Letter to the editor

[Ayatollahgondola]

I can't really add anything here Greg. The LTE are a bit out of my league. I'd say send it, and let any critique come from any responses you get to it. Then taylor your next one to the strengths of that

[Greg in LA]

Thanks for the reply, Ayatollah, I think it needs to be improved just a little. I'm going to work on it on Sunday.
A critique from others here would still help.

[ilbegone]

It's well written and easily understood, send it in and hope for the best.

It depends on the publisher and editors if:

It is printed at all

Printed in its entirety

Shortened and clarified

Edited until the message is gutted

Edited and rewritten until it is barely recognizable and the message is changed but still has your name on it.

Generally, the shorter the better, usually less than 300 words. It seems the local / regional paper in my area has unofficially reduced that maximum to about 150 words.

A couple of times I have had opinion pieces of over a thousand words printed, the one publication (semi regional distribution) placed it in a column normally reserved for op-ed or similar views, the other was a local distribution periodical in which the editor recognized the whole piece was needed in its entirety to make the point - one of the very few pieces I have contributed anywhere which wasn't edited in some fashion.

The editor always has the last word and sometimes allows the occasional contributor to be an idiot (I have taken my turn in that box more than once), it always helps to make the point while being carefully tactful and scrupulously fair as well as demonstrably accurate.

[Greg in LA]

Thanks for the input Ilbegone.
Your an excellent writer. and very talented verbally.