Every day after I pick up my newspaper, I turn first to the letters to the editor. It's my favorite section. I'll skip the front page, and even the sports section, but I never miss letters. How else can I know what issues are really on local people's minds?
Writing a letter to the editor is a great chance to have your opinion read by hundreds or even thousands of people living in your community.
In any newspaper many letter are passed for each letter that is published. I've submitted many that have not been published and a few that have, and know it can be easy to get discouraged when your letter does not appear. But after seeing my letters at my local hometown paper, friends and family started asking for my help with their own letters.
I recommend checking out the video, but let me give you my rules:
1. Keep it short. Staying under 150 word count is a must unless the paper says you can write more. However, a shorter letter has a better chance of being published.
2. Be a format copycat. How do the letters that get published appear? Are they short paragraphs, or are entire letters in one paragraph? Copy the format that is most often published.
3. Cite the newspaper. They want to know you read their work. If you can't cite a specific article, mention a topic they have recently covered.
4. Be nice, don't vent. It's easy to go off on a rant, but the paper is not likely to publish it. A rant may make you (and the entire issue you are addressing) look bad. Don't accuse the paper or judge something they published.
5. Know your audience -hint, it's not the subscribers, but the editorial staff. What does the paper publish? More details can be found in Citizen Action Network's video.
I also like to give my story a human face. Don't approach your issue as set in stone, black or white. Explain (quickly) why something is good or bad from a perspective people can relate to.
Like the front page and the sports section, letters to the editor are one of the most widely read newspaper sections. Follow these rules and you will begin to reach your target audience. If you have questions or would like help with a letter contact me.
