Who reads letters to the editor, anyway?
At some point in our lives, most of us feel a powerful urge to write a stinging letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine. Mostly, those who get their letters published are the ones who take up their pens and write straight away, rather than just sitting and fuming. That is because most people who take the trouble to write letters eventually get at least some of them published. Generally, the more often they write, the more likely it is they will get published. Just knowing that fact can often be enough to launch a resentful reader into an illustrious career of letter writing. That said, it certainly does help to know a few general rules about letter writing to maximise your chances of getting published. Speaking as someone with experience as a letters editor on a national newspaper, it is quite astonishing how many people who actually make the effort to write break one or more of the most basic rules of letter writing. But before moving on to the details, it is probably useful t
