The L.A. Times recently asked readers to send in questions about how letters are screened, selected and edited, and Letters Editor Eryn Brown replied. Here are some excerpts (Note: not all of my snips are indicated):
The tough truth: Snail-mail letters don't have much chance of being published. Typically, I wait two to three days (and up to a week) to publish letters responding to a story. But it sometimes takes a week for hard-copy letters to find their way to The Times' mail room and, after screening, to my desk. If you want your letter to be published, your best bet is to send it as an e-mail.
What are the criteria by which letters are selected for publication? Many readers assume that letters are chosen to promote a political agenda. This is not the case.
Generally, I try to publish letters that reflect the mix of letters we receive. If a story or subject generates a lot of response, I work to include a good number of letters about that subject on the page. I also try to choose letters that reflect the points of view expressed in the letters received. If we get a dozen letters slamming an editorial about, say, the stimulus package, and only one or two in praise, I try to run a preponderance of "con" letters and maybe just one "pro."
Other factors come into play too. As the letters guidelines state, we do not run letters that are obscene, that contain factual falsehoods, that are part of letter-writing campaigns, that are unsigned or signed with a pseudonym, or that run much longer than 150 words. We require that letters respond to stories that have appeared in The Times. And with a few rare exceptions, we publish letter writers only once every 90 days.
<snip>
Then the fun begins. From those that remain, I pick the letters that I find most illuminating, articulate and entertaining. I like letters with attitude, as well as letters that bring new information or a surprising perspective to a discussion. Generally, I do not like letters written by people who "dare" me to print them, or who otherwise act like third-graders. I try to strike a balance between in-state and out-of-state writers (with a slight preference for local readers) and between "experts" and "regular folks" (with a slight preference for the "regular folks").
Do you automatically discard letters that are over the 150-word limit? No -- just as we also don't automatically discard letters when writers have forgotten to include their city of residence or their phone number (which we use only to verify a writer's identity). Rather, if they seem like good candidates for the page, I will cut them to an appropriate length. I also edit for clarity, correcting grammar and diction where appropriate.
That said, I have to work quickly, and a very long letter is a less-appealing candidate than a succinct one.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-le-lettersfactory-2009apr11,0,7865765.htmlstory 
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