Op-Eds 101
Martin [email protected]
Some Uncomfortable Facts:
• Professional development is not always something that you pick up in a class.
• You are investing in your degree. You need to invest in skills as well.
• You will need professional experiences in addition to your degree to get noticed.
Some Good News:
• The blogosphere has now created a huge opportunity for students to get their writing out into the world
• It’s imperative that we create new voices to take part in the global conversation
Agenda
• What’s an Op-Ed?• Why would I want to do this?• How can I do this?
The term…
• Originally comes from a column that newspaper editors would commission that would run opposite of the editorial column.
• The editorial column is the newspaper’s own space.
• But the term does not only apply to newspapers anymore…
NOTE:
• Very few people would be interested in publishing in a class assignment.
• This is because no one would be interested in reading your class assignment.
• Academic writing has its own rules that are distinct.
Why do this?
• It’s a simple writing sample for employers.
• Helps you practice writing clearly.
• Allows you to leverage longer works (Senior/Master’s Research Project).
• Helps get your ideas into the public sphere.
Some Bad News
• Even with digital media, getting op-eds placed takes practice and patience.
• Even if it’s only server space instead of print, it’s still time in editing.
Two elements in every submission
• Pitch Letter• “Selling” summary of the submission
• Op-ed• Actual text of the submission
Some ABCs (and an H)
• A = Argument• B = Brevity• C = Current Events
• H = Humility
A is for ARGUMENT
• The “Op” is for OPINION.• So you need an argument!• And you need to put it simply in a
sentence.
• “I argue that….”• Make sure this is in your pitch letter. Make
life easy for an editor.
Note:
• “We should do something about Syria/Ebola/ISIS” is NOT an argument!
• We should create a no-fly zone and deploy troops to guard new refugee settlements east of Damascus IS an argument!
One more thing:
• Persuasive writing is often very hard for academics. We are trained to think in terms of nuance.
• Try very hard to avoid this pathology.
On “Voice”:
• Aim for an informed, but not expert audience.
• Keep in mind it’s your job to persuade, and you need to educate first!
• Need to explain your argument simply. There is NO SHAME in this.
B is for BREVITY
• Get to the point. Immediately.
• If you know the writer’s guidelines for the publication, you know that you have about 800-1000 words.
• Make darn sure your argument is in the FIRST paragraph, not the last!
Be aware of the market (1)
• Know the outlets and what they’re looking for.
• Washington Post: 5 Myths column.
• You might also to write a quick “explainer” on an event – though you’ll need to think about where you’re sending it.
For more on my obsession with 5:
• http://blogs.shu.edu/unstudies/2014/09/21/5-things-to-know-about-the-2014-nato-summit/
• http://blogs.shu.edu/unstudies/2014/09/16/5-things-to-know-about-the-new-high-commissioners-first-speech/
Be aware of the market (2)
• Get a feel for other columns in the journal/blog
• This will tell you a lot about what they’re looking for.
Be aware of the market (3)
• Know about arguments that others have made elsewhere
• This might be a good starting point for you!
• Here’s a list of potential places to submit:https://twitter.com/MartinSEdwards/lists/dipl-student-op-ed-sites
C is for Current Events
• It had better be about them!• Think about this broadly: • How much has been written on the 100th
anniversary of WWI?• How much is going to be written on the
UN at 70?
• Think about an “angle:” • What hasn’t been said about Ebola?
H is for Humility
• Remember that you are learning to do this.
• Accept rejection gracefully.
• Editors will make edits. Learn from them.
• Follow the rules about multiple submissions.
Things to do
• Use the pitch letter to SELL your argument.• Think about your target publications
CAREFULLY!• Read the submission guidelines.• Read other columns/posts in the
publication.• Read this good overview:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/writers_guidelines
If you’d like more advice
• This post by Michael Curtinhttp
://blogs.shu.edu/unstudies/2014/06/19/it-all-begins-with-an-idea-the-keys-to-writing-a-quality-op-ed-piece/
• More exampleshttp://reforminginternationalorganizations.w
ordpress.com/
http://fpinterrupted.com/
If you want to get started…
• I know a guy with a blog…..http://blogs.shu.edu/unstudies/
• But let’s talk about this before you write (much less send me) anything!