Publishing a letter to the editor is an easy and effective way to keep issues you care about in the news.
General Tips
- Consider where you want to submit your letter and follow their guidelines
- You can check the number of words and characters using Microsoft Word
- Write about something that matters to you—passion is contagious
- If possible, refer to a recent event or a recent article to make your letter feel more relevant
- Don’t try to cover the entire topic in your letter; this is about your perspective
- Shorter letters usually have a better chance of getting published
- Your first line should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to learn more
- State in simple terms what you’re writing about
- Explain why this issue is important to you
- Include evidence to support your point, if appropriate
- Offer solutions of what could be done differently, if appropriate
- Pay careful attention to your last line; you want it to leave an impression
- Make sure to double-check your spelling and grammar
- Avoid personal attacks and keep language G-rated
- Ask a friend to read your letter to the editor before you submit it
Where and How to Submit Your Letter
The Chronicle Herald/ Saltwire Publications:
https://www.saltwire.com/contact-us/
Select “Submit a letter to the editor” from the drop-down menu. The maximum length is 5,000 characters, but shorter letters are more likely to get published.
- Saltwire
- The Chronicle Herald
- Cape Breton Post (Sydney, Nova Scotia)
- Amherst News/Cumberland News Now
- Annapolis Valley Register
- South Shore Breaker (Bridgewater & South Shore, Nova Scotia)
- The Casket (Antigonish, Nova Scotia)
- The News (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia)
- Truro News
- Tri-County Vanguard (Yarmouth, Nova Scotia)
If you are interested in the opinion page of The Chronicle Herald, you could email the editorial page columnist Laurent Lepierres (llepierres@herald.ca)
The Coast
Submit your letter through their website or email it to letters@thecoast.ca. According to the editor, the length is flexible.
Community Papers
The Eastern Shore Cooperator
“We prefer getting letters that are no longer than 400 words,” says editor Richard Bell “We reserve the right to edit letters for length.” You can submit a letter to The Eastern Shore Cooperator by emailing Richard at richardbell@easternshorecooperator.ca
The Masthead News
The Masthead News is a community newspaper that covers “the St. Margaret’s Bay area of Nova Scotia including the communities and corridors of Chester, Tantallon, Hammonds Plains Road, the St. Margaret’s Bay Road (Hwy #3) to the edge of Bayers Lake in Halifax, and to Indian Harbour along Peggy’s Cove Road […] Total printed newspapers amount to approximately 18,000 copies each edition.” The Masthead News is printed once monthly.
Email your letter to the editor to themastheadnews@aol.com. Letters can be no longer than 450 words and shorter letters are encouraged.
Lighthouse Now
Located in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Submit your letter by email to editor@lighthousenow.ca
The Shoreline Journal
Serving the Fundy Shore, from Truro to Parrsboro
Publisher: Maurice Rees
maurice@theshorelinejournal.com
Examples
Feel free to explore the letters to the editors published about Owls Head Park’s delisting thus far: http://saveowlshead.org/category/letters-to-the-editor/
Photo Credit: The Raglan Chronicle, used under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 3.0)