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Op-Ed Writer for Newspaper Opinion Pages
An op-ed draft built on your argument and firsthand experience, with each fact sourced or flagged, plus a pitch email for the opinion editor.
Free to start · Opens in your River workspace, ready to edit and share
How to write an op-ed
An op-ed is an opinion essay, written by someone outside a newspaper's staff, that makes one argument about something in the news. A strong one ties its opening to the news, states the argument early and backs it with evidence a skeptic would accept, often the writer's own experience. It answers the best objection fairly and ends with a clear ask. Most US metro and regional papers want 500 to 750 words; The New York Times says its guest essays typically run 800 to 1,200.
Write for the reader who doesn't agree with you yet. The Times says its best guest essays challenge and engage audiences that do not necessarily agree with the writer's point of view1. In two randomized experiments published in 2018, political scientists found that five op-eds moved readers' views on their issues by the equivalent of 10 to 20 percentage points2. The shift held across party lines and lasted at least a month.
Start with one argument you can own
Put your argument in one sentence a reasonable person could dispute. "School mental health matters" is a topic. "The county should keep its school clinics open" is an argument. It tells an editor what you'll ask readers to accept.
Next, ask why you're the one to make it. The OpEd Project, which trains experts to write op-eds, says you don't need a famous name, a big title or a fancy degree3. You do need to be well positioned to speak on your topic. Standing usually comes from one of these:
- Your work, like a school nurse writing about a clinic budget
- Something you saw up close, with dates and numbers
- Research you did or data you collected
- A direct stake in the outcome, which you disclose
If you have news to announce rather than a view to argue, you need a press release, not an op-ed.
Find the news peg and pick the paper
Opinion pages are built around the news, so find your news peg before you draft: the event that makes your argument timely. A scheduled vote, a new report, a court ruling or an anniversary can all serve.
Scheduled pegs let you write ahead; breaking news doesn't. The OpEd Project's advice is to write fast, because you may have only a few hours to get your piece in before the moment is gone3.
Choose a paper whose readers can act on your argument: a county budget fight belongs in the paper the county board reads. The same guide notes that smaller, local and trade publications can offer better odds.
Which format fits what you want to say
| Format | Typical length | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Letter to the editor | 150 to 200 words at the Times | You're answering an article the paper ran in the past week |
| Local op-ed | 500 to 750 words at most metro papers | You're arguing about a local decision you live with |
| National guest essay | 800 to 1,200 words at the Times | The stakes are national and your expertise or experience is rare |
The Times figures come from its pages on guest essays1 and letters4. The metro range comes from The OpEd Project's directory of outlet guidelines5, updated September 2026. Check each paper's own page before you write.
Structure your op-ed
The OpEd Project lays out a basic shape: an opening built around a news hook, the argument, supporting points with evidence, a "to be sure" paragraph and a conclusion3. It calls this one approach, not a rule. In about 700 words, it might divide like this.
Opening, about 100 words
Start with the news or a moment only you saw, and connect the two quickly.
Argument, a sentence or two
Say plainly what should happen. Readers should know your position by the third paragraph.
Evidence, about 400 words
Make two or three points, each with proof. Lead with what you saw firsthand, then add checked facts.
"To be sure," about 100 words
Name the best objection the way its supporters would. Concede what's true, then show why your case still holds.
Close, about 80 words
Say who should do what, and by when. Echoing your opening image often works.
Before: Mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing young people today, and our community must do more.
After: On Oct. 21, the Riverside school board votes on a budget that would close the mental health clinics in our three high schools. I've been the nurse at Lincoln High for 11 years. Before our clinic opened, students waited six weeks to see a counselor. The board should keep the clinics.
- News first. A dated vote tells the editor why the piece belongs in this week's paper.
- Standing, shown. Eleven years on the job and a wait the writer watched beat any title.
- The ask, early. The argument lands in the first paragraph, in six plain words.
Read the finished draft aloud. Wherever you stumble, a reader will too.
Source every fact and disclose your stake
Expect your facts to be checked. The Times asks you to include sources for key assertions when you submit1, as links or in parentheses. If it accepts the essay, you send an annotated copy listing a source for each factual assertion. It prefers primary sources, and it won't publish a fact it can't verify.
Build your source list as you draft, noting where each number, date, quote and claim came from. Your own experience is evidence too, so keep it exact: if you write "six weeks," know which notes or records show it.
Finally, disclose any stake. The Times expects guest writers to avoid conflicts of interest, or even the appearance of one. If you work for, fund or stand to gain from one side, say so in your pitch and bio. A stake you disclose is the editor's call; one they discover later is a problem for you both.
Read it as a skeptic would
Underline every sentence a reader who disagrees would challenge, and make sure each has a source or a firsthand account behind it. Or add fact-check comments to your draft and clear each one.
Pitch one editor at a time
Offer the piece to one paper at a time. The Times takes only essays that are original and exclusive to it1. The OpEd Project adds that most national papers won't consider a piece you've sent to another paper at the same time6.
Many papers take op-eds by email, with the piece pasted below a short pitch; the Times uses an online form. The OpEd Project says a pitch should answer why now, why this topic and why you6. Add your idea in a few lines, relevant credentials and contact details.
Know when to move on. If the Times hasn't replied within three business days1, it says, you can submit elsewhere. For other papers, The OpEd Project suggests waiting a day or less on breaking news and a week or two otherwise. Then send a polite note with a deadline, after which you'll offer it elsewhere. If every paper passes, publish it yourself as a LinkedIn article.
Check the paper's rules on AI
As The OpEd Project's directory puts it, every outlet sets its own policy on submissions written with generative AI5. Read the policy before you pitch. Whatever help you had, you answer for every word and every fact.
Before you hit send
- Your argument fits in one sentence and appears by the third paragraph
- The opening ties to this week's news or a date coming up
- The strongest objection gets a fair answer
- Every fact has a source, ideally the original
- Your bio says why you can write this and discloses any stake
- It fits the paper's word limit and hasn't run anywhere else
Have the argument but not the evening to shape it? The tool at the top of this page drafts the op-ed from your argument and experience, sources each fact or marks it for you to check, and writes the pitch.
How it works
Start with your argument and why you're the one to make it, in a few sentences, plus the paper and the news it answers if you know them. River checks the facts your case leans on, preferring primary sources, then writes the op-ed in your workspace with your experience at its center and a source list underneath.
It never invents a story, quote, credential or statistic. Anything it can't confirm is marked for you to check. Name a paper and River looks up its published word limit and fits the draft to it; otherwise it writes about 700 words. Headline ideas, a two-line bio and a pitch email come with it.
Make your case
Type your argument and why you can make it. Add the paper and the news if you know them.
River checks the facts
It looks up each fact your case leans on, prefers primary sources and marks anything it can't confirm.
Get your op-ed
A draft at your paper's word limit, or about 700 words, with sources, headline ideas, a bio and a pitch.
Make it yours
Rewrite anything that doesn't sound like you, or ask River to cut it or rework it for another paper.
What you get
- A draft that opens on the news and states your argument within the first three paragraphs
- Your firsthand experience as the lead evidence, with no stories, quotes or credentials made up
- The strongest objection to your argument, stated fairly and answered before a skeptical reader can raise it
- A source list linking each fact to where River checked it, with anything unconfirmed marked in the draft
- A length that fits the paper's published limit when River finds one, and about 700 words otherwise
- A pitch email offering the piece exclusively, three headline ideas and a two-line bio that discloses any stake
Common questions
What is an op-ed?
An op-ed is an opinion essay a newspaper publishes from someone outside its staff. The name comes from print, where these essays ran opposite the editorial page, and The New York Times now calls them guest essays. Most argue one position on a current issue, drawing on the writer's expertise or experience.
How long should an op-ed be?
Usually 500 to 750 words at a US metro or regional paper, and 800 to 1,200 for a New York Times guest essay. The paper's own submission page sets the real limit, so check it before you write. If you can't find one, aim for about 700 words, which fits under many papers' caps.
How do I submit an op-ed to a newspaper?
Use the method the paper lists on its opinion or contact page: usually an email to the opinion editor, sometimes a web form. Put a short pitch on top: what you argue, why it matters now and why you're the one to write it. Paste the full piece below it, with your contact details.
Can I send my op-ed to more than one newspaper?
Not at the same time. Most national papers won't consider a piece that's under review elsewhere, and many local papers ask for exclusive submissions too. Send it to one paper and wait out its response window, which is three business days at The New York Times. Then offer it to the next, adjusting the news peg and length.
Can I use AI to help write an op-ed?
It depends on the paper, because each one sets its own rules on AI-assisted writing. Read them before you start. Whatever help you use, the argument and the experiences must be yours, and you're responsible for every fact. River builds the draft on the argument and experiences you give it, sources each fact it adds and marks anything it can't confirm; the final wording is yours.
How do I write an op-ed with River?
Type your argument and why you're the one to make it in the box at the top of this page, adding the paper and the news if you know them. River checks the facts your case relies on and writes the op-ed into your free River workspace. A source list, three headline ideas, a short bio and a pitch email come with it.
Is the op-ed writer free?
Yes, it is free to start. Your op-ed opens in a River workspace, where you can edit it, share it or ask River to change it, for example cutting it to 600 words. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
Sources
The New York Times Help Center. “New York Times Opinion Guest Essays.” help.nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
Quarterly Journal of Political Science. “The Long-Lasting Effects of Newspaper Op-Eds on Public Opinion.” alexandercoppock.com (opens in a new tab)
The OpEd Project. “Op-Ed Writing: The Basics.” theopedproject.org (opens in a new tab)
The New York Times Help Center. “Submit a Letter to The Editor.” help.nytimes.com (opens in a new tab)
The OpEd Project. “Submission Information.” theopedproject.org (opens in a new tab)
The OpEd Project. “Pitching.” theopedproject.org (opens in a new tab)
Built by
Chandler Supple
Co-founder & CEO, River
Chandler has spent the last six years working in AI, building tools for millions of users and Fortune 100 companies. In 2025, he co-founded River to build a new kind of operating system for AI agents.