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Craft of Writing

George J. Bryjak

Writing The Op-Ed Article

Writing OP-ED (OPposite the EDitorial page) articles is a great way to have your views aired while making money at the same time. Not only is getting one's perspective on an issue into the public discourse satisfying, but these relatively short pieces (650 to 800 words) can be written without taking big chunks of time from other projects.

Writer's block is of virtually no concern to op-ed contributors, and penning an opinion article is a sure fire way to get unblocked if you are having troubles in other areas of your creative life. Scanning local newspapers and watching the evening news should yield a plethora of issues and problems to address. You can write about enduring topics such as abortion, gun-control, and capital punishment as well as current issues. Offer a new twist on an old subject, or call attention to an emerging problem. If all else fails make a list of things that infuriate you and go from there. In my hometown, a local author wrote a humorous yet biting op-ed piece about cell phone use in public places.

The old maxim of 'whatever you write, don't be boring' applies in spades to opinion pieces. These articles should be gloves off, hard-hitting, and controversial. Half of your readers should shower you with kudos, the other half question your sanity.

There's a lot of competition for limited space on op-ed pages, so knowing how to craft and submit an article will increase your chances of seeing it in print. The first paragraph of your piece is the most important. If you don't grab the attention of your reader (starting with the op-ed editor) immediately there's little chance that he or she will continue to the second paragraph.

I started a piece on personal responsibility entitled, "It's Never Our Fault These Days" with the following: "Who is responsible for the recent abuse of prisoners in Iraq? The individuals who inflicted the punishment? Their superiors? The secretary of defense? The president? All of the above? None of the above?" The ideal first paragraph hooks the reader while setting the stage for what's to come.

The middle section is where a position is taken by way of answering the question(s) posed, or supporting a declaration ("It's Time to Reinstate the Draft," for example) made in the opening paragraph. Imagine that "Colossal-Mart" is exploring the possibility of opening one of its mega-stores in your community. Your article should strongly endorse or oppose any proposed construction. NEVER take both sides of an issue. For one, you don't have the space, and two, that's not what op-ed editors want.

The opinion piece argument takes the form of a factual and/or philosophical presentation (in most instances, both). For example, you might begin by saying that whenever and wherever a Colossal-Mart opens, small businesses unable to compete with discount super stores begin to fail. How do you know this is true? Because of the research you have done via the Internet (at least to start) that supports this position. The introduction of facts and figures along with attribution ("According to U.S. Department of Commerce...") lends credibility to your position. Quotes (don't make them too long) from authorities, especially if they are well known, also support your argument.

More speculative, philosophical comments give perspective to factual statements. For example, you might argue that as small businesses fail, the fabric and cohesion of the community is affected, and that the last thing your town needs is more minimum wage, meager-benefits jobs. Keep in mind that facts do not speak for themselves. Rather, they must be interpreted within a larger context. The crux of the op-ed piece is the interpretation of facts within the context the writer provides.

In an information-overload society, few people will long remember the specifics of your article. Your goal is to provide readers with a conclusion that encapsulates the entire essay. The closing paragraph should be the inevitable finale to your argument, with the last sentence a can't forget statement that "sticks in the reader's ear." In an op-ed piece entitled, "Outsourcing the American Dream," I presented the downside of sending information technology jobs overseas. The last paragraph read: "The current group of late teens and twenty-somethings is likely to be the first generation of Americans that will not equal or surpass their parents' financial status. At the current rate of middle-class job erosion, their children will be the second."

Here is a powerful ending from an op-ed piece ("Saving the Iraqi Children") by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. "Those hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children, whose lives we placed at risk by invading their country, are the reasons we should remain in Iraq until we can hand over security to its local force. Saving hundreds of thousands of lives is a worthy cause to risk American lives for, even to die for."

The problem most op-ed writers have is fitting their presentation within the specified word limit. Through trial and error I've discovered that the best way to handle this limitation is to write the first draft relatively unencumbered by word count, focusing instead on the overall structure and content of the piece. If the initial draft is too long (that's the norm), examine which components of your argument can be eliminated or compressed. I typically write four to six drafts before I'm confident enough to submit a piece. This may seem like a great deal of work, but these essays top out at a mere 800 words.

If possible, have two or three individuals read your piece with an eye toward style and content. Things that appear perfectly straightforward to you may be confusing and awkward to someone else. If a busy editor (and they're all busy) finds these mistakes, not only will your piece be rejected, but he or she will be more likely to hit the delete key upon receiving your next submission. The last thing you want is a reputation as a sloppy thinker and/or writer.

When your article is lean and mean and ready to go, use the following as a guide and checklist before submitting.

• Submit articles to a specific op-ed editor whenever possible. Most newspapers (and certainly all of the major dailies) have a web page. If the editor's name and Email address is not listed, call the main information number and ask.
  
  
• Articles can be sent to any number of newspapers unless the readership of those publications overlap. For example, you could not submit a piece simultaneously to the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Los Angeles Times as the Times has a San Diego County edition. However, you could send a piece to both the Union-Tribune and the Los Angeles Daily News because the latter does not have a San Diego edition.
  
  
• In the subject line of the Email, type "Article submission" or "Op-ed submission." This is important for those newspapers using the same Email address (not an individual) for both article submissions and letters-to-the-editor.
  
  
• Some newspapers DEMAND that articles be pasted into the body of the Email while others want the piece submitted as an attachment. Still others (a distinct minority) will only accept fax submissions. Make certain you submit via the correct procedure.
  
  
• If you have any experience, expertise, or credentials that lend credibility to your article, do not hesitate to make this known to editors. For example, if you are the president of the "No Colossal-Mart in Johnstown Committee," by all means include this information with your submission. Lacking credentials that lend themselves to national or international issues, you will have more success writing about local issues.
  
  
• Include a paragraph of no more than four or five sentences (preceding your article) that both introduces the topic and identifies you as an experienced writer. For example:

  Dear Barbara Jones,
  
  I am submitting the enclosed article to the Franklin County Courier-Express for publication. This piece outlines the dangers to our community if Colossal-Mart is allowed to construct a mega-store in Johnstown. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thanks for your time and consideration.
  
  Cordially,
  

• The op-ed piece should include the following information, preferably in this format:
  
  Name
  
  Address
  
  Daytime phone number
  
  Evening phone number
  
  Email address
  
  
  COLOSSAL-MART, THE EVIL EMPIRE (687 words)
  
  by
  
  Your Name
  
  
  Text begins here. After the last sentence, skip a line and type: THE END



• Upon acceptance the editor will request your social security number for payment. Low budget, small-town newspapers may pay only $10 or $20, some, nothing at all. Big-city dailies offer up to $150 per article, more for a feature (and longer) Sunday piece. If an article will run in an out-of-town newspaper, ask the editor to send a "tear sheet" containing your work.



• Some op-ed pieces can be turned into longer articles. I expanded an 800-word article "Outsourcing the American Dream" to 1,500 words and sold it to a national magazine.



• Major metropolitan dailies receive hundreds of unsolicited op-ed pieces a week. Your chances for getting published are much better if you initially submit to smaller circulation newspapers. As your op-ed skills improve, start sending articles to big-city newspapers.