Contact us

It is very easy to contact us and you are in the right place. Here we have a standard contact form for sending a question or comment. If you are interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, a Citizen Essay (aka op-ed or opinion piece), or a 100-word story you can also do that from this page.

100-word storyLetters to the editorCitizen essays
Up to 100 words.Shorter, generally no more than 400 words.Longer, generally between 700 and 800 words.
A short story of the chosen genre(s).A response to an article or essay that has recently been published.Subject matter should be on something timely and relevant.
Multiple stories of any genre.We may publish multiple letters on any given topic.Typically will only publish one version of an opposing view point.
Writers can be any Brookline citizen.Writers can be any Brookline citizen wishing to express an opinion.Writers must be knowledgeable in the topic their essay is about and offer new information.

TIPS:

  1. Be short and to the point.
  2. AVOID JARGON!!
  3. When using facts and numbers, use only one or two, and choose the most powerful.
  4. People don’t read citizen essays for an in-depth policy discussion. They want to know about a personal connection to an issue affecting Brookline.
  5. Make a call to action. A letter to the editor is far more impactful when it motivates others to act.
  6. Check for grammar and spelling before submitting.

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    What is the genre of your story?

    Letters to the editor must be relevant to the Muddy River Hamlet or Brookline-dot-News content. In other words, they must address issues that in some way affects the Brookline community and in response to an article, column, editorial or other content that has been recently published. Letters can be authored by more than one person.

    The letter to the editor format is short, no more than 400 words, and allows you have to an impact on the big discussions of the day in Brookline as well as reaching and influencing a diverse group of people.

    If you wish to get your letter published, be sure your writing is clear and concise and keep the topic front of mind while you write. It is also imperative that the letter be written shortly after the article in question is published. Lastly, be sure to cite the article you are referencing so the editor and readers know why you wrote the letter in the first place.

    Citizen essays are opinion pieces also known as op-eds, which means “opposite the editorial page.” Typically opinion pieces are given a higher word count and more space than a letter to the editor. These pieces are written by members of the Brookline community, both well-known individuals and readers. Authors of citizen essays are not affiliated with the Muddy River Hamlet.

    The main focus of a the essay is to share an opinion or commentary on a particular topic.

    One thing to note is that citizen essays must be approved by the opinion page/editorial editor. In order to ensure your essay gets published in the Muddy River Hamlet, it is key to make your opinion known near the beginning and use personal stories, facts and statistics to back up what you are saying.

    The opinion page of any news channel is one of the most widely read. It is also a section that is easiest for an advocate or organization to express their views. It is what some people call the debate society that never adjourns, which is why many lawmakers pay close attention to what people are saying in their local papers. Essays tend to be longer but usually no more than about 700-800 words.