How to get your Letter to the Editor published

Follow these tips

Read our post Letters to the Editor for information on why writing a LTE help get your message out to voters.
  • Keep it short.  Print newspapers have limited space, shorter is better.  Yes, longer content often lands on their website.  But focus on print first.  Readers like shorter and will tend to scan longer content.
  • Break it up with lots of paragraphs.  Not one sentence paragraphs.  More than three or four sentences is harder to read.  Have a single idea or argument in one paragraph and then move on.
  • Stay on topic.  A recent LTE that I commented on started off on election procedures and ended talking about socialism and inflation.  It got published, but don't push your luck.  Make your topic specific, a candidate, office holder, or an issue such as water rights in Cochise County.
  • Always include your name and city.  Most publications require it.  Be willing to have your name published.  Anonymous LTE do not have impact with readers.
  • Pay attention to publication restrictions on how often you can appear.  Many have a restriction that you cannot appear more than once every 30 days to allow different voices to get published.  Know what the restriction is and then hold your powder for a really important moment.
  •  Send your LTE to various publications and websites.  This is difficult in Cochise County where we have only one print newspaper publisher Heard/Review media.  But try going through there various online website to get your LTE published.
  • Keep a copy for yourself in text form (Word or Google Docs).  Not every LTE gets published but your ideas, arguments, and comments can be shared with others.  Use email to share with people in your club or group.  Get feedback and start a conversation.  Look for other online platforms, such as CochiseProject.com to get your thoughts published.
  • Proof read.  We all make typos, misspellings or "it's" instead of "its".  Editors don't want to spend time cleaning up your text.
  • Don't use profanity (it won't make it in), and avoid name-calling.
Posted in Amplify.