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Writing a “Letter to the Editor” 101

What is an LTE?

A letter to the editor (LTE) is a short (150-300 word) response to a print or online article or opinion piece. 

Why should I write an LTE?

When it comes to advocacy, LTEs serve at least three important purposes: 

If published, an LTE can:

One: Advance a cause, whether the goal is to raise awareness or correct the record.

Two: Cultivate new advocates.

If it’s not published, it’s still a victory: 

Three: You just did something meaningful and useful. You put yourself out there for a cause you believe in. You took the time to write a few brief, well-crafted sentences (which is difficult to do) instead of many long paragraphs (easier to do) about a topic important to you. The more you practice writing short, high–impact LTEs, the better you will be at delivering compelling, concise messages that resonate with your audience(s). 

How do I write an LTE?

Once you get the hang of it, it’s simple! Let’s start with some general tips and then do a walk–through of crafting an LTE: 

  • Keep your eye out for articles. There are plenty of opportunities to weigh in through an LTE. Look for any article or opinion piece that talks about your cause directly or indirectly and use it as a jumping off point. 
  • Check the submission guidelines. Each media outlet has its own submission guidelines, but typically, you send your submission by email, including your contact information, and the outlet will email you back if they are considering your LTE for publication. Tip: Make sure the media outlet is in your “safe senders” list. If they don’t hear back from you promptly, you can easily lose your spot. 
  • Be pithy. The shorter your letter, the better the chances of publication. Achieving short, declarative sentences may add time to this task. As Mark Twain famously said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” But have faith: brevity isn’t a talent; it’s a skill that can be learned. 
  • Practice, practice, practice. Keep at it. If you don’t get published right away, find another article or opinion piece, and try again. 

Practice Run

You can do this! If you have committed some time to preparing now, cut and paste this section into a Word document, and we’ll start writing it together. Just to narrow the field, let’s focus on a health issue:


Step 1: Pick your key point.

  • What insight or call to action do you want your audience to grasp? At this stage, just write something down. Don’t worry too much about length, crowd appeal, or even grammar. Just type something!  
    • For example, you might want audiences to walk away understanding the importance of federally funded research for Americans to lead healthy, safe, and prosperous lives.  

Step 2: Look around.

  • Look through a local, regional, or national newspaper or online news site for any article or opinion piece, such as an op-ed or editorial, addressing a health or health care topic. Tip: Set up a Google Alert for one-stop news shopping.  
  • Based on the point you want to make in your LTE, summarize the most important points from the found article. You can draw from those points as needed to connect the dots between your message and that of the article. E.g.: 
    • Let’s say the article you chose discusses a health issue, and key points from the article may include: 
      • The incidence of this health condition is growing by x. 
      • The toll of this health condition on patients and their families is significant. 
      • Researchers are exploring a path to making progress against this health condition. 

Step 3:  Refine your key point.

Take the time to reframe your point so it relates to the article you’ve chosen and grabs your reader. Get creative! What’s the punchy, hard-hitting way of conveying your point? E.g.:

  • If your point is that the government should increase funding for medical research, and the article you’ve chosen is about a particular health issue, then your point of view could tie in like this: “As (author) noted, x condition is taking a dramatic health and economic toll on many Americans. Tragically, it is just one of many diseases that are robbing every single one of us of time, independence, and the people we love. Our nation should shore up, not shortchange, investments in medical research.” 
  • If the article you’ve chosen is about potential budget cuts, your point could also be something like: “The proposed cuts to the NIH and other scientific and research agencies are incredibly troubling. American research has a proven track record of increasing survival, reducing the burden of illness, and creating jobs. Cutting research funding hurts everyone.”

Now give it a go! You’ll be framing the rest of your LTE and wrapping up the last paragraph before you know it.

Step 4: Submit your LTE.

Use this basic template to submit your LTE: 

To: Submission email address 

Subject: (if the instructions don’t specify the subject line you should use, just write “Letter to the Editor for consideration”) 

Text of Email: 

  • Dear (name of publication) Editorial Board:
  • First Few Lines:
    • Thank you for considering the following letter to the editor, which responds to (title of article,) published on (date it was published). 
    • The next sentence should summarize your main point and call to action. E.g., the description the author uses for the NIH is incredibly accurate; that’s why we need more sustained, bipartisan support for the agency and its work. 
  • Next Few Lines:
    • The next couple of sentences should support your main point. 
  • Why do you believe what you believe? E.g.:
    • If enacted, the proposed cuts would dramatically slow U.S. medical research and innovation, taking away health and hope from millions of Americans. Progress against everything from childhood cancer to Alzheimer’s to Lupus would be neglected. Our nation can’t afford these budget cuts.  
  • Add at least one data point or personal story. E.g.:
    • When asked in a national survey this year, Americans across the political spectrum expressed strong support for federally funded research. In fact, 92% want the president and Congress to prioritize faster medical progress, not stall it. Moreover, nearly 65% would be willing to pay $1 more per week in taxes if that money was spent on medical and health research.  
    • More than 600,000 people in the U.S. will lose their lives to cancer this year. And more than seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Stalling progress against these diseases is not only unfortunate; it is unforgivable. We can do better for patients and their families. 
    • I lost my father to ALS, my best friend to breast cancer. Who have you lost? In the face of tragic loss after tragic loss, why is it that the National Institutes of Health, the federal agency charged with propelling life-saving medical progress, must turn away 4 out of every 5 research proposals it receives?
  • To close, reiterate your main point and call to action. E.g.:
    • As (name of the article’s author) showcased, the work of the NIH and other research and health agencies is important to the future of our country. We’re currently at a tipping point for medical and health progress. We should spur it on because the alternative—stopping it in its tracks—would result in preventable tragedies.  
    • Our nation is a global leader in medical research, and we have set the bar for progress and innovation. If enacted, the proposed budget cuts could lead to more and more Americans needlessly losing health, hope, and time. We must set the bar higher. 
    • I hope Congress answers the call to treat the NIH and other research and health agencies as a priority and boldly invest in the work. We must address massive research spending gaps before it’s too late.  
  • Conclude however you usually conclude business emails and add your contact info: E.g. Sincerely, Your full name, email address, and phone number.

Proofread, proofread again, and click send!

Congratulations! You did it!

Additional resources:

  • View Research!America’s Sample Letter to the Editor webpage.  
  • Check out a much more in-depth LTE guide from The University of Kansas’ Community Tool Box.  
  • Use the LTE sample template from Berkely Media Studies Group (PDF). 
  • The Coalition for the Life Sciences has helpful tips for writing and submitting LTEs, as well as a template letter supporting NIH funding that you can personalize and use.  
  • Check out the work of The OpEd Project for tips on a similar way to share your ideas through longer opinion (op-ed) pieces. The OpEd Project also provides submission information for outlets around the country.  
  • Finally, the American Geophysical Union’s Sharing Science initiative published a toolkit, Science communication: How to write an op-ed or letter to the editor. Download the PDF here.  
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