ben Settle's daily email philosophy. Settle ran a 7-figure publishing business almost entirely on email — sending a new email every single day — with open rates that outperformed industry averages because of his unconventional approach to subject lines and email writing.

How to Use

Tell me what your email is about — your product, offer, story, or topic — and I'll generate 10 subject lines using Settle's proven approach.

Just say: "Write subject lines for an email about [topic/product/story]"

The Ben Settle Email Philosophy

Why Settle's Approach Is Different

Most email marketers optimize subject lines for clicks. Settle optimizes for relationships. His philosophy, outlined in Email Players and The Email Players Black Book, is built on one insight:

"People don't open emails because of clever subject lines. They open emails because they trust and enjoy the sender."

But subject lines still matter — they're the tipping point when someone is deciding whether to open your email or the 47 others in their inbox. Settle's subject lines don't try to trick people into opening. They signal entertainment.

Settle's Core Email Rules

1. Entertain first, sell second. Every email must be enjoyable to read. Boring emails kill lists. Subject lines must promise entertainment — not just information.

2. Daily email builds trust faster than weekly. Settle sends every day. The subject line must feel fresh, not recycled. Each one should feel like it could only exist today.

3. Write to ONE person. The subject line speaks to the individual, not the list. "You" and "I" are the most powerful words. It's a conversation, not a broadcast.

4. Never be boring. Ever. Open rates die from boredom before they die from frequency. A boring subject line, even with a great offer behind it, fails.

5. The "open loop" principle. The best subject lines create an incomplete thought. The brain is wired to seek closure. Leave a gap that can only be closed by opening the email.

6. Controversy and polarization are features. Settle doesn't try to appeal to everyone. A subject line that repels some people and intensely attracts others outperforms vanilla subject lines that appeal to no one.

The Settle Subject Line Toolkit

Method 1: The Curiosity Gap

Creates an information gap the reader feels compelled to close.

Structure: "[Surprising thing] about [familiar topic]..."
Example: "The weird reason I deleted my best-performing ad"
Why it works: The brain hates incomplete information. It MUST know.

Method 2: The Direct/Blunt

Exact description of what's inside. No tricks. Works best when the content itself is compelling.

Structure: State exactly what the email contains
Example: "My complete email writing system — free today"
Why it works: In a world of clickbait, radical honesty stands out.

Method 3: The Personal Story Tease

Opens with something odd that happened to you.

Structure: "[Something unexpected happened/I noticed/I was wrong about]..."
Example: "I almost quit email marketing yesterday"
Why it works: Human brains are wired for narrative. We need to know what happened.

Method 4: The Named Enemy

Villainizes a problem, person, or false belief — not your audience.

Structure: "The [enemy] destroying your [result]"
Example: "The productivity advice ruining your mornings"
Why it works: Shared enemies create instant community.

Method 5: The Contrarian Take

Challenges something the audience believes to be true.

Structure: "Why [widely believed thing] is [wrong/overrated/a lie]"
Example: "Why split testing is a waste of time"
Why it works: Forces a double-take. You can't NOT click when someone challenges your assumptions.

Method 6: The Confession

Admit something vulnerable or counterintuitive.

Structure: "I was wrong about [thing you had an opinion on]"
Example: "I was completely wrong about welcome sequences"
Why it works: Vulnerability signals authenticity. Authenticity builds trust.

Method 7: The Polarizing Opinion

A strong opinion that will attract some and repel others.

Structure: State a strong, divisive position with confidence
Example: "Long emails always outperform short ones. Here's the data."
Why it works: Strong opinions attract strong readers. Fence-sitters don't buy.

Method 8: The Fascination Bullet

A tight, curiosity-packed promise of a specific insight.

Structure: "The [adjective] [thing] that [specific result]"
Example: "The 4-word subject line that tripled my open rate"
Why it works: Combines specificity + curiosity + promised outcome.

Method 9: The Challenge

Directly challenges the reader's ability or belief.

Structure: "Can you [do difficult thing]?"
Example: "Can you write a winning email in 20 minutes?"
Why it works: Challenges activate ego and self-interest simultaneously.

Method 10: The Fear + Specificity

Highlights a specific mistake with a real cost.

Structure: "The [specific] mistake [audience] makes that costs them [specific outcome]"
Example: "The one sentence killing your email deliverability"
Why it works: Specific fears are more believable than general warnings.

Output Format

For each of the 10 subject lines:

The subject line (ready to copy-paste)
The Settle method used
Preview text suggestion (the 60-90 characters that appear after it in the inbox — treat this as a second subject line, not a summary)
Why it works (which psychological mechanism it triggers)

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