How to Become a Local Newspaper Columnist

Mr. Turtledove, who wrote this article, is a columnist with our local newspaper, besides being a published author of two books. Here are his tips to becoming a columnist in your local newspaper.

Instructions

1. Choose up to three specialty topics that you've decided you feel passionate about. Mr. Turtledove selected family, education and relationship issues. Focusing on certain issues will develop a following. Certain readers will regularly look for your submissions.

2. Each week, on the same day of the week, submit a letter to the editor via email. Make sure you follow your paper's requirements for adding your address and phone number to the letter. The paper should have guidelines regarding how they will use that information - check those.
   Make sure you write a piece that is well thought out, concise and to the point. Rambling is not highly thought of.

3. Make sure you check and double check spelling and grammar.
   : Make sure you check your facts - use the web or make some phone calls to verify information.

4. Make sure your opinions apply directly to local situations. Use local references as often as possible.

5. Ask your friends and relatives to read your letters and respond via the newspaper.

6. Start a website and upload your letters. Let your friends know about the website.

7. After a number of months of being regular and after developing a local following, email your editor and ask if you could be assigned a certain number of words to appear regularly on a given day of the week.

8. Write your columns!

Tips & Warnings

• After the newspaper agrees, make sure you meet your word count and weekly submission deadline.