Agricultural Communications and Journalism

1. Spell names correctly
   • If you can't find out any other way, call the office of the person to whom you are writing.
   • When in doubt, use Ms. -- don't guess a woman's marital status.
   
   
2. Use correct addresses
   • Follow the guidelines for addressing envelopes from the U.S. Postal Service.
   
   
3. Include only one topic per letter
   • Know the purpose and write to that purpose.
   • Keep the reading time under 1.5 minutes.
   
   
4. Be courteous and considerate of the reader
   • Respect readers as people and professionals.
   • Use praise, but not flattery.
   • Don't exaggerate -- maintain trust.
   
   
5. Write a great first sentence
   • Get to the point.
   • Let the reader know if the letter is a reply to their correspondence.
   • Example (from a letter soliciting funds for UNICEF):
     "In the ten seconds it took you to open and begin to read this letter, four children died from the effects of malnutrition or disease somewhere in the world."
   
   
6. Stop when you're through
   • Avoid "call if you have questions" types of endings.
   • Can include a personal note if you are close friends.
   
   
7. Highlight important words/points
   • Use underlining.
   • Use boldface type.
   • Use italics.
   • Use larger font sizes
   • Use ALL CAPS, but use them sparingly.
   
   
8. Use standard English
   • Avoid telescoping sentences.
   • Avoid incomplete sentences.
   • Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
   
   
9. Edit and rewrite
   • Avoid having all paragraphs the same length.
   • Use short and varied sentences. Keep the average sentence length between 7 and 17 words.
   • Avoid jargon (terms that are highly technical and understood by only a few people).
   • Avoid flowery terms (e.g., magnificent, exceptional).
   • Use active voice.
   • Use short words.
   
   
10. Follow the seven c's
    Each letter/memorandum should be:
    • conversational
    • clear
    • concise
    • complete
    • concrete
    • constructive
    • correct