Resources for producing government documents written in plain, clear, easy-to-understand language. PLAIN is a community of federal employees dedicated to the idea that citizens deserve clear communication from government and that using plain language saves federal agencies time and money and provides better service to the American public.

General principles of writing provided for those who work for government, either as communications professionals or content specialists.

Designed to achieve uniform word and type treatment and economy of word use in the writing and printing of U.S. government publications.

Quick reference for dividing words into syllables, as well as a spelling and pronunciation guide.

Tips on writing to a state legislator or U.S. congressperson. Adapted from an article published by the American Library Association.

Reprint of an article by Representative Morris K. Udall, giving tips on how to write a letter to your congressman.

Tips on the most effective way to write a political letter to a British agency or official to express an opinion or urge a particular course of action.

Links to numerous Web sites that provide advice on how to write proposals seeking grants or contracts from government agencies and private sources.

Tips from Fedmarket on how to outline a proposal, how to put together a proposal writing library to draw information from, how to develop a template, how to write the proposal, and what to avoid.

The format for a Request for Proposal (RFP) from a federal government agency is mandated by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). They are typically broken down into sections that are identified by letter. This article explains what is contained in each section.

Advice on how to run an effective public relations operation.

Step by step instructions on how to use a press release, what information to include in it, and how to format it. Includes a template and numerous sample press releases.