One
of the ways – out of dozens – to generate exposure for your book and to raise
your profile is to post comments online to blog posts, FB posts, and retweets, and to pen letters-to-the editor at leading newspapers and magazines. It costs nothing, doesn’t take a lot of time,
and builds your brand. Plus it assuages
your ego.
I
should know. I love getting my letters
published in newspapers. In the span of
less than a week I had one in The New
York Post about Miss America and another in the New York Daily News about
elite schools and racial quotas. Over
the years I had letters published in college newspapers, community weeklies, Newsday, many more in the Post and the News, and the Washington Post.
For me, it’s not as much about my brand or to hawk a book – it’s just
therapeutic, like keeping a public diary.
I feel compelled to share my views on how the world should be.
I
got that from my dad, a letter-writing rabble rouser who wrote to politicians
and newspapers to speak out for civil rights and against the Vietnam War in the
60s and 70s. He even got letters back
from the White House and Congress and had dozens of letters published over the
years.
Today’s
author goes beyond letters to the editor.
He or she can comment on almost any blog or major news site. One can also retweet and tweet and comment on
it, in essence taking ownership of it.
With just a few words or sentences – and a link to your site, blog, or
book – you can start to get your name out there to the readers when you feel fit
your demographic.
The
key to getting a letter published is simple:
1.
Be
quick. If you see a story, respond to it within 24 hours by email.
2.
Email
the reporter of an article that you want to comment on, as well as the letters
section. Sometimes the reporter will
champion your letter.
3.
Stick
to a word count that’s specifically suggested by the publication or look at the
length of other letters in the publication and count them up to estimate the
ideal word count.
4.
Include
the info they ask of you – typically your name, address, email and phone number.
5.
Don’t
send the same exact letter to multiple publications simultaneously. You could get blacklisted by them.
6.
Have
a clever headline no longer than 4-5 words.
7.
Letters
that tend to agree with a publication’s story editorial or op-ed will have a
better chance to get published.
8.
Anticipate
what others will likely say on the subject and go beyond the obvious. Raise a point few may initially think of.
9.
Cite
a stat, quote someone, or provide authoritative evidence to substantiate your
claims.
10.
Don’t
curse or use bullying language – highlight what you stand for and not just who
you oppose – and do so in a decent manner.
11.
Test
your logic by asking friends if your proposed letter is lacking or off balance.
12.
Economize
on your words and don’t look to make complete arguments. A letter is not much longer than a
tweet. Don’t include links or expect to
be able to pontificate at length.
13.
If
possible, tie into your background, explaining how you know what you know. For instance, for a letter on gun violence
state if you were a victim of gun violence or if a letter on race and you’re a
professor of Black Studies, say so. Or
if it’s about something you have personal knowledge of or experience in or that
you witnessed, bring it up.
Lastly,
sound sincere, visionary, and passionate.
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