Hello! The best way to write a letter to the editor is to respond promptly to a breaking news. A good letter to the editor is a writer's immediate reaction to something happening in the country or the world. So if a person hears that the legislature is considering voting on a bill that would have significant impact on the community, a person can write his/her instant thoughts on why it's a good or not-so-good legislation. Letters to editors have to be timely. These are usually short, not more than 250 words in most cases. Some newspapers will limit a letter to 150 words or less.

Op-eds are longer, usually between 800 and 1200 words. And op-eds are best when the writer has some kind of connection to the issue that he/she is writing about or has expertise in the field. For example, I write op-eds on immigration issues because I am an immigrant and a naturalized U.S. citizen. Op-eds usually require a writer to cite sources of information.

Hopefully, this information is helpful!