Here Is Why Writing an Op-Ed Is Still One of the Smartest Things You Can Do and How to Decide Where to Place It
Opinion pieces are not just for politicians and professors. They are one of the most powerful visibility tools available to entrepreneurs and emerging voices.
Every week someone tells me that op-eds feel outdated and that nobody reads newspapers anymore. Many believe there are faster, easier ways to build visibility in 2026. But, here’s why they’re wrong…
Op-eds still work
An op-ed is a published opinion piece that appears under your name in a credible publication. When it runs it does several things simultaneously that almost no other PR tool can do.
It establishes your point of view, and in a world where everyone is posting on social media and saying some version of the same thing, a published opinion piece signals that you have a perspective worth reading and the credibility to back it up.
An op-ed builds permanent searchable authority unlike a social media post that disappears in 24 hours. A published op-ed lives on the publication's website indefinitely, so every time someone searches your name that piece shows up and does the credibility building work for you.
It opens doors to other media opportunities, because journalists read op-eds, podcast hosts read op-eds, and event organizers read op-eds. A well-placed piece in the right publication will generate inbound interest from people you have never pitched and may never have reached any other way.
Finally, it signals that someone else believed your perspective was worth publishing and that third party validation is something you simply cannot manufacture.
How to decide what to write
The best op-eds are not about you or your business, instead they are about an idea, a trend, a problem, or a perspective that your experience uniquely positions you to address. Before you start writing though, ask yourself three questions:
What do I believe that most people in my industry or community do not say out loud?
What am I seeing in my work or my field that the public needs to understand?
What conventional wisdom in my space do I think is wrong?
Your answer to any one of those questions is your op-ed angle.
The piece should be between 600 and 900 words, but make sure you check out editorial guidelines of the publication you’re trying to place your op-ed in to adhere to their specific word count, style, and other possible rules. Always open with a specific scene, a surprising statistic, or a bold declarative statement. Your op-ed should make one clear argument supported by two or three concrete examples or data points. And it should close with a call to action or a vision for what changes if your argument is taken seriously.
How to decide where to place it
This is where most people get stuck. They write a strong piece and then aim too high, get rejected, and give up - but there is a smarter approach and it requires you to think in tiers.
Your local tier includes your city newspaper, your regional business journal, your neighborhood publication, and any hyperlocal digital outlet that covers your community. These are your easiest placements and do not underestimate their power. For example, based on where I’m located, a piece in the Nashville Business Journal reaches exactly the decision makers, community leaders, and potential clients in my backyard.
Your industry tier includes trade publications, niche newsletters, and sector-specific outlets that cover your area of expertise. If you work in energy, agriculture, real estate, healthcare, or any other specific field there are publications whose readers are your exact target audience. A placement there is worth more than a placement in a general interest outlet with a larger audience that does not care about your topic.
And finally, your national tier includes outlets like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, The Hill, and major newspapers. These are harder to place and require a stronger news hook or a more provocative argument. Save these for when you have a genuinely timely angle or when you have built enough credibility through local and industry placements to make a compelling case for why you belong there.
The practical steps to getting it placed
You must write the piece first because editors want to see the finished product for most outlets, not a query letter. Keep it clean, keep it tight, and make sure every sentence is doing work, not just fluff.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, RESEARCH the submission guidelines for each outlet before you pitch. Most publications have a specific email address for op-ed submissions and specific requirements around word count, exclusivity, and formatting. Follow them exactly, and if you can’t find this information, pick up the phone and call them to ask.
Pitch one outlet at a time and give them a few business days to respond before moving to the next. Most op-ed editors make decisions quickly, so generally speaking, if you have not heard back in a week it is safe to move on.
When you pitch include the full piece pasted into the body of your email or as an attachment, a two sentence note explaining why this piece is right for their readers right now, and a two sentence bio. That is really all you need.
A final thought
Writing an op-ed requires more effort than posting on social media, and that is exactly why it is worth doing. The bar is higher which means the credibility is greater and the competition is thinner.
You have a perspective worth publishing. Find the right outlet, make the argument clearly, and put your name on it. The doors that open because of it will surprise you.
