Tips for writing and submitting an op-ed:
- Find out the word count and submission guidelines for your paper. The usual word count is approximately 500 words. Many newspapers list the word count and submission guidelines for their papers online in the editorial section. If they don’t, contact the editorial page editor. Some papers ask for photos and/or one-sentence descriptions of the author, so check before you submit.
- An op-ed needs to express an opinion. Provide local data to support your position. The more you can relate the issue to your community, the better.
- An op-ed is also a good opportunity for a call to action. If your piece addresses the importance of helping patients access specialty therapies, you can end your piece by asking local representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives to show their support for H.R. 1600 and senators to introduce the Patients’ Access to Treatments Act of 2015.
- Once you’ve submitted the op-ed, call the editor to make sure it was received. Even if you get confirmation, your piece can sometimes still get lost, so if it doesn’t get published for a couple of weeks after confirmation that they will publish, you can contact them again to check on the publication status.
Want to Respond to Another Opinion? Write a Letter
If there’s an article that you don’t agree with or you do agree with and want to reinforce the message, writing a letter to the editor is a great way to get your message to the community. Letters are usually shorter and easier to get published than op-eds, and once you’ve had one published, you can share it with legislators and business and community leaders.
You can also write letters to the editor about an important time-sensitive issue, even if there isn’t a published article to reference. For example, you can write a letter reflecting on the importance of early diagnosis for patients with rheumatic diseases during Arthritis Awareness Month in May or why rheumatology issues need to be a priority in the state budget during June, the peak month for budget negotiations.
Tips for writing and submitting a letter to the editor:
- Check the submission guidelines for your paper. Most papers have guidelines on their websites for submitting a letter, including the word count and contact information you must provide. Most letters are between 250 and 300 words and require the author’s address and phone number for verification. Stick to the word count! If your letter goes over their word count, they may edit it for space and inadvertently change the message of your letter.
- In most cases, your letter should be responding to an article, editorial or other letter published in the paper, but you can also write a letter related to a current event. Mention the title and date of the original piece in your letter. Try to respond within a few days of the publication date of the original article or editorial.
- Give your letter local appeal by including data or new information relevant to the local community.
- Newspapers usually have a limit to how frequently you can submit a letter or have a letter published (usually one letter a month), so if you want to submit several letters in a row, keep this in mind.
- Most papers will call you to verify your information before publishing your letter, so if you are going to be out of the office, give them your cell phone number or check your messages frequently so you don’t miss this opportunity to get published.
- Even if your letter isn’t published, it’s still a good exercise in forming your arguments for quality early learning and a way to educate the editorial staff of the paper.
- Don’t forget the weekly papers. People read local and weekly papers, so this is another good avenue for delivering your message.
For additional support in your media outreach efforts, contact ACR Director of Public Relations Bonny Senkbeil via e-mail at [email protected].
