How to submit an opinion column to The Citizen

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Hello, fellow writers,

Here are a few tips?to increase your chances of having an opinion column published online or in the pages of the Ottawa Citizen – with our thanks in advance for your efforts.

THE BASICS

• The Ottawa Citizen’s emphasis is on coverage of this city and we will only consider submissions with a local or community angle. We see ourselves primarily as an Ottawa-area news publication, and our priority is on local themes and opinion pieces. (While we do run national and international themes from time to time, they are a much lower priority.)
• An opinion piece needs to be just that: an opinion or argument aimed at persuading readers to your point of view. This is not the home for general news features. Also, please try to avoid arguments that many others have already made.
• Your article needs to be well-written. Clear language and organization is a must.
• We read all opinion pieces submitted to us.
• The Citizen does not pay a freelance fee for opinion pieces.
• There is no need to query first; send your piece, up to 650 words in length, to oped.ottawacitizen@postmedia.com . Please place it in the body of the email. Don’t send it as an attachment.
• Please include a sentence about yourself at the bottom, for publication. Add your social media handle or email if you want readers to have this information.
• If you have personal involvement with the issue or group about which you are writing, please tell us. This does not necessarily pose a problem but we expect full disclosure of such connections or activism.
• If you have online sources, feel encouraged to include links, especially if you are quoting studies or statistics. These links may appear in the web version of a column, and they also help us in fact-checking.
• Please do not submit to us anything you have submitted or published elsewhere. We want right of first consideration on your work.
• Please do not submit “open letters,” petitions or pieces you have already sent to a public official. Please do not submit pieces that are effectively re-written press releases or party platforms.
• Avoid personal attacks. If you disagree with someone, focus on the ideas and issues.
• We do not publish anonymous pieces, or pieces written under pseudonyms.
• We do not publish poetry.
• The Ottawa Citizen also shares op-eds with other Postmedia papers in case they are interested for their own editions.
• The Citizen retains copyright on all piece it publishes. You may not reprint without our permission once published on a Postmedia platform.
• We will not run your piece without emailing to tell you. Work accepted for publication will be acknowledged within three business days.
• Articles we accept are for online publication; although we strive to also publish opinion columns in print, we do not guarantee this.
• We cannot provide detailed feedback on rejected submissions.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

• A clear, concise opinion, backed by a logical argument and strong writing (in about 600-650 words). Offering solutions to a problem you have identified can often lead to a stronger piece.
• Originality. If we’ve recently published a similar opinion, or if the point has been made several times in the media in general, we are less likely to print your version of it.
• Some level of expertise or knowledge of the subject beyond the average. We like writers with some expertise in their subject area, but we will always consider superior writing and skilled argumentation from anyone.
• Diversity: of views, and of writers. We are more than happy to publish opinions that differ from our own if they meet these other standards.
• Plain language. Lose the jargon and fuzzy, academic vocabulary. Avoid PR-ish writing. And if your article starts with “Much has been written about …” then the chances are we don’t need you to write about it too.
• Concrete examples. Broad, abstract writing on a topic is unlikely to make the cut.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Submissions accepted for publication will be acknowledged within three working days. We try to respond to everyone, but if you haven’t heard after that time, feel free to query by email. oped.ottawacitizen@postmedia.com
• Regrettably, we cannot print or post every submission we receive.

TERMINOLOGY TRIVIA

• An editorial is written by a newspaper’s staff, usually a member of the editorial board.
• An op-ed (or oped) is an occasional opinion piece by a guest writer. “Op-ed” is short for “opposite the editorial page,” in case you were wondering.
• A column is an opinion piece by a writer who appears regularly.
• A letter to the editor, for publication, should be under 200 words – indeed it can be a sentence or two – and should be sent to letters@ottawacitizen.com. Anyone can write a letter to the editor.