Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Easy Steps Toward Submitting
a Guest Editorial or Letter-to-the-Editor (LTE)
Before you even get started, go to the LTE link for your regional paper to get the
details provided on what your newspaper wants regarding length. Don’t see your
paper listed below? Let me know.
Sometimes after submitting a guest editorial, you’ll hear back from the Opinion
Editor that they only have room for an LTE or a “lead” letter (usually about 350
words); I always suggest taking what you can get when getting your opinion out
there is time-constrained.
Composing your guest editorial:
● 500-600 words is a good length (some papers accept 650 or more)
● Must include full name, title and name of organization, home address, phone,
email address, and a headshot
● The submission must come directly from the author of the guest editorial.
● When you send your guest editorial (I suggest as an attachment in Word
format if possible) you may or may not be contacted about edits they will
make to cut down the length. It is common for slight edits to be made
without the submitter’s permission. You can demand to do your own word
count reduction, but they don’t always allow it.
Composing your letter-to-the-editor:
● Stay below 200 words
● Express your point or concerns about the issue in your own way; refer to
facts, but write the letter in your own words.
● Make a call to action. Be bold!
● Add a catchy heading/title to get attention
● Sign with your full name and include your contact information, including
home address.
Where to send your guest editorial or letter:
Sun Sentinel
Guest Editorial: letters@sun-sentinel.com
LTE or email letters@sun-sentinel.com
Gainesville Sun
Guest Editorial: letters@gainesville.com
LTE: letters@gainesville.com
Guest Editorial: gbrink@tampabay.com
LTE
Orlando Sentinel
Guest Editorial: kfluker@orlandosentinel.com
LTE
Miami Herald
Guest Editorial: nancrum@miamiherald.com
LTE or email HeraldEd@MiamiHerald.com
Florida Times-Union
Guest Editorial: ahammock@jacksonville.com
LTE
Palm Beach Post
Guest Editorial: tdoris@pbpost.com
LTE
Tallahassee Democrat
Guest Editorial: bdobson@tallahassee.com or letters@tallahassee.com
LTE
Bradenton Herald
Guest Editorial: editor@bradenton.com
LTE
Apopka Chief
Guest Editorial: news@theapopkachief.com
LTE
FYI, The Observer (HIgh Springs-Newberry-Alachua-Fort White) is no longer publishing. Nathan Crabbe, former engagement editor at The Gainesville Sun, is now the editor of The Invading Sea, published by FL Atlantic University: https://www.theinvadingsea.com/