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Tips for letter writers

Published: Thursday, Sep. 7, 2006 - 4:18 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2008 - 6:30 pm

The Sacramento Bee invites letters. To have your letter considered for publication you must include your:

  • Real name
  • Address
  • Daytime phone number

We need this information to verify authorship. The information isn't shared outside The Bee. We do not allow pen names.

The Bee has space to print about one third of the letters received. The following tips can help improve the odds of having your letter published.

Keep it brief -- 200-word limit

The best letters are short and limited to a single point. The average length of a published letter is around 150 words. Yes, we publish letters that are longer, but we publish many more that are shorter. In any case, letters are likely to be condensed in the editing process.

Make it timely

Your letter should refer to a recent event and arrive within one week following the event. It is not required, but it helps if you can reference a story in The Bee.

Pace yourself

Letter writers are limited to one letter a month. We count that month as 30 days from the publication date of your last letter.

Submit your letter online

Click here to submit your letter to the editor.

The e-mail address is letters@sacbee.com

If you have any questions about letters, please call Gary Reed at (916) 321-1909.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.



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