By Oberon Zell
Letters to the Editor, opinion pieces and editorials
(Press releases will be considered separately)
I’ve been writing stuff like this for decades, and I would really like to encourage all our articulate spokespeople to do likewise. It’s always good to write to your congresspeople, of course. But understand that no one actually reads those letters. A secretary may open them and note how many come in referring to a specific issue. But then they are pitched into the circular file. They never reach the desk of the congressperson—let alone the President.
But letters to the editor, on the other hand, as well as editorials and press releases—if they get printed—will be read by many thousands of people throughout the area of distribution, giving them the widest possible effect.
So here is a little guide for our Pagan Solidarity people (those of us who are articulate writers and willing to do so) on how to write good letters to the editor and editorials that are likely to see print.
In your local paper, check the “Letters” section, where there will be a box with info like this:
Asheville Citizen-Times
Letters to the Editor
PO Box 2090
Asheville, NC 28802-2090
(Letters to Editor=250 words)
(Editorials=700 words)
828-232-5912
Letters@Citizen-Times.com
Letters may be run daily, or less often, depending on the paper. My local paper, the Asheville Citizen-Times, runs them twice a week—on Sunday and Wednesday. Editorials/Opinions are printed only on Sunday. Send in your piece by email, and expect a 2-day delay between submission and publication. Before you start to write a letter or an opinion, read the ones already printed for a number of issues to get a sense of the style your paper goes for.
Letters have the best chance of being printed if they are in response to an article in a previous issue, or another letter, which you should reference by date and headline. See attached published examples: “Threat to Religious Freedom in Christian Nationalism” and “Prayer in School: to which gods?”
Editorials/Opinion pieces (Op-Eds) should be in response to larger concerns and stories involving issues of national importance. Opinions concerning the 1st Amendment, the environment, culture wars, climate change, politics, Christian Nationalism, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, deportations, Project 2025, the White House Faith Office, the 7 Mountains Mandate, war, pending bills, and whatever causes are currently being discussed in the media and in your community.
Focus on universal Pagan concerns, such as religious freedom, anti-discrimination, environmental justice, and spiritual autonomy. Avoid promoting personal traditions, sect-specific beliefs, or controversial spiritual claims unless directly relevant and clearly labeled as your personal perspective. Avoid criticizing specific public figures by name—no matter how much you may feel they deserve it!
Be concise and articulate. Keep your language at the same reading level as other letters in the same paper. Avoid jargon or esoteric references unless clearly explained. Use analogies that resonate with mainstream audiences. Read it over several times; ideally a day later. Write the exact number of words or less; never more. That way no one will need to edit what you write. The word count is for the body of your letter or opinion piece and does not include your headline or signature.
Be sure to appropriately capitalize proper terms like “Pagan,” “Paganism,” “Wicca,” “Earth” (the planet rather than dirt), “God,” “Goddess,” “Nature” (as sacred), etc. Assume that the editors and readers will not know anything about Paganism (or worse, have a negative misunderstanding), and refer to Paganism in easy-to grok terms like “green religion,” “Nature spirituality,” “Earth-centered faith,” etc.
Don’t claim to speak for all Pagans, or the Pagan Solidarity Alliance. Say “some Pagans” or even “many, but not all Pagans”… Of course, if you are in a group or organization which authorizes you as a spokesperson, you may choose to identify that group. But I feel it’s best to just mention Paganism in an inclusive sense among other non-Christian religions with a generally positive public image, like Buddhism and Hinduism. Again, see attached examples.
If you want to reference some more in-depth source of info, just say a few words about it and provide a link.
Come up with a simple and catchy headline for your letter or opinion piece. This is what will grab the attention of the editors. Sign it with your name and title if you have one: Rev., Dr., etc. Also your street address, phone number, and address (these will not be printed, but are required to validate your actual personhood).
