Private conversations change one mind at a time. A published letter to the editor is read by thousands, including the editors deciding what to cover next. A call or letter to your member of Congress is counted. Here is how to do both well.
Letters pages are among the most-read sections of any publication, and most letters never run. These habits put yours in the small pile that does.
A good letter does one thing: it adds something the article missed — a fact, a perspective, a lived experience — in the fewest words possible, in a tone the editor would be proud to print.
Most outlets publish their letters guidelines and submission address on their opinion page. Look for “Letters,” “Submit a letter” or “Contact the opinion desk.” Follow the stated word limit exactly.
Editors want letters that react to what they just published. Reference the article by headline and date in your first sentence, and send within 24 to 48 hours. A brilliant letter about last month's coverage will not run.
150 to 200 words. One point. If the guidelines say 250, send 200. Editors cut from the bottom, so put your strongest sentence first and your second strongest last.
“Your article was biased” is an opinion the editor has heard a thousand times. “Your article omitted that Israel accepted the same proposal in 2008” is information. Letters that correct the record or supply missing context are the ones that get printed.
A letter from a nurse, a veteran, a teacher, a rabbi, a parent of a student on campus, or someone with family in Israel carries weight a generic reader's letter does not. One clause of standing, then your point.
No sarcasm, no accusations of malice, no all-caps. Calm, confident and specific reads as credible. Angry reads as every other letter in the inbox. The 3D test applies to our side too: argue the facts, not the motives.
Choose a single verifiable claim and know where it comes from. Editors fact-check letters. A letter that survives the check gets printed; a letter with one wrong number gets discarded entirely.
Talking points are recognized and binned. Write the way you would explain it to a thoughtful neighbor. If it sounds like a press release, start over.
Include your full name, town, daytime phone and email; editors verify authorship. Paste the letter into the email body, not an attachment. Don't send the same letter to competing outlets at once. Say “exclusive to [publication]” if you are willing to wait a few days.
Your regional paper, your alumni magazine, your professional association's newsletter and your town's community site publish a far higher share of what they receive than national outlets do — and their readers are your neighbors.
Most published letter writers were rejected many times first. Editors notice names that keep showing up with concise, accurate, civil letters. Persistence is part of the craft.
Seth Eisenberg's letter in The New York Times, published July 21, 2025 in response to Omer Bartov's guest essay accusing Israel of genocide. About 190 words; it ran with letters that took the opposite view.
Read the letters as published at The New York Times
Related essay: Respectfully, Professor Bartov: This Is Not Genocide, the longer treatment Seth wrote for The Times of Israel. A letter is often the short form of an argument you have already worked out.
The New York Times · Letters · July 21, 2025
To the Editor:
Regarding "I'm a Scholar of Genocide. I Know It When I See It," by Omer Bartov (Opinion guest essay, July 20):
The accusation of genocide against Israel is an extremely grave matter — one that I believe misuses the term. Genocide, by its very nature, necessitates the intention to annihilate an ethnic or national group. The intentions expressed and manifested by Israel are aimed at dismantling Hamas, a terrorist entity responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals on October 7, 2023, which continues to exploit civilians as human shields.
The loss of civilian lives in Gaza is tragic, and Israel should be held responsible for its actions. However, equating this conflict — no matter how devastating — with genocide simplifies a complex and sorrowful situation. Israel has issued alerts, established evacuation corridors, and encouraged civilians to leave. These actions do not align with those of a genocidal regime.
We can and should grieve for innocent victims, advocate for humanitarian assistance, and strive for peace. Nonetheless, we must also avoid employing terminology that exacerbates tensions rather than clarifies them. The global community needs solutions grounded in reality, not accusations that obscure ethical and legal distinctions.
Seth Eisenberg
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Congressional offices count every call and letter from constituents. A short, personal message from someone in the district matters more than a thousand form emails from elsewhere.
First sentence: your name, your town, and that you vote in the district. Offices log constituents separately from everyone else.
Name a specific bill, vote, letter or statement you want them to support or oppose, and give one reason that is personal to you. Then stop.
Staffers are often young and overworked. Courtesy stands out. Thank them, ask for the member's position, and request a written reply.
Many of the organizations on the next page run letter-writing programs, media-monitoring alerts and advocacy days that make all of this easier.