So, you think you’ve got something interesting to say.
An op-ed can be an excellent way to showcase your expertise and thought leadership to millions of people.
They can help you persuade, influence and change minds and hearts.
But having something interesting to say is only part of the battle.
How can you ensure your words are published and read?
We were recently asked about writing op-eds during an introductory session for new members of The Media Team Academy.
And that got us thinking – maybe we should write a blog about writing an op-ed.
So, here it is.
What are they?
Well, it is a confusing term.
We always tell delegates during our media training courses that journalists hate jargon. Yet, at the same time, they often use terms that are not particularly clear to those outside the industry.
And ‘op-ed’ is one of them.
It basically means an opinion article that has been submitted for publication.
The term originates from the fact they were traditionally published opposite the editorial page, where the opinion articles were written by the newspaper’s employees.
Anyone can submit an op-ed, meaning they bring a range of voices and views to the publication. That stimulates discussions, debates and arguments.
And in this digital age, contributors can easily join in the conversation sparked by their article.
To give you more of an idea, here’s one we wrote for PR Week a few years ago.
It is worth pointing out that some publications are moving away from the ‘op-ed’ term. The New York Times, for example, rebranded op-eds as “guest essays” last year.
Getting started
So, how do you write an op-ed that will get published?
Don’t start by putting pen to paper and crafting your article.
Before you test your business writing skills, you need to think about what you want to say. And who you want to say it to.
The Guardian, for example, will have a different readership than The Telegraph or The Times. Is your topic relevant to those different audiences?
Your subject could be niche. In that case, it would be more productive to target a trade publication that covers your subject.
Whatever you want to target, the TRUTH and ‘who cares’ tests we discuss during many of our communication training courses are crucial here.
Timely: Ideally, your op-ed should be timely and topical. Is it a subject that is currently dominating the news agenda? It doesn’t have to be a hard-news story. It could be triggered by something trending on social media or a reality TV controversy.
Relevant: How does the story relate to the readers of the publication you want to target? How can you increase its relevance?
Unusual: There is no point in writing something everyone already knows. That won’t get published. You need to bring something unusual and different to the topic. Do you offer a fresh perspective? Can you help people think differently about the topic?
Trouble: We’ve mentioned the importance of a news hook. Most stories already have that element of trouble in them. So, can you offer a solution? Can you provide an alternative view to what most people think about the issue?
Human: What does your opinion mean for people? Could it make them richer? Healthier? Happier? This is where the ‘so what’ test comes in. Consider why people should care about what you have to say.
If you want to take your op-ed planning to the next stage, you should also use our AMEN test. You’ve already considered the Audience aspect that starts this acronym.
So, let’s move straight on to Message. What message do you want readers to take from your article? Think about how you want them to feel and what action you want them to take.
The best advice I can offer is to stick to one key message. There is limited space, as we will discuss later. And you’re not going to have the word limit to try and solve all the world’s ills.
Once you are clear on the message, what Examples can you use to support it? Ideally, you should use personal examples. These will help you to build a connection with the readers.
Op-eds are all about opinion. Not everyone will agree with what you say. There is more than one side to every issue. So, think about the Negatives. Could there be a backlash? What would you do if there was? It is particularly vital to think about this if your op-ed is published online.
Time to start writing?
Almost. You’ve got a good idea of what you want to say and how you will say it.
But before you begin to form that plan into an article, make sure you understand what your intended publication’s approach is to op-eds.
If you aim to get it published in The Guardian, for example, you should know it recommends contributors send an outline of their op-ed idea rather than submitting a finished article.
If they like it, they will guide you on the word length and deadline for the article.
Headline
Now it is time to begin writing.
But avoid the trap of focusing on the headline.
Headlines are tricky.
Send through some potential options. But most publications will have sub-editors who will top your article with an attention-grabbing headline.
Intro
Instead, focus on your introduction.
This is vital. There are many articles out there. For your op-ed to stand out, you must grab attention and convince readers to continue reading.
Put your main argument at the top or outline a problem that people may not have considered.
Then build on your argument or solution to that problem and bring in your personal examples.
The Media Team Academy is a learning and personal development programme created specifically for comms professionals. It is designed to support, motivate, and energise teams, so you achieve your targets and ambitions and prove your value. Click here to learn more
Keep it simple
You may notice this blog consists of short sentences and paragraphs.
Try to emulate this style.
Look to keep sentences to less than 30 words. You can always break up long sentences.
And try to keep your argument logical. Make it easy for the reader to keep reading. They will give up if you continually meander between different arguments and thoughts.
Jargon
And that strive for simplicity brings us neatly to jargon.
No one likes it. It is confusing and may not mean anything to people outside your business or sector.
Also avoid the temptation to use long words. Your use of obscure vocabulary will not impress anyone.
On our business writing skills training courses, we stress the importance of writing how you speak. And that applies here.
If you wouldn’t use a word or phrase when talking to your friends, don’t use it here. And that also means using active voice. You wouldn’t say “it is hoped that..” – you would say “I hope that..”.
Remember, even the complex can be explained simply. I stumbled across a brilliant line about this in the Washington Post’s op-ed writing guide.
It said: “The more complex the thought, the shorter the sentence.”
That’s a great rule.
Concise
While we are discussing keeping things short, you will not have loads of words to play with.
If you fancy writing an op-ed for The Financial Times, you have a maximum of 800 words to build your argument. In my experience, most op-eds are in the 700-800-word range.
This blog is more than 1,500 words to give you some context.
So, keep your writing tight.
If you exceed the word limits, your op-ed could be rejected. Or the sub-editors will cut it to size – and a part you consider crucial may not make the edit.
Finish with a kick
The best op-eds have a punchy start and a simple structure.
One aspect that deviates from most business writing is the ending.
This is often referred to as the kicker.
Your last couple of sentences need to prove to the reader that they did the right thing by sticking with your article and leave them with a line that sticks in their minds - start with a punch and finish with a kick.
One of the best approaches is to find a way of circling back to the start.
Some writing articles suggest finishing with a quote. But this is your opinion article, so why finish with the view of someone else?
Think beyond text
Newspapers have changed.
They no-longer solely focus on print. Some have powerful online presences, where they also publish opinion articles.
It means you need to think slightly differently about what you send.
What could you include to support your words and grab your attention?
To give you more of an idea, that Washington Post op-ed guide I mentioned earlier says the content can include pictures, charts, audio, and even comics – that’s a new one for me.
Need a little more help?
Writing isn’t easy.
But our team of writers and current working journalists can help.
We can show you how to build op-ed ideas. Or we can write them for you.
We can also help with charts, infographics, audio and video that can illustrate your articles and take them into the digital age.
I’m just not sure we can help with the comics – but we probably know someone who can.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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