Is a bigger email list always a better one?

Is a bigger email list always a better one?

We all love watching the subscriber count climb. But size alone can quietly sink you, and here's the catch: dead weight (people who never open) drags down your reputation. Inbox providers notice when most of your list ignores you, and they start filing you in spam, even for the fans who love you.

The fix is counterintuitive:
— Periodically remove people who haven't opened in 6+ months.
✅ Before deleting, send a "still want these emails?" note and keep only those who click.
— Judge health by engagement rate, not headcount.

A clean list of 1,000 active readers beats a rotting list of 10,000.

Tiny homework: find how many subscribers haven't opened anything in 6 months. Just look, no deleting yet.

New here? Start with the basics above.