If I have said it once, I have said it lots of times. Opinion essays are a fantastic way of sharing thought leadership, furthering an argument, and adding to an existing or nonexistent debate. To be clear, opinion essays are guest columns that run opposite the editorial page in print papers or in digital outlets’ opinion sections. You increase the likelihood of getting your essay published if you submit it as soon as there is breaking news. As soon as means within 24 hours of an issue breaking or a topic you care about appearing in the news cycle.
In an era of media contractions, opinion essays are also a viable option for elevating a leader, brand, or organization. While we know they have merit, we don’t always know what to do after a publication has agreed to publish an opinion piece.
While I talk a lot about the merits of opinion essays, including in a video I developed about why brands and leaders should utilize opinion essays to amplify their work, until now I haven’t focused on what happens after a publication agrees to publish your opinion essay. Here are eight tips to keep in mind once you learn that your opinion essay will be published.
- Many outlets require exclusivity. Once a publication decides to publish your essay, it may require exclusivity, meaning it wants sole rights to publish your piece.
- You may not submit your essay to any other publication, email it out or otherwise share it before it is published. Once you share an unpublished piece, it cannot run in other platforms because, as noted in No. 1, many publications require exclusive rights to your essay once they accept it – and you agree – for publication.
- Some publications pay for opinion essays. Some publications pay a flat fee for opinion essays, and others pay based on the number of views your essay receives. If the publication pays, payment will come after the piece is published.
- You may be asked to sign a copyright agreement giving the publication permission to publish your piece, run it exclusively and have certain rights to the piece, such as publishing it in other outlets.
- The paper may give you a publication date, but that date can change. If there is breaking news, the publication may need to publish unanticipated opinion essays on the breaking news. So, the date is a target but not etched in stone.
- The publication can change the title of your essay, and no it does not need your permission to do so. Publications, like everyone else, want their content to be viewed. They, in fact, need it for advertising and revenue purposes. They also write titles all day long and know what is likely to attract readers and what titles people will skip right over. As such, they often change headlines. If the headline they select is a nonstarter, you can always request a change, but know that there are no guarantees.
- The opinion essay may not be online first thing in the morning. You know how your bank updates your account balances first thing in the morning, sometimes before dawn? Publications have no obligation to do that. Just because your essay isn’t online first thing in the morning doesn’t mean the publication doesn’t intend to use it. I’ve seen publications update their websites around 10 a.m., first thing in the morning or as late as 2 p.m. It all depends on internal policies, whether the digital editor is working that day or others are filling in, etc. So, do not panic if your piece is not published early. It’s OK.
- Sometimes your piece will run online and in print. Although we’re in a digital age, some publications still have printed papers. And depending on the article, your story could land in both places. I’ve seen this happen with local papers more than other publications.
Bonus: You have a responsibility to amplify your opinion piece. When you speak or communicate, you want to be heard. You want as many people to hear or read your comments as the publication. Getting an opinion piece placed is the first step. The next is to amplify your work by sending your essay link to your email list, family and friends. Be sure to also send it to journalists with whom you have a relationship or are cultivating a relationship. That not only helps you, but it helps the publication.
Now that you’ve received confirmation that your opinion essay will be published, these tips will help ensure you know what to expect. They will keep you from making mistakes that could thwart publication of your piece. They will also guide you on your opinion essay crafting and publishing journey.
Jennifer R. Farmer is the author of “Extraordinary PR, Ordinary Budget: A Strategy Guide” and “First and Only: What Black Women Say About Thriving at Work and in Life.”