LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
A short letter works when it covers one subject, one request, and only the facts the reader needs to act. Cut background the reader already knows, move detail to a follow-up note, and end with a clear next step. Most short letters need three or four paragraphs, no more.
Short does not mean thin. A short letter still has to answer the reader's questions: what is this about, why does it matter, and what should I do. The skill is not writing less for its own sake. It is leaving out everything that does not help the reader answer those three questions.
For most business and official letters, one page is the target. For a thank-you note or a simple request, half a page can be plenty. If your draft runs past a page, that is a signal, not a failure: either the letter covers two subjects, or it carries background the reader does not need. Split two subjects into two letters. Readers act on one clear request far faster than on a letter that asks three things at once.
Cut in this order. First, cut throat-clearing: apologies for writing, remarks about the weather, and long hopes that the reader is well. Second, cut background the reader already knows: a company does not need its own history retold, and an office does not need your full story when one date and one reference number will do. Third, cut repeated points. If you have said it once clearly, saying it again with different words does not make it truer. Fourth, cut hedges and qualifiers that soften the request into fog: strings of "perhaps", "possibly", and "at your earliest convenience" can often go, leaving a plain date instead.
| Before cutting | After cutting | What was removed |
|---|---|---|
| "I am writing to you today with regard to the matter of the charge that appeared on my account" | "I am writing about the charge on my March bill." | Filler phrases, vague wording |
| "As you may already be aware from our previous correspondence on this subject" | "As discussed on April 2" | A full clause replaced by one date |
| "I would be most grateful if you could possibly look into this at some point" | "Please correct this by May 15." | Hedges replaced by a clear ask and date |
Never cut the facts that identify the matter: your name, the account or reference number, the date of the event, and the amount or item in dispute, if any. A short letter that forces the reader to write back asking "which account?" has failed, however brief it is. Never cut the request itself, and never cut the deadline, if one applies. Never cut your contact details. A reader who agrees with you but cannot reach you is a lost outcome.
Also keep one line of courtesy. Short and rude are not the same thing. "Thank you for your help with this" costs one line and buys goodwill. The same applies to a closing: a short letter still ends with a proper sign-off and your name, not a sudden stop. Abruptness reads as carelessness, and carelessness makes readers doubt the facts.
Use three or four paragraphs. Paragraph one: purpose and identifying facts. Paragraph two: the essential detail, in as few sentences as the reader needs. Paragraph three: what you want, by when, and how to reach you. If the letter is personal rather than official, the shape changes: a warm opening line, one paragraph of news, and a warm close. Either way, each paragraph should do one job. A paragraph that mixes news, a request, and an apology is doing three jobs badly.
Lists help short letters stay short. When you need to give several facts, like dates, amounts, or items, a short list is clearer than a paragraph that strings them together with commas. Readers can check a list against their records at a glance. Keep lists short, though: a list of ten items in a "short" letter means the letter was not short after all.
Some letters need length. A formal complaint with a long history, a legal notice, or a letter that must set out terms in full cannot be squeezed onto half a page without losing something the reader needs. In those cases, aim for clear rather than short: headings, short paragraphs, and a one-paragraph opening that states the outcome you want. Length is fine when every paragraph earns its place. The test is not "is it short" but "does every sentence help the reader act".
Draft long, then cut. Write the full version first, with everything you want to say. Then read it once and mark every sentence that does not help the reader act. Cut those, tighten what is left, and read it again. Most letters lose a third of their length in that second pass and gain clarity at the same time. If you send a letter through LetterAgent, the printed letter is exactly the text you provide, so do that cutting before you ask your assistant to send it.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com