Writing a letter to the editor?

The good folks at Pax Christi note that a “letter to the editor will perhaps reach the largest audience you will ever address. More than one-third of newspaper audiences regularly read the editorial pages.”

To help you write an effective letter to the editor, they offer ten tips here, including:

Familiarize yourself with the publication to which you are writing. Review several letters to the editor that have already been printed in order to obtain a feel for what style of letter is printed most often.

Plan your initial sentence carefully. A good way to grab your reader by referring to an article (citing headline and date) that was recently printed in the same publication, then use this as a way of building a quick bridge to the content of your letter.

Limit your letter to one topic only.

The most significant information should appear in the opening paragraph as newspaper editors often cut letters to fit available space.

Use personal experiences whenever possible to illustrate your point.

Why not read the entire list and then begin thinking about your letter to the editor?