Letter to the Editor

Writing an engaging letter to the editor (LTE) or a guest opinion (op-ed):

General Rule of Thumb: There’s a subtle line between being inspirational and pompously proselytizing: Find it. 
Write something passionate, personal, positive & persuasive (pithy is also good). 
Ask your friend, mate or sister to EDIT. 
Check word limits in your local paper, e.g.:
150-300 words for a letter to the editor (LTE).
800 for a guest opinion editorial (Op-ed) or article. 
Include a SIMPLE action for your community to take. Be sure to list the necessary information, such as telephone numbers for your Members of Congress.
Follow up: A few days after sending your letter to your local editor, call or send another email asking if she/he got your piece. TENACITY is the #1 quality in a published activist. When you do get published, after you’ve burst into tears and read it to the mailman and your mother, thank the editor. Relationships with journalists are very, very useful in acting up!

Send a copy of your printed letter (make sure the date & name of the newspaper is evident) to MAU, your congressional leaders, MP, CEO of XYZ Company and mayor of your town. They will be thrilled to know who’s “acting up” in their neighborhood! Trust us, THRILLED!

Make more news by copying your letter and sending it to multiple newspapers (your hometown gazette always is good). If you’ve spent the time to write a coherent piece, take time to get it published far and wide. Send an original piece to either USA Today or the New York Times.

Media Contacts:
Written media: www.refdesk.com