Get YOUR "Letters to the Editor" Published!
by Richard Rider
Submitting letters to the editor (LTEs) is the most cost effective thing an individual can do to influence an issue. The public, media, and politicians heed LTEs. Indeed, some studies indicate that the LTEs section is the most frequently read section of newspapers!
Some pointers on how to write and submit LTEs:
1. Short, concise letters are more likely to be published than long, meandering ones. Keep them under 150 words – for big papers, under 100 words. Longer letters are also more likely to be edited; it's better you do your own editing.
2. Ever notice how you read LTEs? Most people read shorter letters first, and then perhaps they'll read the longer ones. Thus, shorter letters have a better chance of being both published and read.
3. What to write about? A current news story. Every day offers us many stories on which to comment. Replying to editorials (agree or disagree) is also effective.
4. Be timely. Respond within a day or two of an article's publication. Indeed, same day response to an article or editorial in a daily paper is a MAJOR factor in your chance of getting published.
5. Pick an issue of importance to you. Show some passion. And humor.
6. Briefly state the argument you're rebutting or responding to. Don't do a lengthy rehash; it's a waste of valuable space, and boring.
7. Stick to one subject. One issue per letter.
8. Offer two or three solid points for your position. We all have 23 reasons why our viewpoint is correct, but don't list them all.
9. Don't be shrill or abusive. Editors often discard personal attacks.
10. Logically organize your LTE. Briefly recite the argument you're opposing, then state your position, then present your evidence. Close with a short restatement of your position, or a pithy comment. ("Jimmy Breslin says possession of firearms should be limited to law enforcement officers. I say when only the police have guns, the police state is just around the corner.")
11. Facts and figures raise your LTE above the "sez you, sez me" category. ("Anthony Lewis calls for taxing the rich to balance the budget. Is he aware that if we confiscated the entire income of the top wage earners in this country (those earning over $200,000), this would run the federal government for exactly 8 days?")
12. Expert testimony bolsters your case. ("George Will claims we need the draft to defend America. But General Edward C. Meyer, Army Chief of Staff, recently stated...")
13. Proofread for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Newspapers often edit to correct mistakes, but your LTE will more likely be published if it's already "clean."
14. Edit. Some say a letter shouldn't be mailed right after it's written. Put it aside for an hour or more. Rereading it later will often help you spot errors in reasoning, stilted language. etc. Read your LTE to a friend for objective input.
15. But don't let your letter wait too long and lose its timeliness. The Internet has made the prompt submission of LTEs ever more important.
16. Try to view your letter from the reader's perspective. Will your arguments make sense to someone without a special background on this issue? Did you use technical terms not familiar to the average reader?
17. Should your letter be typed? Yes!
18. Ideally, submit your letter by email and fax. Faxes have higher editorial visibility (and are faster than snail mail), while emails are easy to "copy and paste" (and protect you from human error in transcription).
19. In newspaper column publishing (and most emails), a paragraph should rarely be longer than three sentences. Preferably no more than two. People don't read long paragraphs – including editors!
20. Direct your missives to "Letters to the Editor," or a similar sounding title. Name the specific paper in the greeting so they don't think it's been sent to other publications.
21. Include your name, residence address, email address, daytime phone number, and signature (if on paper). Papers don't publish this info, but they may use it to verify that you wrote the letter.
22. Most important – write! Don't aim for a perfect letter. Just give it a good effort and send it.
23. Letter writing is the one thing any one of us can do on our own, without the need to work through a group. No committees necessary.
24. Don't be discouraged if your LTE isn't published. You've still given the editor a better sense of public opinion on an issue – and some strong arguments.
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Richard Rider is a former Libertarian Party candidate for governor of California. He is Chair of San Diego Tax Fighters, and a paid columnist for the North County Times. To get his free weekly "Rider Rants," email him at RRider@san.rr.com.
Now that you
have written your LTE, go here to get it distributed.
LIBLET
- the email/fax distribution tree
