Want to gain notoriety in the news media?
Want to get exposure you to the most important people in your city?
Want to position yourself not just as a smart and knowledgeable expert, but also as one who cares deeply about the health and well being of your community?
Want to do all that in a way that cost you virtually nothing?
If you answered “yes” to those questions, then authoring guest columns on the op/ed page of your local daily newspaper could be for you. Having interesting pieces published there is one of the best opportunities for gaining notoriety in the news media.
So what’s an “op/ed”? While many assume the term is shorthand for “opinion editorial” the term actually stands for “opposite the editorial page”, which is where these guest columns are published. Usually found on the next-to-last page in the first section of the newspaper, the op/ed page features essays and opinion pieces from national political columnists, politicians and other pundits deemed to be authorities on the issues of the day.
They don’t get as many readers as the front page or the sports section, but what op/ed pages lack in numbers they more than make up for in quality: The editorial and op/ed pages are read deeply by the community’s top political, business, cultural and civic leaders.
Editorial page editors, who decide what appears in these pages, are always on the lookout for local voices to add to the op/ed page, and a well-written piece that offers a fresh perspective on a timely issue will frequently not only find its way into print, but will often be positioned prominently on the page.
Here are four tips to make your op/ed column successful:
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