An important way to support passage of The Serve America Act is by encouraging your paper to publish an editorial in support of the legislation, by submitting a letter to the editor or an op-ed to the local newspaper.

Be sure to reference our talking points for guidance in making the pitch for an editorial and writing an op-ed or letter to the editor.

Submitting Your Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed

• Submission guidelines for letters to the editor can usually be found on the letters to the editor page or by looking on the paper’s Web site. Follow whatever guidelines the paper has, including length, the type of contact information you should provide and how the letter to the editor should be submitted.

• When submitting an op-ed, you will first need to find out the name of the editorial page editor or op-ed page editor, either by checking the paper’s Web site or calling and asking for his or her name. Then contact that person to introduce yourself and your issue. (You do not need to contact the editorial page editor if you are submitting a letter to the editor).

• Practice before calling the editorial page editor and know exactly what you will say. Tell the editor that you are interested in submitting an op-ed about service, and ask about any specific guidelines (such as word count or submission deadlines). Use only a few minutes to introduce yourself and explain the issue – editors are quite busy and their time should be respected.

• Find out the editor’s preferences for how you should submit the op-ed – via e-mail, or fax. Following those guidelines will increase the chances of getting your op-ed published.

• Before sending the letter to the editor or op-ed, have someone do a final check for grammatical and spelling errors.

• When you send the op-ed, include a cover paragraph that briefly reminds the editor who you are, referencing any previous contact you may have had. In the cover letter, clearly and concisely explain the importance of the subject to the newspaper’s readers. You can also provide background information on the Serve America Act so that the editor knows why the op-ed is relevant.

• Call the paper after submitting your op-ed to give the editor time to review it. Confirm that the op-ed was received and answer any questions.

• Check out http://www.kidon.com/media-link/us.php which is a resource for anyone interested in learning more about sending a letter to the editor, contacting an editor or submitting an Op-Ed. Outlets are listed by state and with links.

Making the Pitch for an Editorial

• Contact the editorial page editor, either by email or by phone. You can find the name and usually the email address of the editor on the newspaper website. If it is not readily available, call the newspaper switchboard and ask to be transferred to the editorial page editor.

• It is best to call the editor mid-morning or early afternoon. They are usually in morning meetings first thing in the morning, and editing pieces on deadline at the end of the day. You want to optimize the chance that the editor has time to speak with you.

• Have your pitch ready in a few concise talking points. Identify yourself and why you are calling. You are making the case for why the editorial page editor should use limited editorial space on this issue, so it needs to be a clear and concise pitch.

• Anything you can say to localize or regionalize the issue is good. If your Senator is a co-sponsor or you know they support the legislation, mention that. Thanking members for their leadership is always good.

• Offer to email information and background documents on this issue and the legislation.