Who is your reader? What is your job?

Your reader is a person of ordinary intelligence with no domain knowledge.

Your job is to offer an opinion on something relevant and important. An Op Ed should be short, around 750 words.

Have a Hook from the Get-go.

Surprise helps here.

Don’t tow the party line. Argue for something unexpected.

Editors love it if you take a stance that seems counter to your interests and background.

E.g., The Op Ed that says legal jobs should be automated is much more likely to be accepted than the Op Ed that says that the legal profession should insulate itself from the influence of machine learning.

Take a Strong Stance

For this exercise, be a one-handed writer.

But address the strongest counter-arguments.

Authority Matters

You need expertise or unique experience.

As a junior in your field, follow the 80-20 rule: 80 percent new information; 20 percent opinion.

The Writing Process

The task should be arduous. One Op Ed takes me about 40 hours to write.

Every sentence counts. Be precise. Be clear. Watch out for weasel words and clichés. Every adverb must earn its place.

Aim for your first draft to be twice the length of your final Op Ed. Then you can cut down to size.

Don’t copy columnists’ style. They’re doing a bit, performing for their readers. Follow the style of other op ed writers.

Getting Published

Lean on your mentors and contacts. Blind submission can work, but leveraging your network always helps.

For turning material from this class into a piece of public writing, consider the MIT Technology Review, which is currently accepting pitches.

https://www.technologyreview.com/how-to-pitch-mit-technology-review/