Letter to the Editor advice

Oliver Duff, the editor of "The i" newspaper, a more compact sister paper to the British national newspaper The Independent, offers up some advice for those who write letters to the editor in his column this week.

Among other things, he suggests that the letter writers be concise (which is especially true, I'm sure for "The i"), make a point, and write a personal experience to catch the readers' attention.

In my day-job, I, too, am responsible for putting letters to the editor in a community newspaper. And, I'd like to add a few suggestions aimed more generally at letter-to-the-editor writers everywhere:

* Check with the publication to see if they have specific guidelines for letter writers. For example, at the group of newspapers I work for, some have very specific rules (no more than 325 words, must include your name, address and phone number, even though your address and phone number won't be published), while others have almost no guidelines.

* Check your facts. Even though the letter may be presented as your opinion, many newspapers want the letters to be factually correct. If you make outlandish claims that are false, libelous, defamatory, etc., your letter is less likely to be printed.

* Don't waste your time or the editor's time by sending him or her a mass-mailed letter that has nothing to do with the community the newspaper represents. I don't know an editor who will actually print a letter from someone who doesn't live in the community, has no connection to the community and isn't writing about the community. Keep it relevant.

* Check your grammar and spelling. Some newspapers have a policy of editing letters; others do not. If the paper you're writing to doesn't, you could end up looking less-than-smart if you have a bunch of typos. If they do edit letters, they may decline to run letters that require too much work. Be sure what you're sending it out is your best work.

On the whole, most editors I know enjoy and appreciate letters to the editor. They show us that someone is paying attention to what we're doing.

And, here's one more suggestion: Don't just write when you have something to complain about. If you thought a reporter or a photographer did a really good job, write that in a letter to the editor, too. We all love a little pat on the back occasionally!

Happy letter writing!