They make your blood boil or have you nod in agreement: the newspaper letter to the editor. Interested in creating similar reactions in others via a respected medium? Then keep reading.
Edit Steps
- 1Decide on an issue you feel passion for, one that will inspire you to put your heart and time into writing. Choose issues that the paper recently editorialized on. Obscure issues may have less of a chance of publication, because letters are usually bunched together by subject. In a well-known paper for a large city, letters on obscure topics must be drop-dead good to get published.
- 2Approach the topic from a fresh angle. Before actually writing, consider the usual points made in support of the issue and forget them. Think outside the box. Saying something new on the topic, may bring more notice to your letter, and increase your chances of publication.
- 3Write clearly on one central point, so that people will understand what you are saying. If you start to weave in other issues, remove those ideas as they can be a distraction and will make your letter less powerful.
- 4Keep your letter short. Conciseness and clarity count.
- 5Proofread it for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Depending on the publication's formality, omitting one piece of punctuation can have your letter eliminated.
- 6Sign your name and provide your address and telephone number for verification purposes. Most print publications do not accept screen names, so be prepared to use your full real name.
- 7Send your letter to one chosen publication. Sending the same letter to several publications might create bad will. If allowed, e-mail your letter because by the time snail-mail arrives, it is often old news. Sending it before noon can help you to get published, as editorial decisions are often made based on what arrives during the early part of the day.
Edit Tips
- For a big city popular paper, your letter must have an error-free concise, clear, fresh angle as competition is high. It must be a finely crafted piece of work.
- Study the letters of your chosen publication for tips on their specific style such as length, formality and political bent.
- Check the newspaper's guidelines for submissions. Most papers have rules regarding length, including name and contact information for verification, an other guidelines -- a number of papers won't allow political endorsement and limit how often individuals can submit.
- Don't ever call and say "How about my letter!" unless you're well-known.
- Save a copy of your letters as most will not be published.
- Remove unnecessary words.
- Replace words with more colorful words.
- Replace long words with shorter ones.
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Article Info
Last edited:
February 3, 2010 by Maluniu
Categories:
Magazines and News | Official Writing and Complaints
Recent edits by: Graham Hadley, Walter Grant, KnowItSome (see all)
