Writing an Op-Ed  back to top

     If you have tried and failed to get your paper's editorial board to take up your cause on the editorial page, or if they have decided to write an editorial condemning your cause, it may be time to write your own piece. The op-ed page is the place to try to publish your commentary.
     Guest commentaries are articles that appear opposite the editorial page of local, state and national newspapers. Many op-eds are written by syndicated columnists or the paper's own columnists; however, they are also written by local citizens, experts, leaders of organizations - people like you. They are an extremely powerful and cost-effective way for your organization to educate a large number of people about your issues and to influence policymakers.

Who reads opinion pieces?
     National opinion articles are usually read by policymakers, academics, and important decision makers. If your goal is to reach the general public, an op-ed in a national paper such as the New York Times is not the best approach. To reach the public in a specific region, submit your piece to the local/regional paper. Finally, there are national chains, such as Knight-Ridder, that will run an op-ed. A piece like this may appear in local and regional papers all over the country.

Do Your Homework
     Although most newspapers consider it a priority to maintain open access to their opinion pages, not all papers are receptive to publishing guest pieces from anyone, especially special interest groups. If you want to write on behalf of your organization, it's important to know the paper's policy. It is important to read the paper you wish to approach, find out whether or not it publishes guest columns, how frequently it does so and whether it prefers to publish columns by policymakers, "celebrity" journalists, academics or other types of authors. Celebrity journalists are people like George Will, George Stephanopolous and others.
     By reading the paper, you will also get a sense of its political leanings. The Wall Street Journal, for example, only publishes conservative op-eds, while other newspapers will publish opinion pieces on both sides of an issue.
     You should also read the paper regularly to understand the editorial direction of the paper. Papers may see no need for a guest column unless it is filling some void. They will not print a guest column that is merely echoing what another columnist has already written or what has already been articulated by the paper in an editorial. In fact, your best bet may be to write a column that takes direct exception to an editorial.

Contacting the Paper
     When approaching a small newspaper, you may be dealing with the editorial page editor or the chief editor. At a larger paper, however, you may be referred to the op-ed page editor. Once you know what you want to write, you should try discussing it with the person in charge of op-eds or commentaries. Explain what you want to write in response to something that has been printed in the paper, or that you want to express your views on an ongoing subject. Ask them their opinion, take any guidance they are willing to offer, but remember that they may be strapped for time like any other reporter. Many large newspapers also have recorded messages outlining their guidelines for submitting op-eds. Don't be surprised if you are transferred to this line.

Timing is Everything
     Timing is the most important factor in submitting an op-ed. Is Congress or the state legislature about to cast a controversial vote? Is there an appropriate holiday or anniversary? Can you tie the op-ed to the release of a new report, a recent article, a popular movie, or event in your community? In many cases, it is best to submit your op-ed well in advance of a timely event, such as a news anniversary or important vote because editors plan their opinion pages a week or more in advance. When reacting to a news event, submit your piece as quickly as possible afterwards - no more than a week after it has been covered by the newspaper, preferably within two or three days.

Writing an Op-Ed

Step 1: Seize an issue that is important to your organization.
Look for an issue that is important to moving your organization forward and has been discussed in the press.
Check and double-check your facts. Make certain you have the knowledge, the background and the supporting data to qualify as an expert on this issue. Don?t try and fake it because in the end you could discredit yourself and your organization.

Step 2: Identify a significant problem.
Within the context of your larger issue, search for a problem that clearly threatens the general public or at least some segment of that public.
Focus, focus, focus. Clearly identify the problem, the audience it affects and how you might go about solving it.

Step 3: Make a bold statement.
Open your op-ed by making a bold statement that forces the reader to read on. This is no time to ease into your article. Punch the reader in the face and then explain why you did it.
The opening statement is everything. It will dictate the headline. It will determine the focus of your article. It will dictate the evidence you offer to support your statement.
Spend a lot of time honing your first paragraph. Ask yourself, "If I read this paragraph for the first time right now, could I resist the urge to continue reading this article?"

Step 4: Defend your statement.
Your op-ed will total between 500 and 700 words. Your opening statement will take up about 25 words. Your conclusion will take up another 100 or so. The rest will be devoted to defending your opening statement.
Use facts and statistics, but only those that apply directly to your statement. Don't go off on tangents. You don't have space for that. Stay very, very, very focused.
Introduce quotes from third parties. These would include documents, studies, surveys, public statements, white papers, books, articles and the like.
And don't forget emotion. Facts provide the reasons to agree with the statement, but emotion provides the impetus to take action. No emotion, no action. That's just how the human mind works.

Step 5: Propose a solution
Wrap up your story by proposing at least one clear, bold solution to the problem you have identified. The proposal is what will brand you as an expert. Sidestep proposing a solution and you will lose your audience.

QUICK OP-ED FORMATTING TIPS:
1. Use a common typeface, like Arial or Times, in 10 to 12 point type. Double space.
2. Write in short sentences.
3. Speak in a bold, active voice that leans upon nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs.
4. Avoid jargon.
5. Put your name, address and phone number at the top of the page.
6. Suggest a headline based upon your lead paragraph.
7. Include a paragraph at the end that explains your qualifications.
8. Place a "-30-" at the bottom of the last page to indicate the end.
9. Enclose a brief cover letter that summarizes the op-ed and your expertise.

These tips compiled from here.

The Right Author
     You do not necessarily have to sign or write an op-ed by yourself. Sometimes it's best to ask a government official or expert to collaborate on an opinion piece.  Finding the best author to collaborate with can be critical in getting your article published and maximizing its impact. Choose from scientific or other experts from your organization or others, ask a local doctor, business executive, or elected official - anyone who may be perceived as having an interesting perspective on the issues or the appropriate credentials for weighing in on a topic.  For example, a retired Energy Department official would carry more clout discussing the potential impacts of energy sector deregulation than a known renewable energy or environmental activist.  The best person (or persons) to collaborate with on an op-ed are not always experts on writing for the media. However, when revising the text, be sure that everyone who collaborates on and signs an opinion piece has the opportunity for revision and fact-checking.

Placing an Op-Ed

First, call and get all the information you need:

1. Word length
2. How to submit
3. Whom to submit to
4. How long submissions are held on to/considered and how to find out whether it has been accepted for publication
5. Details on how to withdraw submissions
6. Whether all submissions are exclusive to this publication

National Op-ed Placement

Examples: The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Knight-Ridder chain (they own several regional papers across the country).

Form: Must be tight, to the point, timely, and well-written (hiring a professional writer to help you can really pay off for national placements).

Scope: Must be of national or international scope.
Content: Should be a timely issue that already has gained coverage on the news side of the paper.

By-Line: For national papers, the more prominent the by-line, the better the chance for placement. You may want to consider going outside the "usual suspects." A well balanced, jointly signed piece with a prominent scientist, government official or economist may be more easily placed than one signed only by an environmental leader.

Word Length: Should be roughly 750 words. Word length varies from paper to paper. You should call for guidelines.

Exclusivity: Pieces are submitted to national publications on an exclusive basis - once you submit a piece you must be rejected by them, or withdraw the piece verbally or in writing before you send it to another outlet or service.

Cover memos: All pieces should be accompanied by a cover note to the op-ed page editor. The cover note or memo should be short and refer to:
1. the author
2. the significance of the piece and its relevance to the publication's readers
3. the timeliness of the issue

You may want to start the memo with: "I submit on behalf of the author the attached opinion piece on (the topic)..." Then, wrap it up with "We hope you find the piece interesting and consider it for placement in (the paper)."

Sending: Call the outlet and check, but it would be a safe bet to fax the piece and cover memo, and then send them by overnight mail. This will ensure that the op-ed is seen and put into circulation for consideration.

Follow-up: This is key. Call the following morning after submission. Please note that Op-Ed page editors and their assistants are deluged with submissions and follow-up calls each day. Keep it short - say you are calling to confirm whether they received the piece. If the editor or editor's assistant seems receptive, squeeze in a line about why the piece is particularly important/timely now - it may help put it on their radar screen.

Most places will tell you: "We'll call you if we are using it, don't call us." In that case, ask when they expect to make a decision and indicate that you'd like to submit it elsewhere if it doesn't suit their needs. Most editors understand this and will let you know when it's okay to call back for a final decision. But remember, every newspaper has its own policies. The New York Times, for example, holds it for ten days (you can withdraw it sooner if you let them know) and does not appreciate inquiry calls. On average, nationals should be given 4 business days after the initial follow-up call before checking in again. If the response is negative or non-committal, it's time to make a decision about moving on. If they indicate interest, you need to decide, perhaps in consultation with your client, if you should wait it out and for how long, or move to another outlet.

Keep it moving: A sure fire way to not get placed is to send in an op-ed and forget about it. Getting published can become a game of moving the piece around, in a way that maintains its timeliness while exhausting the most promising possibilities. If the national strategy fails, then it may be time to re-work the piece for regional papers or services. If you have not heard about your piece after one week, pull it and submit it somewhere else.

Regional or Local Op-ed Placement

Examples: Boston Globe, Miami Herald, North Carolina News & Observer, etc.

Form: Must be well-written (in regional placement, local or regional representatives can often write the piece with editing assistance from a professional writer).
Scope: Must have a regional or local hook - this is essential for regional placement.
Content: Again, should be timely and of significance to the region.
Byline: The more local the author, the better. This does not mean that the byline must be local, but it does help (some op-ed editors will tell you that they do not publish unsolicited pieces and many of them fill their pages with items from syndicated columnists only).
Word Length: Check with the papers, but aim for 650 to 750 words.
Exclusivity: When pitching an op-ed regionally, exclusivity is usually not an issue. You can submit the same piece (re-worked to fit the region) to several papers around the country at the same time. You should not, however, have the same piece simultaneously at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Seattle Times, for example. Stay away from markets that might overlap, because if you don't, you will only succeed in upsetting the op-ed page editor and damaging your relationships with these papers. If you are uncertain about whether a paper demands exclusivity, ask.
Cover Memos: See above, but add the regional/local significance.
Sending: Call the paper and ask to whom it should be sent. Unless you have a large budget for overnighting hard copies, it's generally okay to fax submissions.
Follow-up: See National Placement. Remember there's a fine line between nudging someone and annoying them.
Keep it moving: With regional placements, keeping track of all the places you have sent the piece, including when it was sent, when calls should be made, and when to move it along can get confusing. So keep good notes and mark your calendar when it's time to move from one place to the next.

Adapted from "Op-Eds: A Cost-Effective Strategy for Advocacy," by Denice Zeck and Edmund Rennolds. This guide is part of the series, "Strategic Communication for Nonprofits" published by the Benton Foundation and the Center for Strategic Communications.

Writing Effective Letters to the Editor   back to top

1. Pick a topic that you feel passionate about. Relate it to an issue very recently discussed in the publication to which you are writing.

2. Think of new ways to discuss the topic and present unique solutions to the problem.

3. Write clearly and concisely following the limitations usually given on the editorial page or letters-to-the-editor page.

4. Include your major points within the first few paragraphs.

5. Type your letter and double space between lines.

6. Use your spell check and then proofread.

7. Sign your name and include your phone number and address if required.

8. Mail, fax or e-mail your letter to the address listed for the publication.

9. Keep in mind that most publications verify by phone or in writing that you, and not someone attributing these opinions to you, authored the letter.

Tips & Warnings

These tips come from eHow

Sample Op Eds and Letters to the Editor   back to top

20/20 Vision's website has several sample Letters to the Editor that you can check out.

Check out Kelley Campaigns for help with writing your op-eds and letters to the editor.

*prepared from materials produced by Resource Media*