Tips for writing an effective Letter to the Editor

Many thanks to Will Lane, Gettysburg College, for the following helpful guidelines.

Before writing you may want to consider:

Your main point.  Try putting a rough draft of your main point into a single sentence.  Keep this sentence—even if it’s a bulky or awkward one—handy for reference as you write your letter. One main point per letter is almost always the right way to go!

Your sources of support. How will you support your point? An anecdote from your own experience? The testimony of others?  Facts and statistics from a credible source? 

Your credibility.  How will you establish your credibility, your authority to speak on this issue?  For example: “As a lifelong resident of…” or “As a teacher with over thirty years’ experience in the local school system…”

Your audience.  Who are you talking to in this letter? What do you want from them? How will you interest these particular people in your point of view? Where is the common ground, what values do you share with these folks? Is there a way to build these shared values into your strategy for your letter?

Your tone. Your tone must fit your audience if you are going to be successful.  Irony, self-righteousness, indignation and ridicule can all create big problems for communication with non-believers.  A little self-mocking humor sometimes helps. A tone that demonstrates a willingness to consider other points of view is almost always a winner.

Your point of connection with the newspaper and community to which you are writing. For example: “In an article published in the Times last Wednesday…” or “As a longtime reader of the Gettysburg Times….” Other connection points might involve what a state rep recently said or a community event not necessarily reported in the paper but somewhat familiar to your likely readers.

As you write…

Begin by beginning. To get started, just jump right in.  You have already written a bulky sentence (see above), a first try at making your point.  No doubt you said it badly the first time. No worries! At this point in the writing, it is usually best to go ahead and make a mess! Revision is about to become your best friend.

State your main point early and, if possible, tie it to your point of connection. You may well want to lead with that connecting point.

Give your argument a leg to stand on—early. Why would a reasonable person be willing to consider your point of view? Why would a skeptical reader keep reading? Establishing an emotional connection with the reader through a shared experience—say, attempting to read a bill from the local hospital—might be just the thing.

Tell a story, if appropriate, but keep it short and compact.  We are wired for stories, but it’s important that your readers can immediately see your story’s relevance to your main point.

Focus your claims carefully.  A measured assertion often is much easier to support—for real—than a big, broad, overly general claim.

Don’t overdose on facts.  A few highly relevant facts from carefully identified and widely trusted sources are usually sufficient. If facts are hard to follow, you will lose your readers.

Include a “Call to Action.” What can/should be done?  What are the consequences of inaction? What steps can people take to make a difference on this issue?  Where can they get more information on how to get involved?

As You Revise…

First of all, plan on revising right from the beginning of your letter writing process. A commitment to revision is the secret weapon of many who write regularly. Revision frees you to go ahead and say the wrong thing knowing you can fix it later.

Once your first draft is complete, check the big issues first: the main point, its connection to the local paper and/or the community, and your strategy of support.  Where are they?  Are they clearly stated?  Do the pieces connect?  Are they working together to get the job done?  Sometimes it can be helpful to number your paragraphs and then create a really rough outline of what you have written, describing in a few words or a sentence what’s happening in each paragraph and how each contributes.

Then, read the thing out loud.  Do the sentences all make sense as written? Would a different, more exact word choice serve better here or there? Most of us notice quite a bit more when we read our work out loud.

Finally, step back and reread the letter with eyes of a skeptical reader.  Is the tone still optimal for that reader? Are there tweaks here and there that might help lure a few befuddled sheep back into the barn?

A Template to Consider (made to be adapted as needed)

Paragraph 1: Connect with something previously published or widely known. Explain your reason for writing. State your position on the issue.

Paragraph 2: Why is this issue important? Why should people care? Is there a story to tell about the impact of this issue? What fact and statistics support your concern about this issue?

Optional paragraph: Does this problem have a highly relevant history, one the reader would benefit from hearing about?  Has the concern been dealt with effectively by other communities, states or nations?  What models for action are available?

Paragraph 3: Follow your discussion with a call to action. What is at stake if no action is taken? What can be achieved with effective action? What are the consequences of each, inaction or action?

Concluding paragraph. Recap your point, reiterate your call to action, include info on how readers can get involved.