---
title: "Op-ed writing"
description: "The op-ed is the shortest serious argument form in public writing. In ~750 words you must make a single argument that a previously-uninterested reader believes by the end. Every deviation from convent"
---

# Op-Ed Writing

## Overview

The op-ed is the **shortest serious argument form in public writing**. In ~750 words you must make a single argument that a previously-uninterested reader believes by the end. Every deviation from convention is a friction point that costs pickup.

**One argument.** A piece that tries to make two arguments makes neither.

## Core Concepts

### 1. Word count and the 750-word discipline

Standard target: **750 words**. New York Times caps at 800. Washington Post caps at 800. Most regional dailies sit at 600–700.

### 2. The single thesis

The thesis is one sentence. It is a claim someone could disagree with.

Tests for a strong op-ed thesis:
- **Disagreeable.** "Schools should teach reading" is not a thesis.
- **Singular.** "We need to fix housing, healthcare, and education" is three theses.
- **Provable in 750 words.**
- **Not a question.**
- **Front-loaded.** The thesis appears in the first paragraph.

### 3. "Why now" — the news peg

Op-eds are not evergreen. Every published op-ed has a reason it ran *this week*. Acceptable pegs:
- A news event — a bill introduced, a court ruling, an election result
- An anniversary
- A data release
- A counter to recent coverage

The op-ed "why now" is **why this argument matters this week**, not "why I'm releasing this product this week."

### 4. The authority paragraph — "why I'm qualified to say this"

Forms of authority editors accept:
- **Direct professional experience.** "I spent fifteen years as an immigration attorney."
- **Subject of the issue.** "I am one of the 8 million Americans whose student loans are in default."
- **Reporting access.** "I have spent the last six months interviewing the engineers who designed the system."

Forms of authority that fail:
- **Generic credentials.** "I am a thought leader in this space."
- **Title without specifics.** "As a CEO, I want to say..."

### 5. Structure: the 8-paragraph skeleton

1. **Hook + thesis** (80–120 words). One concrete image, anecdote, or fact; the thesis in the last sentence.
2. **Why now** (60–100 words). The news peg.
3. **Authority** (40–80 words). Why the reader should listen to you.
4. **Evidence beat 1** (80–120 words). The first reason the thesis is correct.
5. **Evidence beat 2** (80–120 words). The second reason.
6. **Counter-argument and rebuttal** (100–150 words). The strongest objection, named and answered.
7. **Stakes / consequence** (60–100 words). What happens if we ignore this.
8. **Call to action / kicker** (50–100 words). The specific thing the reader should do.

### 6. Counter-argument acknowledgment

The piece must name the strongest objection to your thesis and answer it.

Two failure modes:
- **Strawman counter.** Picking a weak version of the opposing view.
- **Both-sides-ism.** Treating the counter so generously you've made the opposing case better than your own.

### 7. Evidence selection

Evidence in an op-ed is brutally selective. You have room for 2–4 evidence claims at most. Each one must be:
- **Concrete.** A number, a named case, a specific policy.
- **Recent.** Data from the last 1–3 years.
- **Citable.** Every factual claim must be checkable.

### 8. Voice and register

Op-eds are written in **first person, conversational-but-controlled prose**. No jargon. No hedging escalators. No headers. No bullet lists.

### 9. The call-to-action close

Every op-ed ends with a **specific actionable claim**:
- A policy that should pass or fail.
- A practice an industry should adopt or abandon.
- An institution that should change a specific procedure.

### 10. Pitch and submission mechanics

- **Submit the full piece, not a pitch.**
- **Subject line.** "Op-ed submission: [4-7 word headline]."
- **Bio.** 25–40 words at the bottom.
- **Expect silence.** Standard expectation is no response within 3 business days = pass.

## Worked thesis-to-skeleton example

**Topic:** Database security audits at small companies.

**Thesis:** "Small SaaS companies should be required by their cyber-insurance carriers to run quarterly database audits."

**Why now:** Recent breach at [named company] traced to an un-audited database.

**Evidence beats:** (1) Audit findings data — % of un-audited dbs with critical flaws. (2) Cost comparison — quarterly audit vs. one breach.

**Counter:** "This is regulatory overreach." Answer: Insurance is private; carriers already underwrite for fire suppression.

**CTA:** Insurance industry should adopt the standard at the June meeting.

## Anti-Patterns

- **The "we need a conversation" piece.** Ends with a call for dialogue instead of an actionable claim.
- **The five-thesis piece.** Tries to argue about five things in 800 words.
- **The disguised press release.** "Our company has been working on this issue for years..."
- **The strawman counter.**
- **The evergreen piece.** No news peg.
- **The 1,400-word "short" version.** If you can't get it to 800, you don't have one argument.

## References

1. Hall, Trish. *Writing to Persuade* (Liveright, 2019).
2. The OpEd Project. [Submissions guide](https://www.theopedproject.org/submissions).
3. The New York Times op-ed (Guest Essay) guidelines.