GG’s Carla Pisarro shares guidance on writing strong op-eds – and getting them published.
Op-eds: fun to read, fun to write. At their best, they’re a powerful tool for advocacy and a showcase for compelling writing. And as pieces written by contributors, not staff journalists, op-eds can be the best shot outside writers have to make their voices heard in a major media outlet. But actually getting an op-ed published is much more competitive than it may seem, with the most widely read media outlets receiving hundreds of submissions a week.
As PR professionals, we assist our clients with all aspects of op-ed strategy, from conceptualizing to drafting to placing the piece in strategic media outlets. Read on for my battle-tested best practices for op-eds.
The single most important part of a successful op-ed is its stance. Above all, opinion editors are looking for pieces with a clear central argument, backed up with relevant facts and expressed in clean, lively writing. If you don’t have a stance that you can summarize in just one or two sentences, your op-ed is too neutral. Wishy-washy arguments simply will not get published – so if you’re not comfortable taking an unqualified stance on the issue at hand, you should not write an op-ed.
Op-eds that have the strongest shot at publication are pieces that directly engage with current events or major news of the day. Immediately following last month’s presidential debate, virtually every major opinion page at every American newspaper – and a good chunk of international ones — was dominated by hot takes on the event and its implications. To look at another moment in time, when New York City saw the worst air quality in its history in summer 2023 due to Canadian wildfires, media outlets across the country published take after take from experts. If you’ve got a unique argument to make on a contentious subject in the news now, jump into the fray and draft your piece – the sooner, the better.
For some important topics, the news hook may be less obvious – which means you need to ramp up the urgency. Why is the step you’re arguing for necessary, now? Are you exposing a big problem that most people don’t know about? Or are you shining a spotlight on a crucial but overlooked piece of legislation? Emphasize that timely angle – or your piece won’t be competitive.
Many readers turn to opinion sections first; after all, they’re often the feistiest part of the paper. There’s a reason for this: op-eds live and die on the strength of their writing. Opinion editors are looking for submissions that need minimal editing – so make sure you’ve devoted ample time to making your piece as good as it can be before you start pitching it.
To this end, word limits are your friends. A typical op-ed length is 750 words; print outlets have limited space. As you edit your piece, cut down unnecessary words and clutter – which will also push you to make your argument more directly.
And your English teachers were right: watch out for the passive voice, word repetition, and “is” as the main verb of the sentence. Chances are, with a little refinement, you can sharpen up your sentences and make your piece that much more memorable.
Placing op-eds in top-tier outlets is difficult, as a rule. This doesn’t mean your piece isn’t well written or your argument isn’t topical. Opinion editors receive a huge volume of submissions; more often than not, you won’t hear back from a given outlet on your submission. But don’t be discouraged: just because The Wall Street Journal can’t publish your piece doesn’t mean you won’t find a good home for it. Before you start submitting your op-ed to media outlets, come up with a strategic list of targets. You might lead with top-tier choices, move to widely read local outlets next, and then submit to trade outlets, which can be safer bets. (And if your topic isn’t related to major national news, consider whether starting with a well-read local or trade publication is the more strategic move.) Many outlets recommend that you move on after 3 days if you haven’t heard from them about a submission. Work your way down your list, and be persistent.
Writing successful op-eds is a skill – one that even seasoned writers typically need practice to master. But all you need to launch an op-ed strategy is a strong argument. With a timely hook, diligent editing, and a smart media outreach strategy, you’ll be ahead of the game.
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