# Proper punctuation for book title in an email subject line? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082 "2009-10-08T18:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/1 "2009-10-08T18:16:06Z")
Well? Is it OK to use quotes? I can’t seem to Google the answer but I bet someone here can. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/2 "2009-10-08T18:16:55Z")
Yup, quotes are fine whenever you can’t use italics. ---
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/3 "2009-10-08T18:33:46Z")
Thanks, Twickster! I have to RSVP to book launch party—words I would have never thought I would have to type. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/4 "2009-10-08T18:37:31Z")
Pretty glamorous! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/5 "2009-10-08T19:08:26Z")
Personally, I’d put underscores around the title, to indicate that the whole thing is underlined. But it’s not like I would get all huffy about someone using quotes, either. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/6 "2009-10-08T19:23:05Z")
I’m an old-fashioned girl, who got through a PhD without word processing. When I was a girl, italics weren’t an option, so we did everything with quotation marks. ---
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/7 "2009-10-08T22:02:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Personally, I’d put underscores around the title, to indicate that the whole thing is underlined. But it’s not like I would get all huffy about someone using quotes, either. > [@twickster](#): > > I’m an old-fashioned girl, who got through a PhD without word processing. When I was a girl, italics weren’t an option, so we did everything with quotation marks. I don’t know how to do either of these in an email subject line. Do some email clients allow underscores/italics? If so, are you guaranteed the recipient’s client will display the subject line properly? ETA- Oh I understand what you’re saying, Chronos. I was having a comprehension problem. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-punctuation-for-book-title-in-an-email-subject-line/513082/8 "2009-10-09T00:02:30Z")
_Underscores_, not underline