Why are we here?

​

To influence policy. To build public support. To tell your story. To matter

Here are original and published versions of the same op-ed.

Vote ‘Yes’ if you think the one on the left is the published version

Vote ‘No’ if you think the one on the right is the published version

Vote Yes for left and No for right

Yes for left and No for right

• Grab the reader with your intro. Don’t lead up to the subject. Start with it.

​

• Be timely. If you know your issue will be in the news, submit early before everyone else writes about it.

​

• Avoid academic or bureaucratic jargon (including acronyms) that may confuse readers.

​

• Stick with a conversational tone, and don’t be afraid to illustrate your points with personal experiences.

​

• Write with passion and energy, but don’t rant.

​

• Stay focused. Don’t wander off the track.

​

• Give readers an on-the-ground feel for the topic rather than an aerial view.

TIPS FROM THE PROS

​

• Fact-check your op-ed or you’ll lose credibility with the editors.

​

• Consider using an information box for related facts and statistics that could bog down the flow of your op-ed.

​

• Include links to relevant research for readers who really do want to read the whole study or report.

​

• Check whether an editor prefers to be queried or receive the full submission. Most prefer to read the whole thing first.

​

• Op-eds in daily newspapers rarely exceed 650 words, so stay focused.

​

• Stay on topic. Propose a solution or call for action. Stick to the word limit. Don’t give them any excuse to reject you!

​

​

​

​

The competition

​

Big names like Erwin Chemerinsky, John Yoo, Emmanuel Saez and Robert Reich are regularly tapped by opinion page editors to write pieces for them. That’s not the case for most academics.

​

Conservative voices. There are not enough of them on mainstream opinion pages, so they’re highly sought after.

​

Professional ghost writers are paid to produce op-eds for think tanks and government agencies

​

World leaders use opinion pages to advance their agendas

​

Celebrities get to write about anything they want

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

What to do about it

​

Start by submitting to local, regional and state news outlets, and get some successes under your belt. Word limits range from 600 to 900.

​

Note that politicians pay more attention to their local news outlets because they cover the issues that their constituents care about

​

Newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Mercury News and East Bay Times are looking for well-written, well-reasoned, timely, topical pieces that provide a fresh perspective.

​

They receive 150-200 submissions a day, and barely read beyond the first three graphs. So focus on a catchy headline and intro

​

Your piece will be rejected if …

​

It lacks a focal point or thesis statement explaining what’s at stake and why we should care

It’s too academic or bureaucratic

It lacks the evidence to back up your argument and fails to acknowledge counter arguments.

There’s no proposed solution to the problem or call for action

You’re writing about something clearly outside your realm of expertise

You’re too late. Your subject matter has already been hashed out ad nauseum in the mediasphere

The subject of your op-ed is your research.

* Instead, think about how your research applies to events in the news.

​

​

Rules for submitting op-eds

​

Make a list of 3-5 target publications

​

Submit to one outlet at a time, starting with your top pick

​

Send to the news outlet’s general op-ed submission email, and copy the editor

​

If you don’t hear back in a couple of days, email or call the editor to ask if they’re interested.

​

If they decline or you don’t hear back, go to the next on your list until you hit the jackpot

​