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ISSUE NO. 12

July 2025

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How to Write an Official Letter in Four Easy Steps

By

Simon

Simon writes from Cessnock Correctional Centre in NSW.

Willy Pleasance

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Simon has been a professional writer, university lecturer and business owner for nearly forty years.

All of us need to write formal letters at different times in our life. Many of them will be for legal questions or problems. Some will be inquiries, complaints, job applications or requests for information. And some could be to support a legal appeal.

For many people, these letters can be a real pain to put together. And in prison, where there’s no internet, people have an even tougher time of it. In all the prisons I’ve been in I’d say less than one person in six has any confidence writing a letter.

Decades ago, when I worked in the Commonwealth Public Service, I learnt that most people struggle to write letters. A lot of the time, in our department, we had to ask for further information. This delayed inquiries even more. Even worse, loads of letters didn’t even make sense. It was usually obvious the writer was angry or in some kind of need, but we couldn’t work out exactly what they needed. And if someone was rude, well, best of luck getting a quick or helpful reply. Those letters were dumped into the “angry box” to cool off for a couple of months – or years.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau in the US warned that a half of all letters sent to companies are very weak, confused or even useless. Either they aren’t clear enough about what’s needed, or they aren’t precise enough. In other words, most letters miss the mark. They certainly miss opportunities to have
an impact.

So here’s a quick 4-step guide to writing a smart and powerful formal letter.

1. Pre-planning

Before you begin, ask yourself “what exactly do I want to achieve with this letter?” Am I crystal clear about what I want? Do I know exactly what I need, where it is and who I should ask? And importantly, is there something better I might ask for? Spend just five minutes thinking about all this.

If you just want to vent about a problem or about your situation, make sure you sharpen your arrow. Pick your battle. Be smart. Don’t rant!

Spend time finding out where to send the letter. This may not be as obvious as you first imagine.

  • Ask an officer or case manager for help.
  • Check out all the info on the inmate computers, especially the Legal Portal.
  • Make sure the contact details are up to date for the person you’re writing to.
  • Try to get hold of an organisational chart that sets out all the roles and names. This may help clarify who you need to contact.
  • If all else fails, ask a friend on the outside for help.

2. Structure

This is the design part. Think about how the letter might look. What are the different sections and what will you put in them? Write a few words for each of the following steps. You can bulk it out and make it look pretty later.

Who are you and what’s your situation or status?

This bit provides your basic information and should fit into one paragraph at the start of the letter. It should include a very brief description or what you want. So, who am I? Where am I? What’s my ID info or number? Why am I writing this letter?

Tell them about your problem and what you need

In many cases you’ll need to provide more information on your individual circumstances. This is the second paragraph. Unless you’re lodging some kind of appeal, keep this part short and simple. The reader doesn’t want or need to know what you had for breakfast back in the summer of ’69. If they need more details, they’ll ask for them.

Provide more background if necessary

This might be a narrative of the history of your case. It might include names, dates and particulars (remember though that most letters won’t need this level of detail).

Tell them one more time what you need

This is the final paragraph. It restates what you need and repeats your request. You would normally only do this in a fairly long letter.

3. Writing the letter

Presentation matters!

  • Use a ‘re’ field that states in a few words what a letter is about. For example: “Re: Problems with my application for a pilot’s licence.”
  • Always quote the reference (ref) number if you have it.
  • Don’t crush your letter. Put a space between the paragraphs. Use wide margins.

Style

When you start writing, there’s a Goldilocks principle to keep in mind. Make sure the temperature is just right.

  • Be direct but polite. Try to come over as professional and clear-headed (you attract more butterflies with honey than you ever do with vinegar).
  • Don’t get personal unless it’s to talk about yourself.
  • With government agencies, be cautious and diplomatic.
  • Don’t tell them their job. People hate that.
  • Thank them in advance for their help. Apologise for bothering them.

Always ask about alternative steps or other avenues in case they can’t help you.

Tip: If you’re not sure who will read your letter, just start the letter with “Good morning.”

4. Check it

Look carefully over your letter. Does it say what you need it to say? Is it clear and logical? Are there any spelling mistakes?

Example:

Fred Smith 99999

Cessnock Correctional Centre

PO Box 32

Cessnock NSW 2325

29 November 2023

The Officer in Charge

Licenses Division

Department of Shiny Things

Sydney NSW 2000

Good morning,
I am an inmate at Cessnock Correctional Centre (MIN 999 999) and I am preparing for release on 27 December 2023. I am writing to ask for an urgent appointment with your information services team.
I have had a commercial pilot’s licence in India since 1988, but I believe this fact will not be registered on your system. However, I need to know whether I can transfer the licence to Australia.
If you are unable to help me, would you please advise what further steps I can take?
Yours faithfully,
Fred Smith

Make sure you sign the letter as well.

Tip: If you know exactly who you are writing to, sign off with “Yours sincerely.” If you don’t know, it’s “Yours faithfully.”

Simon has been a professional writer, university lecturer and business owner for nearly forty years.

All of us need to write formal letters at different times in our life. Many of them will be for legal questions or problems. Some will be inquiries, complaints, job applications or requests for information. And some could be to support a legal appeal.

For many people, these letters can be a real pain to put together. And in prison, where there’s no internet, people have an even tougher time of it. In all the prisons I’ve been in I’d say less than one person in six has any confidence writing a letter.

Decades ago, when I worked in the Commonwealth Public Service, I learnt that most people struggle to write letters. A lot of the time, in our department, we had to ask for further information. This delayed inquiries even more. Even worse, loads of letters didn’t even make sense. It was usually obvious the writer was angry or in some kind of need, but we couldn’t work out exactly what they needed. And if someone was rude, well, best of luck getting a quick or helpful reply. Those letters were dumped into the “angry box” to cool off for a couple of months – or years.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau in the US warned that a half of all letters sent to companies are very weak, confused or even useless. Either they aren’t clear enough about what’s needed, or they aren’t precise enough. In other words, most letters miss the mark. They certainly miss opportunities to have
an impact.

So here’s a quick 4-step guide to writing a smart and powerful formal letter.

1. Pre-planning

Before you begin, ask yourself “what exactly do I want to achieve with this letter?” Am I crystal clear about what I want? Do I know exactly what I need, where it is and who I should ask? And importantly, is there something better I might ask for? Spend just five minutes thinking about all this.

If you just want to vent about a problem or about your situation, make sure you sharpen your arrow. Pick your battle. Be smart. Don’t rant!

Spend time finding out where to send the letter. This may not be as obvious as you first imagine.

  • Ask an officer or case manager for help.
  • Check out all the info on the inmate computers, especially the Legal Portal.
  • Make sure the contact details are up to date for the person you’re writing to.
  • Try to get hold of an organisational chart that sets out all the roles and names. This may help clarify who you need to contact.
  • If all else fails, ask a friend on the outside for help.

2. Structure

This is the design part. Think about how the letter might look. What are the different sections and what will you put in them? Write a few words for each of the following steps. You can bulk it out and make it look pretty later.

Who are you and what’s your situation or status?

This bit provides your basic information and should fit into one paragraph at the start of the letter. It should include a very brief description or what you want. So, who am I? Where am I? What’s my ID info or number? Why am I writing this letter?

Tell them about your problem and what you need

In many cases you’ll need to provide more information on your individual circumstances. This is the second paragraph. Unless you’re lodging some kind of appeal, keep this part short and simple. The reader doesn’t want or need to know what you had for breakfast back in the summer of ’69. If they need more details, they’ll ask for them.

Provide more background if necessary

This might be a narrative of the history of your case. It might include names, dates and particulars (remember though that most letters won’t need this level of detail).

Tell them one more time what you need

This is the final paragraph. It restates what you need and repeats your request. You would normally only do this in a fairly long letter.

3. Writing the letter

Presentation matters!

  • Use a ‘re’ field that states in a few words what a letter is about. For example: “Re: Problems with my application for a pilot’s licence.”
  • Always quote the reference (ref) number if you have it.
  • Don’t crush your letter. Put a space between the paragraphs. Use wide margins.

Style

When you start writing, there’s a Goldilocks principle to keep in mind. Make sure the temperature is just right.

  • Be direct but polite. Try to come over as professional and clear-headed (you attract more butterflies with honey than you ever do with vinegar).
  • Don’t get personal unless it’s to talk about yourself.
  • With government agencies, be cautious and diplomatic.
  • Don’t tell them their job. People hate that.
  • Thank them in advance for their help. Apologise for bothering them.

Always ask about alternative steps or other avenues in case they can’t help you.

Tip: If you’re not sure who will read your letter, just start the letter with “Good morning.”

4. Check it

Look carefully over your letter. Does it say what you need it to say? Is it clear and logical? Are there any spelling mistakes?

Example:

Fred Smith 99999

Cessnock Correctional Centre

PO Box 32

Cessnock NSW 2325

29 November 2023

The Officer in Charge

Licenses Division

Department of Shiny Things

Sydney NSW 2000

Good morning,
I am an inmate at Cessnock Correctional Centre (MIN 999 999) and I am preparing for release on 27 December 2023. I am writing to ask for an urgent appointment with your information services team.
I have had a commercial pilot’s licence in India since 1988, but I believe this fact will not be registered on your system. However, I need to know whether I can transfer the licence to Australia.
If you are unable to help me, would you please advise what further steps I can take?
Yours faithfully,
Fred Smith

Make sure you sign the letter as well.

Tip: If you know exactly who you are writing to, sign off with “Yours sincerely.” If you don’t know, it’s “Yours faithfully.”

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