Writing an OpEd -- a few ideas

Writing an OpEd is more difficult that might first appear.

I've been able to do quite a few over the years and have gotten to the point where perhaps 3/4 of the ones I write actually get printed. I say that because at first my efforts were so seldom printed that I almost gave up trying. Over the years I have found some pointers as to how to get printed.

The first big question is what to write on.

This isn't an issue of 'do what you love' but rather 'do something you can be credible about'. Perhaps I'm interested in, say, foreign policy. Perhaps I have something I am bursting to say about, for example, Taiwan. Unless I have some credentials supporting my views it's most unlikely I'll get published. I am a lawyer so I write, mainly, on legal issues.

The other point about what to write on is that the topic must hit three buttons: it must be topical, it must not have been covered too much already and it must not be contrary to the political slant of the newspaper you want to get into.

The first two buttons are obvious but the third isn't.

All newspapers, especially the OpEd sections, have a political slant of some sort. It may not be an obvious slant but it's real. That doesn't mean that you have to be left or right to get printed. The Sun group is right leaning but will print some left leaning pieces. But if, for example, you want to do an piece about the difficulties new immigrants face you are best to try the Toronto Star over the Globe. Read the paper and ask, "what are they looking for to keep their readers interested"?

Topics don't come easily. I often have to wait a week or more for some item to come up that I can (a) be credible about and (b) that will fit somewhere in some paper. (On that last point don't be shy about out of town newspapers -- as long as it's in Canada it's fair game).

Once you have a topic, rough out a piece with a perspective that says something. An OpEd has to have an opinion to be worth printing. But it can't all be theory -- a good approach is to take a specific case and work from there. So, start by telling a quick story ("Jane Smith came home to find her living room covered in blood") and from there go on to the policy point you want to make. Remember you have to write for an audience that doesn't know the field so you must define your terms and be clear.

Length counts. Most papers want 600 words, 700 words tops. A few prefer 400 words. Look at the paper you are considering and see how long their pieces are.

Finally, look up who the Opinion Page editor is and send them the piece by e-mail with a polite note suggesting they might be interested in your piece and you'd be glad to change it as needed should there be an interest. Don't send the piece as an attachment -- it will go into spam -- send the piece in the body of the email.

Good luck!
James Morton
1100-5255 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M2N 6P4

416 225 2777