What Is Op Ed Writing: A 2026 Guide to Publishing
June 16, 2026
You have a strong point of view. Maybe you've built a company in a crowded category, watched journalists flatten a nuanced issue into a headline, or seen weaker voices dominate a conversation because they know how to package an argument. The problem usually isn't expertise. It's format.
That's where founders, operators, and subject-matter experts get stuck. They write something that reads like a blog post, a memo, or a white paper, then wonder why an editor ignores it. If you're asking what is op ed writing, the useful answer isn't “an opinion article.” It's a compressed persuasion format designed to move public conversation and establish authority fast.
An op-ed matters because it sits at the intersection of credibility and reach. It gives an outside expert a legitimate place inside a trusted publication. That makes it useful not just for saying something important, but for proving you're worth listening to in the first place.
Table of Contents
- What an Op-Ed Is and Why It Matters
- The Anatomy of a Powerful Op-Ed
- Mastering Op-Ed Structure and Style
- Annotated Examples of Effective Op-Eds
- Op-Ed vs Column vs Letter vs Blog Post
- Pitching Your Op-Ed to High-Authority Outlets
What an Op-Ed Is and Why It Matters
An op-ed was popularized in its modern form by The New York Times in 1970, when the paper created a dedicated page for outside opinion separate from its editorial board, and many writing guides now describe the format as a concise, argument-driven piece for a general audience, typically around 500 to 800 words according to Duke's guide to writing effective op-eds.
That history still matters because it explains the format's real purpose. An op-ed is where a publication lets a non-staff voice make a case in public. It isn't neutral reporting. It isn't brand copy. It isn't a founder diary. It is a public argument written for people who don't already agree with you.
For a founder or executive, that distinction is practical. If you want buyers, investors, partners, or policymakers to take you seriously, you need more than visibility. You need earned authority. That's why op-eds often sit alongside a broader earned media strategy. They let you attach your viewpoint to a publication readers already trust.
The strategic value is bigger than one article
A well-placed op-ed can do three jobs at once:
- Clarify your stance: It forces you to reduce a messy issue to one clear position.
- Signal expertise: You aren't just commenting online. You're entering an edited public forum.
- Create a durable asset: Once published, the piece can support bios, speaker outreach, sales credibility, and future media pitches.
Practical rule: If your draft tries to explain everything you know, it's not an op-ed yet. It's still background material.
The strongest op-eds usually come from people with proximity to the issue. That can be operational knowledge, lived experience, or a front-row view of a market shift. But expertise alone doesn't make the piece land. The writer still has to turn that expertise into a sharp argument that an editor can place quickly and a reader can understand without effort.
The Anatomy of a Powerful Op-Ed
An op-ed works like argument architecture. Every part has a job. If one beam is weak, the whole structure feels soft.
Harvard's guide treats the form as a persuasive opinion format, not a news report, and says it should present a clear thesis early, use evidence and logical reasoning, and follow a defined structure that includes a headline, lead, background, argument, counterargument, and conclusion in its op-ed writing guide.
The core job of the format
Most weak submissions fail for one of three reasons. They delay the main claim, pile on too many sub-points, or confuse passion with persuasion. Editors don't need a tour of your thinking. They need the cleanest possible version of your case.
A strong op-ed usually answers four questions quickly:
- What's the claim?
- Why does it matter now?
- Why should this author be heard on it?
- What should the reader believe or do next?
If any of those answers are missing, the piece feels incomplete no matter how polished the prose is.
What each component has to do
Here's the blueprint I use when evaluating whether a draft is publishable.
Hook
The opening has one task. Earn attention. That can come from a sharp observation, a current conflict, or a concrete scene. What doesn't work is a vague throat-clearing opener that spends half the piece “raising questions.”
Thesis statement
This is the sentence that tells the editor what the article is arguing. It needs to be debatable. “AI is changing marketing” is an observation. “Marketers should stop using AI to scale low-value content and use it to strengthen original analysis instead” is an arguable position.
Evidence and support
Evidence can include verified facts, direct experience, policy detail, or industry context. The key is relevance. Good support tightens the argument. Bad support looks like research pasted in to sound smart.
The best evidence in an op-ed doesn't show how much you know. It shows why your conclusion follows.
- Counterargument
Authority becomes evident. If you can name the strongest objection to your position and answer it fairly, the piece feels credible. If you dodge obvious objections, the piece reads like advocacy copy.
Call to action
The action doesn't always have to be dramatic. Sometimes the ask is that a regulator revisit a rule, a board stop rewarding the wrong metric, or readers reject a lazy assumption.
Conclusion
The ending should tighten pressure, not fade out. Many drafts lose force because the final paragraph repeats the opening in softer language.
A useful test is this. If you removed any paragraph, would the argument weaken? In a real op-ed, the answer should be yes almost every time.
Mastering Op-Ed Structure and Style
Most editors don't reject op-eds because the author lacks expertise. They reject them because the writing asks for too much patience.
Expert guidance treats op-ed writing as space-constrained, audience-first communication. Duke recommends a maximum of about 750 words, short sentences, short paragraphs, active voice, and minimal jargon, which improves the odds that the piece is accepted and understood quickly, as summarized in AERA's guidance on crafting an effective op-ed.
A working draft flow
If you're writing an op-ed for a major publication, don't start by perfecting the headline. Start by forcing the argument into a simple sequence.
Open with tension
Your first paragraph should make the reader feel the issue is active, not theoretical. Use conflict, contrast, or a direct consequence. Skip generic scene-setting.
State the thesis early
By the next paragraph, the reader should know your position. Don't save your point for a dramatic reveal.
Build with discrete paragraphs
Each paragraph should advance one reason. One paragraph might establish the problem. Another might explain why current behavior fails. Another might show why your proposed response is more realistic.
A lot of founders drift here because they write as if they're in a board meeting. They stuff one paragraph with three ideas, then assume the editor will sort it out. The editor won't.
Here's a better standard:
- One paragraph, one job
- One sentence, one idea
- One article, one argument
You can also borrow discipline from a broader thought leadership content strategy, but an op-ed has less room for exploration and much less tolerance for digression.
A quick visual walkthrough can help if you're outlining with a team:
Style choices that improve acceptance
Good op-ed style is less about sounding polished and more about reducing friction.
- Use active voice: “Boards ignored the warning signs” lands harder than “The warning signs were ignored.”
- Strip jargon: If a general reader needs your internal vocabulary to understand the piece, the draft isn't ready.
- Keep paragraphs short: Dense blocks feel like effort. Editors scan first.
- Choose vivid nouns and verbs: Precision beats intensity. “Cut,” “delay,” “hide,” and “reward” do more work than abstract phrasing.
Editing heuristic: If a sentence sounds like it belongs in a white paper, rewrite it until it sounds like something a smart editor would quote.
Credibility also matters more now because readers, editors, and search systems all punish sloppy claims. If you want a practical checklist for reviewing whether your wording, citations, and supporting material hold up, these expert methods for content verification are useful before you send the piece out.
The easiest way to tighten a draft is to read only the first sentence of each paragraph. If those sentences alone don't form a logical spine, the article still lacks structure.
Annotated Examples of Effective Op-Eds
Writers often understand the rules of op-ed writing and still miss the execution. The gap is usually specificity. Contemporary guidance says the format should center on a single, clearly stated argument supported by evidence rather than a broad survey, and major outlets receive a “staggering” volume of submissions with most rejected, according to The OpEd Project resources.
Example one on AI and marketing trust
Excerpt
“Marketing teams don't have an AI problem. They have a credibility problem disguised as an efficiency project. When every brand publishes the same polished summary of the same public information, readers stop seeing expertise and start seeing automation.”
Why it works
- The opening frames conflict immediately: It replaces a broad trend statement with a sharper diagnosis.
- The thesis is debatable: A reader can disagree, which means the argument has shape.
- The language is concrete: “Efficiency project” and “public information” signal operational reality.
What would improve it? A follow-up paragraph should show who is harmed by this behavior and why the current approach fails in practice.
Example two on work policy and accountability
Excerpt
“A four-day week in tech won't work if companies treat it as a perk. It works only when leaders redesign ownership, response windows, and meeting culture. Without those changes, the policy becomes a compressed version of the same bad habits.”
Why it works
This excerpt narrows the issue. It doesn't argue for every version of a four-day week. It argues against a specific implementation failure.
Good op-eds don't chase the whole debate. They carve out a position inside it.
The second sentence adds a useful move. It shifts from opinion to criteria. That gives the writer a structure for the body paragraphs. One paragraph can handle ownership. Another can handle response expectations. Another can deal with meetings.
Example three on cybersecurity disclosure
Excerpt
“Companies say public breach disclosure creates panic. In reality, delayed disclosure usually protects executives from scrutiny more than it protects customers from harm. If leaders want trust, they should stop treating transparency like a legal threat and start treating it like a duty.”
Why it works
- The counterargument appears inside the setup.
- The author names the incentive conflict.
- The conclusion points toward a values-based standard without sounding sanctimonious.
What would make it stronger is a line of grounded context from direct experience, such as what customers need in the first hours after an incident. That kind of detail can separate a serious submission from a generic opinion piece.
The pattern across all three examples is simple. Each one starts with a clear claim, narrows the field, and creates pressure for the rest of the article to prove something specific.
Op-Ed vs Column vs Letter vs Blog Post
A lot of smart people fail at op-eds because they submit the wrong format to the wrong gatekeeper. They write a personal essay and call it an op-ed. Or they write a blog post with a stronger headline and assume a newspaper will take it.
That mistake matters because each format carries a different editorial expectation.
Opinion writing formats compared
| Format | Authorship | Purpose | Typical Length | Gatekeeper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Op-ed | Outside expert, founder, executive, academic, advocate | Persuade readers toward a specific argument tied to a public issue | Concise, usually around the publication's stated guidelines | Opinion editor or submissions editor |
| Column | Staff writer or recurring contributor | Offer ongoing analysis, reaction, or perspective in a recognizable voice | Varies by outlet | Assigning editor |
| Letter to the editor | Reader responding to recent coverage | React, correct, or add a brief viewpoint | Very short | Letters editor |
| Blog post | Brand, individual, or company | Inform, persuade, rank in search, nurture an audience, or publish commentary | Flexible | Self-published or internal approver |
The practical distinction is control. A blog post gives you full control and low friction. An op-ed gives you less control but more external validation. A column gives you recurring access, but usually only after you've already built trust with an outlet. A letter to the editor is reactive and brief.
Where smart experts usually go wrong
The most common mismatch looks like this:
- They write too broadly: Blog posts can survey a topic. Op-eds usually can't.
- They over-explain basics: A general audience needs clarity, but not a textbook.
- They underplay stakes: Letters can be quick reactions. Op-eds need a stronger case for why the issue matters.
- They sound branded: Editors want argument, not disguised marketing.
If you're deciding which format to use, ask one question first. Do you need publication authority or publishing control?
Choose a blog post when you want depth, SEO capture, or a publish-on-your-own-timeline asset. Choose an op-ed when the credibility of the outlet is part of the message itself. That's often the right call when a founder needs third-party validation, a consultant wants stronger authority signals, or a company wants a public position that doesn't read like house copy.
Pitching Your Op-Ed to High-Authority Outlets
Writing the piece is only half the job. Placement depends on whether the pitch makes an editor's decision easy.
A useful way to think about modern op-eds is this. The real question isn't only what is op ed writing. It's how to write one that journalists will accept and that readers can still discover and trust later. That matters because op-eds increasingly function as a credibility asset across both newsroom placement and search discovery, as noted in this guidance on how to write an op-ed.
How to choose the right outlet
Top-tier doesn't always mean national. The right outlet is the one where your argument matches the readership, timing, and editorial appetite.
Use three filters:
- Audience fit: Who needs to be persuaded?
- Issue fit: Is this a policy debate, industry argument, cultural question, or local operational problem?
- Voice fit: Does the publication publish outside experts on this topic, or mostly staff commentary?
If your issue is narrow and technical, a respected trade publication may outperform a mass-market paper. If the argument ties directly to current policy or public debate, a larger outlet may make sense.
When you're building a list, it helps to study newsroom expectations the same way authors study submission norms. Some of the discipline used in query letter advice for authors carries over well here, especially the emphasis on clarity, positioning, and giving the recipient an immediate reason to care.
What a strong pitch actually does
A strong op-ed pitch is not a cover letter for your résumé. It is a fast editorial brief.
Include these parts:
- A subject line with the argument: Not “Op-ed submission.” State the thesis.
- A short nut paragraph: Explain what the piece argues and why it's timely.
- Your authority in one or two lines: Say why you have standing to write it.
- Why this outlet: Show that you understand the publication's audience.
- Submission status: Be clear about whether the piece is exclusive.
Editors buy relevance first, prose second.
If you need help operationalizing outreach, options range from handling the process internally to using freelance PR support or tools built for media pitching. One route teams use is media pitching support, including services such as PressBeat that research relevant journalists and pitch article ideas or expert commentary on behalf of founders and subject-matter experts.
Why placement matters after publication
A published op-ed shouldn't be treated like a one-day win. It has downstream value.
Use it in places where credibility compounds:
- Founder bios and speaker pages
- Investor and partner materials
- Sales follow-up when trust is still forming
- Future journalist outreach as proof of editorial relevance
- Search-visible brand pages that benefit from trusted third-party citations
The piece also changes how people frame you. Before publication, you're claiming expertise. After publication, you have an edited public artifact that demonstrates it.
That's the strategic value. A good op-ed doesn't just express an opinion. It turns your point of view into a durable authority signal.
If you already have a sharp point of view and need help getting it in front of the right editors, PressBeat can support the outreach side of the process by helping teams pitch article ideas and expert commentary to relevant journalists.