Tips on letters to the editor

Sun-Sentinel

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

We read every letter we receive.

Every letter gets equal consideration.

Because of the heavy volume of mail, we cannot acknowledge letters received. If your letter is selected for publication, you will be contacted by phone.

If it's published, your letter probably will appear within two weeks after we receive it. A perennial topic - bad drivers, for example - may be held as much as a month. But letters are unlikely to run more than a month after we contact you.

We strive for balance, but there are times when we may receive only letters on one side of an issue. If your opinion differs from those you see printed, write and give us your perspective.

We don't publish obvious organized attempts to flood us with mail on a given topic.

We don't publish form letters, anonymous letters, or letters we receive that don't include an address and phone number. Only your name and city will be published.

HOW TO GET YOUR LETTER PUBLISHED:

Keep your letter brief, the shorter the better (200 words should be your maximum; 100 words or fewer stands the best chance of being published).

Make your point quickly.

Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (If you don't include this information, we won't consider your letter for publication.)

All letters are subject to editing. MOST letters are edited for clarification and length. The longest letters you see published have been trimmed.

Choose your words carefully. Letters that contain libelous or slanderous statements will be edited or rejected.

We prefer to have letters submitted in typed or electronically transmitted form. However, we will accept handwritten letters, providing the handwriting is legible. If you are sending handwritten letters by fax, please be sure the writing is dark enough to transmit clearly.

Do NOT send us copies of other people's work. We are interested in what you have to say, not what you can copy.

Do NOT send your comments as an attachment. Even if the attachment survives our anti-virus software, it may not open in any of our applications. If you don't want to use the letter window provided on our Web site, write your letter in your own format, then cut and paste it into an e-mail, sent to letters@sun-sentinel.com .

You can submit your letter here.