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by
John McLain
McLain
Communications
 One
of the best ways to gain credible
visibility for a corporate client
is to have that company's chief
executive submit an opinion piece
to a major newspaper and have it
published. Easier said than
done.
Quite often, most CEOs have no
time to write an op-ed; even fewer
know how. That's where you step in
to help the executive craft a
fiery opinion, which is supported
by facts making his or her case.
An op-ed is not an essay,
something that slowly unrolls like
a carpet, building momentum to
some point or conclusion.
It's just the opposite.
In an op-ed, you essentially state
your conclusion first. You make
your strongest point up front,
then spend the rest of the op-ed
making your case, or back-filling
with the facts. Done right, it's
persuasive writing at its best.
You will help the company win
converts, gain high-quality
publicity for the company, and you
will be reaching the elite
audience of opinion-makers who
regularly read the op-ed pages.
Here's a checklist to keep your
op-ed on track:
- Focus
tightly on one issue or idea
--- in your first paragraph.
Be brief.
- Express
your opinion, then base it on
factual, researched or
first-hand information.
- Be
timely, controversial, but not
outrageous. Be the voice of
reason.
- Be
personal and conversational;
it can help you make your
point. No one likes a stuffed
shirt.
- Be
humorous, provided that your
topic lends itself to humor.
- Have
a clear editorial viewpoint -
come down hard on one side of
the issue. Don't equivocate.
- Provide
insight, understanding:
educate your reader without
being preachy.
- Near
the end, clearly re-state your
position and issue a call to
action. Don't philosophize.
- Have
verve, and "fire in the
gut" indignation to
accompany your logical
analysis.
- Don't
ramble or let your op-ed
unfold slowly, as in an essay.
- Use
clear, powerful, direct
language.
- Emphasize
active verbs, forget the
adjectives and adverbs, which
only weaken writing.
- Avoid
clichés and jargon.
- Appeal
to the average reader. Clarity
is paramount.
- Write
750 double-spaced words or
less (fewer is always better).
- Include
a brief bio, along with your
phone number, email address,
and mailing address at the
bottom.
Many
major newspapers today accept
timely op-eds by email. Check the
paper's website first to be sure
what its policy is. While it's
tempting to fire off your op-ed to
The New York Times,
remember that there are many other
major newspapers to
consider. The New York
Times receives more op-eds
daily than any other paper in the
US, so competition is fierce. It's
better to be published in another
excellent paper than to be not
published in The New York Times.
John
McLain is a former journalist
and now a national media
consultant. His second
book, HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR
HOME BUSINESS, was
published in trade paperback
in
February 2002 by Metropolis
Ink.
He is the owner of McLain
Communications.
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