Writing a Letter to the Editor

Writing a letter to the editor is a great way to voice your opinion. Whether it be about a political policy or a movie, a letter to the editor (LTE) can be a powerful tool. Some people, though, may find writing a LTE to be a bit of a daunting task. But there is no need to be apprehensive - LTEs are relatively simple to write.

There are four basic steps to writing a letter to the editor:

1. Choose your topic. A great place to start is looking at a recent newspaper and responding directly to a news article. If you can tie your letter to a recent article, it is more likely to be printed.
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3. Write a short, punchy letter. Successful letters are short, memorable, colorful, to the point, and express a strong opinion. Keep your letter under 200 words.
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5. Submit your letter. Letters can typically be submitted via online form, email, or mail. Check your local newspaper's website or LTE section for information on how best to submit your own letter.
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7. Follow up. At most small newspapers, you can call or email the letters editor a couple of days after submission to make sure they received your letter.

Writing a LTE

Depending on the topic you are choosing to write about, you can often find sample letters to the editor. For example, political organizations and campaigns often provide their members and supporters with sample letters and suggestions of what to say. If you choose to use a sample LTE, though, be sure to make it your own. Newspapers tend to not publish LTEs that sound like your typical form or sample letter. Additionally, your letter has no chance of being published if someone else also submits the same letter. And again, be sure to keep your letter under 200 words.

Here is a sample LTE outline:

1. State the problem or topic - why you personally care.
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3. State the solution - what you want to see happen.
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5. Summary - wrap it up with a final sentence or call to action.

Submitting an LTE

When submitting a letter, be sure to include your first and last name, address, and daytime telephone number. If you submit your letter via email, be sure to put your letter in the body of the email. Do not send your letter as an email attachment.

It is ok to submit the same letter to multiple papers. However, it is, obviously, not ok to submit multiple copies of the same letter with different authors to the same paper. Therefore again, please be careful when using a sample LTE and be sure to personalize it.