Thoughts on op/ed writing
Robert Jensen

Op/ed writing is the most disciplined and difficult writing I do. It also usually is the most fun and rewarding work I do.

First, I write op/ed pieces almost exclusively for political reasons: I want to persuade people to adopt a particular political position and act on it. Most of the positions for which I argue are considered radical in contemporary U.S. society (including harsh critiques of the U.S. empire and capitalism). I judge the success of an op/ed piece not by whether anyone liked it, but by how effective it was in contributing to readers’ willingness to act politically.

Second, most mainstream papers limit op/ed writers to 600-750 words. It’s difficult to make a coherent argument in such limited space, even when one is parroting the conventional wisdom. Such difficulties intensify when one is making arguments that cut against the grain of the country’s most deeply held mythologies (that the U.S. foreign policy and military adventures are inherently benevolent, and that capitalism is the only sane way to organize an economy); there is much ideological and rhetorical undergrowth to clear away before one can begin to plant one’s own argument. (Note: In op/ed writing, the use of hackneyed metaphors like the one in the previous sentence is sometimes useful but tricky. They can provide a reassuring sense of familiarity to readers quickly, but also run the risk of appearing trite.)

So, op/ed writing requires discipline in both senses.

In crafting an op/ed, I cannot always write what I really think or feel; sometimes that would be politically ineffective. Most often, I have to restrain my anger at the unjust way the world works and the people who profit from that. Good op/ed pieces can have emotion running through them, but that emotion has to be used strategically; a little righteous indignation goes a long way. I have to think about how readers will react to various claims I might make and to the way I make them. That doesn’t mean I never write something that I know will anger some readers, but when I do that it has to be for a clear purpose. I never just vent. And because of space limitations, of course, I can never write everything I want to say.

So, op/ed writing, for me, is the discipline of picking which arguments and what evidence is going to best fulfill my purpose. I don’t write simply to inform or entertain, but to persuade. Sometimes I have to cut information I think is crucial, or a line that I think is perfect. Once I spiked an entire piece because a colleague convinced me that it would be politically counterproductive to publish it. 

At the same time as I am making all these calculations, I also write because I love to write. I have a deep affection for the craft of searching out information, forming an analysis, and conveying that in prose. I don’t mistake what I do for art, but I also don’t denigrate it simply because it is a genre with such clear limits. I respect it as a craft, and I take pride when I do it well. Op/ed writing is particularly satisfying precisely because it requires such discipline. 

The most rewarding pieces I have written are those that are simple without being simplistic. The highest compliment I get is when people tell me that a piece I wrote was clear and straightforward, that it expressed things they had thought but never been able to put together in that way, that it resonated with them not only intellectually but at a gut level. Such pieces help people clarify their own views and, I hope, make it easier for them to take political action.

I’m an op/ed addict. I love writing them. I like the sense of accomplishment when I figure out the right structure for a piece. I love the feeling when I turn a good phrase. I love editing myself to cut out unnecessary words to get a piece down to the right length. And I love the feedback that I get from readers, positive and negative. 

Tips for placing letters and op/ed pieces

“Op/ed” stands for “opposite the editorial page,” indicating the opinions piece that are on the page opposite from the paper’s editorials. It is also used in the sense of “opinion and editorials,” to indicate that whole section of paper.

There are three types of writing on the opinion and editorial pages of newspapers.

1. Editorials: The official statement of the newspaper’s position on issues. They typically run on the far left side of the editorial and opinion pages. They usually are not signed by an individual; they are seen as the voice of the paper as an institution.
2. Letters to the Editor: Short responses from readers.
3. Op/ed pieces: Longer essays from syndicated columnists, newspapers staff members, or the public.

When talking to editors, use the terms in these ways to avoid confusion. Don’t tell an editor you want to submit an editorial; call it an op/ed. 

GENERAL ADVICE:

• Although one gets more space to develop an idea in an op/ed, letters can sometimes be easier to get published and more effective. The letters section is one of the best-read parts of a paper.
• Most newspapers have web sites, and most sites have staff directories and/or instructions for how to submit letters and opinion pieces. Some papers also run the information on the op/ed pages. Send submissions to specific addresses and people responsible for handling them. Most papers allow mail, fax, or email submissions. Follow the instructions carefully so that your letter doesn’t end up on the wrong desk.
• Your chances of getting a letter or op/ed accepted increase when you can tie it to a news event or anniversary. Editors like pieces with a “news peg.”
• Adopt the writing style of journalists: Avoid flowery language, write in clear and concise fashion, keep paragraphs to no more than two or three sentences.
• Don’t assume that editors will censor critical or radical commentary. It happens often enough, but editors also like controversy.
• Avoid phrases that will be seen as left-wing cliches. Instead of talking about “worker control of the means of production,” talk about how workers should be able to make decisions about the company. It is possible to use everyday language and put forth a radical analysis.
• Make sure you include complete contact information: full name, group affiliation if relevant, mailing address, phone numbers at home and work, email address.
• Many papers will run the author’s email address if desired; that can be a useful organizing tool.
• Read the op/ed pages every day. Know what the paper has published so that you don’t send redundant letters and essays.

LETTERS:

• Newspapers have guidelines for the length of a letter, usually no more than 200 words. Exceptions are sometimes made, but it is best to stay within the limit to increase your chances of getting it accepted and to avoid giving the editor the chance to decide what to cut out.
• Most newspapers have a limit on how often a person can write (usually no more than once a month or once every three months). Find out what it is and don’t submit more often than that.
• Responding to a specific news story, editorial or op/ed increases your chances of getting published.
  Most papers won’t accept letters on behalf of a group; an individual has to sign it.

OP/ED ARTICLES:

• Newspapers rarely run anything longer than 700 words on the daily op/ed pages. Some papers have Sunday perspective sections that will take longer analysis pieces.
• Editors have access to a large number of op/ed pieces on the wires. So, try to distinguish your submission with a local angle if possible. If writing about an international issue, try to tie it to local organizing efforts.
• If it is appropriate, use anecdotes to make your piece as accessible as possible. It’s possible to provide analysis while telling stories.
• On rare occasions, newspapers will run op/eds that are direct rebuttals of a news story or another opinion piece. But in general, don’t frame your piece as a point-by-point critique of another piece.
• Try to establish personal contact with the editors who make the decisions about what to run. Most editors won’t mind a call to inquire about their interest in a piece, or a follow-up call after you have sent it. There’s a fine line between persistence and harassment; persistence can pay off, but when editors feel harassed they are less likely to run anything you write.

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