The best letters to the editor are brief and take a strong position.

You can write a letter to the editor in response to a news story, a guest op-ed, an editorial or a letter to the editor written by someone else. Or, you can take the first step and write the letter before the issue has received any media attention at all.

Tips for a good letter to the editor:

• Keep your letter short and limited to a single point. Try not to exceed 150 words. Newspapers reserve the right to edit letters, and longer letters are almost always discarded or edited to a shorter length
• Don't overload your letter with statistics. Include one or two facts. If you want to share other facts, wait a week or so and write another letter.
• If your letter is related to a recent event or article, make it timely by sending it to the newspaper no longer than 7-10 days after the event or publication of the article.
• Make sure your letter includes a phone number where you can be reached, preferably during the day. The newspaper will want to verify that you wrote the letter before the editor will print it.

Remember, there is value in numbers. The more people who write letters, the more letters that will be printed. It's important to be able to demonstrate a show of force, and letters to the editor are an easy way to do so.

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