This was taken from http://dukenews.duke.edu/duke_community/oped.html The Duke University web page.
Op-Ed Articles: How to Write and Place Them
If you're a faculty expert or other member of the Duke community who has an interesting opinion (and who at Duke doesn't?), you may have thought of writing an op-ed article for a newspaper or elsewhere. Such an article can reach millions of readers, swaying hearts and changing minds. It can help reshape a public debate and affect policy. It also can bring you considerable recognition for less effort than it takes to write a professional monograph or journal article. Moreover, effective op-ed articles reflect well on both the author and the university, which is why Duke encourages faculty members and others to reach out to this important market.
Duke's Office of News and Communications has considerable experience with op-eds and can guide you on how to craft and submit an article. It has prepared these guidelines to help you get started:
Track the news and jump at opportunities.
Timing is essential. As a former New York Times op-ed page editor wrote:
"When people like Saddam Hussein and George Bush go on the warpath, op-ed
editors don't like to hang around waiting to see what next week's mail will
bring. And they can't imagine that people will read an article, no matter how
wonderful, that bemoans the perennial budget mess when all anybody can think
is: 'Does he have the bomb?'" Our experience at Duke reflects this;
authors are most successful when they track the news.
Limit the article to 750 words.
Shorter is even better. Some academic authors insist they need more room to
explain their argument. Unfortunately, newspapers have limited space to offer,
and editors generally won't take the time to cut a long article down to size.
Make a single point - well.
You cannot solve all of the world's problems in 750 words. Be satisfied with
making a single point clearly and persuasively. If you cannot explain your
message in a sentence or two, you're trying to cover too much.
Put your main point on top.
You're not writing for Science or The Quarterly Journal of Economics.
You have no more than 10 seconds to hook a busy reader, which means you
shouldn't "clear your throat" with a witticism or historical aside.
Just get to the point and convince the reader that it's worth his or her
valuable time to continue.
Tell readers why they should care.
Put yourself in the place of the busy person looking at your article. At the
end of every few paragraphs, ask out loud: "So what? Who cares?" You
need to answer these questions. Will your suggestions help reduce readers'
taxes? Protect them from disease? Make their children happier? Explain why.
Appeals to self-interest usually are more effective than abstract punditry.
Offer specific recommendations.
An op-ed is not a news story that simply describes a situation; it is your
opinion about how to improve matters. Don't be satisfied, as you might in a
classroom, with mere analysis. In an op-ed article you need to offer
recommendations. How exactly should
Showing is better than discussing.
You may remember the Pentagon's overpriced toilet seat that became a symbol of
profligate federal spending. You probably don't recall the total Pentagon budget
for that year (or for that matter, for the current year). That's because we
humans remember colorful details better than dry facts. When writing an op-ed
article, therefore, look for great examples that will bring your argument to
life.
Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Look at some stories in the News & Observer, the Herald-Sun
or a national newspaper, and count the number of words per sentence. You'll
probably find the sentences to be quite short. You should use the same style,
relying mainly on simple declarative sentences. Cut long paragraphs into two or
more shorter ones.
Don't be afraid of the personal voice.
Academics often avoid first-person exposition in professional journals, which
rarely begin with phrases like "You won't believe what I found when I was
working in my lab on
Avoid jargon.
If a technical detail is not essential to your argument, don't use it. When in
doubt, leave it out. Simple language doesn't mean simple thinking; it means you
are being considerate of readers who lack your expertise and are sitting
half-awake at their breakfast table or computer screen.
Use the active voice.
Don't write: "It is hoped that [or: One would hope that} the government
will . . ." Instead, say "I hope the government will . . ."
Active voice is nearly always better than passive voice. It's easier to read,
and it leaves no doubt about who is doing the hoping, recommending or other
action.
Avoid tedious rebuttals.
If you've written your article in response to an earlier piece that made your
blood boil, avoid the temptation to prepare a point-by-point rebuttal. It makes
you look petty. It's likely that readers didn't see the earlier article and, if
they did, they've probably forgotten it. So, just take a deep breath, mention
the earlier article once and argue your own case.
Make your ending a winner.
You're probably familiar with the importance of a strong opening paragraph, or
"lead," that hooks readers. But when writing for the op-ed page, it's
also important to summarize your argument in a strong final paragraph. That's
because many casual readers scan the headline, skim the opening column and then
read only the final paragraph and byline. In fact, one trick many columnists
use is to conclude with a phrase or thought that they used in the opening,
thereby closing the circle.
Relax and have fun.
Many authors, particularly academics, approach an op-ed article as an exercise
in solemnity. Frankly, they'd improve their chances if they'd lighten up, have
some fun and entertain the reader a bit. Newspaper editors despair of weighty
articles - known in the trade as "thumb suckers" - and delight in an
academic writer who chooses examples from "Entertainment Tonight" as
well as from Kierkegaard.
How to submit an article.
The best way to submit an op-ed article is by working with Duke's Office of
News and Communications, which interacts regularly with op-ed editors and
understands their needs. Contact Keith
Lawrence for assistance. If you do choose to submit an article yourself, be
sure to include your contact information, and say whether you have a photo of
yourself available. Most papers now accept articles by e-mail. Please copy
Keith on your submission.
Where to submit the article.
Here's a wild guess: You're hoping to publish your article in The New York
Times, with The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal
as backups. Well, welcome to the club. These and other national publications,
such as Newsweek and USA Today, receive a staggering number of
submissions, the overwhelming majority of which are rejected. You have a better
shot at regional newspapers and, especially, at local papers such as the News
& Observer, Herald-Sun and Charlotte Observer. Web sites
such as "Slate" are also gaining in importance. Duke authors have
appeared in almost every market and, as always, they've fared best with
arguments that are provocative, humorous, personal or unexpected. The Office of
News and Communications can assist you in targeting your article to the most
appropriate newspaper.
David Jarmul, Duke's associate vice president
for news and communications, prepared these guidelines. He was the creator and
director of a nationally syndicated op-ed article service at the
The following was taken from: http://www.aboutpublicrelations.net/ucmclaina.htm
How to Write an Op-Ed 
Perhaps it's PR's
most underutilized tool.
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by John McLain
McLain
Communications
One of the best ways to gain credible visibility for a
corporate client is to have that company's chief executive submit an opinion
piece to a major newspaper and have it published. Easier said
than done.
Quite often, most CEOs have no time to write an op-ed; even fewer know how.
That's where you step in to help the executive craft a fiery opinion, which is
supported by facts making his or her case. An op-ed is not an essay, something
that slowly unrolls like a carpet, building momentum to some point or
conclusion. It's just the opposite.
In an op-ed, you essentially state your conclusion first. You make your
strongest point up front, then spend the rest of the
op-ed making your case, or back-filling with the facts. Done right, it's persuasive writing at its best. You will help the
company win converts, gain high-quality publicity for the company, and you will
be reaching the elite audience of opinion-makers who regularly read the op-ed
pages.
Here's a checklist to keep your op-ed on track:
- Focus tightly on one issue or idea --- in your first
paragraph. Be brief.
- Express your opinion, then
base it on factual, researched or first-hand information.
- Be timely, controversial, but not outrageous. Be the
voice of reason.
- Be personal and conversational; it can help you make
your point. No one likes a stuffed shirt.
- Be humorous, provided that your topic lends itself to
humor.
- Have a clear editorial viewpoint - come down hard on
one side of the issue. Don't equivocate.
- Provide insight, understanding: educate your reader
without being preachy.
- Near the end, clearly re-state your position and issue
a call to action. Don't philosophize.
- Have verve, and "fire in the gut" indignation
to accompany your logical analysis.
- Don't ramble or let your op-ed unfold slowly, as in an
essay.
- Use clear, powerful, direct language.
- Emphasize active verbs, forget
the adjectives and adverbs, which only weaken writing.
- Avoid clichés and jargon.
- Appeal to the average reader. Clarity is paramount.
- Write 750 double-spaced words or less (fewer is always
better).
- Include a brief bio, along with your phone number,
email address, and mailing address at the bottom.
Many major newspapers today
accept timely op-eds by email. Check the paper's
website first to be sure what its policy is. While it's tempting to fire off
your op-ed to The New York Times, remember that there are many other
major newspapers to consider. The New York Times receives more op-eds daily than any other paper in the