Getting your message published in the "letters to the editor" section provides an easy and inexpensive way to get your views (or those of your association) noticed. You can also encourage your members to submit letters, using the following tips and hints.

Why Write a Letter to the Editor?

So why should you take the time to write a letter to the editor? No one reads them, right? Wrong. Space in a publication is always at a premium, and editors don't include an unread section "just because it has always been there." If the "letters to the editor" section went unread, editors wouldn't include it. These sections provide valuable, unfiltered feedback from "real people" and are therefore a valuable part of many publications.

A letter to the editor also gives you (or the members of your association) the chance to present the association's views. This is especially valuable when an article appears that you or your members feel misrepresents the issue. A letter to the editor allows you to set the record straight. You can also use a letter to the editor to bring up a point missed by the article author, or to vent frustration or disagreement with the author's position (but be careful when you vent; more on this later). And you can always compliment the publication on a particularly balanced or well-researched story.

Tips on Getting Your Letter Published

• Keep your letter clear and to the point. Publications won't run long, rambling diatribes. Letters that follow the KISS principle ("keep it short and simple") have the best chances for publication. Avoid technical jargon and acronyms, and avoid promoting your association-just present your position clearly.
• If available, use research or statistics to support your position. See the example below of one of my letters to the editors of Computerworld.
• Persistence counts. Some editors receive thousands of letters a week. If you show you're serious by writing clear, concise, and thoughtful letters on a regular basis, someone on the editorial staff will eventually notice.
• Make sure you have something of substance to say. Whether its disagreeing with the author's position, making a point she forgot to make, or supporting one of her opinions, your letter should have a specific issue in mind.
• Review previously published letters to the editor from your targeted publication. This will give you an idea of the type of material they select and publish.
• Don't rant and rave. Write professionally, even if you're disagreeing with the author's position. Never personally attack either the author or the editor of the publication.
• Have someone else review your letter. Even the best writers revise their work multiple times. An outside, objective opinion will improve your letter.
• Many publications have regular contributors to "letters to the editor." Once you (or one of your members) has established a reputation with a publication, future letters are more likely to be published.
• Most publications will include both an email address and "snail mail" address for letters to the editor. Carefully follow their submission instructions to increase your chances of publication.

What to Include in Your Letter

• Make sure you include all the information the publication requests (such as name, phone number, or email address). If you're writing as a representative of your association, include your title and the name of your association. Most publications will contact you to verify your identity. Although you occasionally see letters from anonymous authors, if you don't include contact details, your letter is less likely to be published.
• Somewhere in your letter, reference the title, author, and date of the article about which you are writing. Consider a short synopsis of the issue in the article you're writing about. This allows your letter to stand on its own.

See an example of one of my letters to the editor, published in Computerworld.

If you'd like more information on writing letters to the editor, please email me at lbray@satx.rr.com.