Develop an op-ed

• An op-ed allows you to speak to specific audiences in your own words through the media
  
• Op-eds run around 700 words
  
• They open with a hook – a short, punchy intro that gets your basic point across while drawing the reader in to learn more
  
• They take a stand, providing an argument in favour or against a certain course of action

• They are argumentative, but are well supported by facts
  
• They include an interesting anecdote (or two) that buttresses your point
  
• They bring a unique perspective to current topics of discussion
  
• They are well-written using plain language (as per Ottawa Citizen: ‘lose the jargon and fuzzy, academic vocabulary.’)

• Currency: Is this an ongoing topic (ie. Affordability, Donald Trump) that comes up frequently in the news?
• Timeliness: Is the Op-Ed addressing an issue that is currently all over the news?
• Conflict: Does your Op-Ed provide a critical perspective that disagrees with a prevailing narrative?

• Local: Will your writing topic be of interest to local audiences reading the media source you are pitching?
• Unique: Does your perspective stand out from what everyone else is saying about the topic?
• Impact: Does the topic impact many people? The more people the topic impacts, the more people will likely be interested in it.

Pitching your op-ed

• Identify a publication that might be interested (check that they haven’t recently published an op-ed on a similar topic OR if so, that your opinion adds to this issue)
  
• Find the op-ed or commentary editor’s contact information online
  
• Send an email to the editor with a brief one-paragraph outline of your op-ed
  
• Focus the “pitch note” on the unique perspective you are offering and tie in why it is a newsworthy topic
  
• Include a line highlighting your qualifications and title
  
• Copy your op-ed below your pitch note in the text of the email

• Be prepared to send a headshot if your op-ed is accepted
  
• Allow for a week or so from the date you submit to the date it is published
  
• Be patient and practical. Big publications like the Globe and Mail receive dozens of submissions a day. Few make it to print.
  
• Papers do not pay a freelance fee for opinion pieces.
  
• Don’t submit something you have submitted or published elsewhere – they will want first consideration of your work. If you are not successful, you can move on and submit to another publication.
  
• Consider reusing your op-ed your own digital channels (LinkedIn, SFU Faculty Blog, Medium)