1 of 22

2 of 22

The Power of Letters� to the Editor (LTEs)

​

  • Newspapers vs magazines�
  • Opportunities vary with size

​

​

3 of 22

The Process

​

  • Plan
  • Write / revise
  • Submit
  • Follow-up

4 of 22

Prepare

​

  • Be a student of persuasion
  • Habitually assess and anticipate opportunities
  • Know your publication

5 of 22

Writing Your Letter

​

​

  • Know your goal�
  • Make it timely�
  • Draft your title first!

​

6 of 22

Writing Your Letter

​

​

Make every word matter

7 of 22

Writing

​

Maximize persuasive power:=�� emotional appeal / immediacy �+

strong logic / factual argument �

8 of 22

Writing

​

​

Balance critique with positives� or a call to action

9 of 22

Writing

​

Check facts to the original source

10 of 22

Writing

​

If writing as a UU, consider the� value of using faith language

11 of 22

Avoid

​

  • Exaggeration
  • Insults
  • Jargon (+ identify acronyms)
  • Cosmopolitan vernacular

12 of 22

Proofing Your Letter

​

  • Read it aloud�
  • Your best proofreader is…

13 of 22

Submitting

​

  • Text only! (see SWL tips page for other specifics)�
  • Embed source links��
  • Simultaneous submissions�

​

14 of 22

Breakout Groups ~ 15 min

​

  1. Click the link
  2. Select the letter for your group number
  3. Read the letter
  4. Talk about the letter - what is powerful and what could be better?

​

​

Note: evaluate impact and structure – not an editing session

​

15 of 22

Guest Opinions (op-eds)�

​

  • Free-standing, full argument�
  • Position yourself / your organization as reliable source

16 of 22

Guest Opinions - Prepare �

​

  • Timeliness is crucial
  • Study and critique others, especially ledes and closing�
  • Outline your key points

17 of 22

Guest Opinions - Writing

​

  • Title first!�
  • Seek an anecdotal lede
  • See our SWL tips page for a through primer

18 of 22

19 of 22

February 28th @ 7pm ET

20 of 22

21 of 22

22 of 22