Tips for writing and placing op-eds on depolarization and bridge-building
We need more op-eds that will influence the influencers
I’ve recently gotten a few depolarization-aimed op-eds out, including these:
Deseret News: Why Biden failed to achieve unity
Newsweek: Us-vs-them reactions are the wrong response to Trump shooting
The Hill: Democrats shouldn’t succumb to the temptation to “go low” when combatting Trump
The Fulcrum: How worst-case framings of Trump amplify our divides — and even help Trump
Some people asked me what the process of getting op-eds out was like, and if I had any tips for doing that. So I’ll give you some tips on writing and placing op-eds below.
The more I’ve thought about it over the last year or so, the more I think op-eds are very important for influencing the more influential people — for spreading depolarization-aimed messages to political pundits, political operators, leaders, journalists, etc. We have no shortage of organizations and authors pumping out content on depolarization and bridge-building topics, but there aren’t many op-eds in mainstream places on these topics.
I think we need more op-eds that make the case to politically passionate people, of all sorts, for why they should care about this cause and why they should want to help. There are many objections to this work out there, from liberals and conservatives, and we need to overcome those objections. (For some thoughts about optimal depolarization strategies, see this piece of mine.)
Tips on writing an op-ed
Some tips for writing a depolarization/bridge-building op-ed:
I’d recommend choosing something topical and finding a way to tie that into depolarization-related ideas. (My Elon Musk one was rather evergreen, in that he’s a constant attention-getter, so in that sense my job was easier and there was less rush. But to give you an example of what I mean: another one I’m working on now is about Justice Alito and others who’ve spoken in “one side will win” terms; although I feel like waiting even a few more days may result in that being less interesting to outlets.)
Brainstorm a short and catchy title, and include a few alt titles in the draft. I think this helps spark interest in reviewers, as they can more easily envision what the best, most attention-getting headline angle might be.
Try to make the op-ed elaborate on a consistent single idea. I can have a problem with going off in too many directions (as there are so many things to say in this work), and I’ve learned to be better at making it rather sleek and stream-lined.
Try to make the beginning very tight. The first paragraph should tie into the title very well; as my reviewer told me on an early draft of this one I got published, “Your title mentions Elon Musk but your first two paragraphs don’t even mention him, so I’d feel a little confused or short-changed.”
Get someone you respect to give you honest feedback on your draft. (If you’re interested in a recommendation, I can give you the contact information of the person who’s been helping me.)
Most outlets want op-eds under 900 words in length, though some want a little shorter. Aim for 900 words or shorter, with the knowledge that if they like it, you and they can always work on shortening if needed.
Tips on submitting an op-ed
I’ve gotten several accepted and several rejected. (You can see one of my rejected ones here.) Based on my outreach, I’ve gotten several people’s emails that I can send to now, but I can’t share those with you. You’ll have to start out just going the recommended route that each outlet gives for op-ed submission.
Note that outlets have different rules. Some say to paste in the draft in the email, some don’t. I think all of them say to include a paragraph summary of the major points. I always include an optional link to the google doc with the draft, if they want to look at it there.
If you’re ever curious if a specific outlet has covered polarization-related topics, you can use the process of searching a site’s domain via Google. For example, you might run this search:
nytimes.com: polarization
This approach can be valuable for getting a sense of how often a site is covering a topic and what kinds of things they’re talking about.
Most outlets will say “Don’t send to another outlet until we get back to you.” In my experience, some outlets can take a long time, and a few major ones don’t even respond (despite saying that they will always respond), so attempting to abide by those rules will make it hard for you to proceed, especially for more topical, of-the-moment op-eds. For that reason, you may want to use judgment about who to submit to first and how many to submit to at the same time. For example, I think it’s unlikely NY Times or WaPo or WSJ would run one of mine (for a few reasons) so instead of going to them first I’d usually opt to send to smaller outlets where I think I have a better chance. I might send to one or two at a time, depending on how topical/immediate it feels. (But I’ve only gotten a couple prominent op-eds out, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.)
I’d also say don’t be afraid to submit to an outlet that is on the “other side” politically — even outlets that you don’t necessarily respect. I’d recommend just trying to get the word out there, however you can, and worry less if the outlet is aligned with your values/politics.
Places to submit to
Outlets that I’ve submitted to, with links to info for them:
Time Magazine: ideas@time.com
Huffington Post (I’m told they are hungry for personal stories, for their HuffPo Personal section)
The outlets above are the more mainstream and popular ones but there are also quite a few smaller outlets that focus on issues more directly relevant to this work. Some of those:
The Fulcrum (they syndicate to other outlets, meaning your piece might get picked up elsewhere; they also take pieces published elsewhere)
Creating Common Ground (focused on cross-partisan solutions)
Here’s a general compilation of outlets.
Promoting your op-ed
If you get it placed, you can do some work on your end to promote it.
I’d recommend promoting your op-ed on social media. One thing I did was search ‘Elon Musk’ on Twitter and respond to people talking about Elon Musk.
And it might be obvious, but if you’re in the depolarization/bridge-building space, I’d recommend sharing the piece with those people, however you can, and encourage them to share it.
Great tips, Zachary! This is super helpful. Thanks for sharing.