In a follow-up to a piece I did here back in May on writing convincing op-eds, here’s a follow-up piece for aspiring writers on how to jumpstart their writing pursuits: start locally!
Over the years, many people have asked me how I got started with commentary writing. “How can I get famous or well known like you?” is what I’m usually met with. (First off, I’m not famous but just a diligent worker who’s worked very hard to get published.) The science behind crafting the perfect op-ed is not magic; it’s actually quite simple and easier than one would believe.
I’ve been writing since summer 2006, when I was about to enter sophomore year of high school at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. In the 12 years I’ve been writing, I’ve had my share of successes and my share of failures. I’ve helped start or co-found blogs and publications—many of which was met with immense success when they were in circulation. (RIP Counter Cultured.) I’ve had articles accepted and published, while many other submissions were tossed into editors’ inboxes. I’ve been published in a whole host of online and print publications— ranging from the Orange County Register to Richmond Times-Dispatch to The Hill. I’ve also been published in Townhall.com, Times of Israel, Yahoo News!, Washington Times, and The Resurgent.
So what has allowed me to see this amount of success in the 12-year span of writing? I started local. Here’s why starting local and gradually working your way up the writing ladder will ensure you longevity as an opinion writer in an increasingly crowded space:
Just starting out? Find opportunities to contribute to your community paper
When I was first exploring writing opportunities around me — specifically Southern Orange County in Trabuco Canyon / Rancho Santa Margarita— I looked no further than our community paper, The Coto Voice. It was in this publication, however small its circulation (5,000), that I got my start. I looked for a contact person and found the editor. It was then and there I boldly reached out and pitched my idea of a column discussing issues that would resonate with my fellow teenagers in my area. The editor didn’t bat an eye and said, “Yes, that would be a great idea!” It was then and there that my first column “Teen Beat” was born. I wrote for The Coto Voice until my senior year of high school.
If you live in a major city or rural town, chances are there are newspapers or blogs in your area seeking contributors. Most of these gigs will be unpaid. However, if you’re just starting out, you want every opportunity to build up your portfolio for future use. Start local.
Find a niche locally and expand from there
Everyone opines on national stories by offering their take on the latest news story of the day. It’s frankly exhausting to read the same piece about the same topic over and over again—even if it’s articulated differently. Where are the unique, groundbreaking stories? When starting out local, see what’s relevant to your neighborhood, county, or congressional/state district. Is an issue getting sufficient or any coverage? If not—and you have an interest to blog or report on it—seize upon this.
When building up your portfolio and authority as a subject matter expert, original content is more memorable than recycled and repackaged news story. If you live in Northern California, which is being pummeled by wildlife after wildlife, write about the heroes working to rescue people or about the bravery about those surviving and thriving there in spite of conditions there. If you’re in Southwest Florida, write about the red tide and toxic algae blooms that are hurting tourism and people’s livelihoods there. Find a local story and make it national. That’s where many of us have had success in the writing realm.
Not getting op-eds published? Start with Letters-to-the-Editors
Opinion sections of newspapers, both local or national, are typically swamped with op-ed submissions. Due to the nature of this, your op-ed may be rejected or ignored. (Don’t fret!) Maybe you had a brilliant piece, but someone else covered it? That’s a common problem. Maybe the publication wasn’t seeking commentary on the subject matter? That’s another reason for editors to reject submissions, and they are within their right to do so.
Alternatively, consider writing and submitting letters-to-the-editors. Why? It’s much easier to have them published. When I was a sophomore at Tesoro High School in Advanced English II with Mr. Milton Rouse (who was quite the eccentric fellow), one writing exercise he required of us was to incorporate weekly vocabulary words into Letters-to-the-Editors to be submitted to the OC Register, our major newspaper. If we incorporated a vocabulary word into a letter that was successfully published, we got extra credit. Challenge accepted! Being the curious girl I was, I was up for the challenge and within a short time, I had four Letters-to-the-Editors printed and published online in the OC Register during my sophomore year of high school. Woot woot!
In order to be successful with getting published locally, there are several things to keep in mind:
1) Read and study news topics that are trendy
2) Figure out which pieces you want to respond to – keep them timely
3) Learn the rules for submission (be mindful of word count + tone requirements)
4) Build rapport with the editors.
5) Most importantly, have fun!
Are you more motivated to build up your writing career? Let me know! And if you’re eager to have an op-ed edited and circulated — or want to employ a more aggressive media campaign for your business or campaign — get in touch to learn about my services and pricing.
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What did you think of this piece? Am I on-target or off-mark?
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