Everyone loves the idea of publishing an opinion piece or letter to the editor in The New York Times or seeing their CEO’s name in The Washington Post. Fewer people love the part where an editor says “no thanks” — or, more often, says nothing at all.

There’s no secret formula for getting opinion pieces or letters to the editor published. If there were, our agency would be charging you a lot more, especially considering how good we are as it is. But after placing hundreds of op-eds and letters for nonprofits across the country, we’ve learned there are a few habits that consistently improve your odds.

Nobody ever published a strong shrug

The fastest way to write a forgettable op-ed is to spend 800 words carefully offending no one. Readers don’t need another article that says: “This is a complicated issue with many perspectives.” They already know that. What they don’t know is your perspective and why they should listen to it.

Editors are looking for a payoff too. They want a clear argument, a fresh perspective or a solution that gives readers something to think about after they’ve finished reading. That doesn’t mean give a hot take for the sake of it, but it does mean being willing to say something. The sharper your point of view, the more likely someone will want to publish it.

Placement is all about location, location, location

It’s easy to dream about reading your name in USA Today. Sometimes, though, your best opportunity is the hyper-local newspaper or the trade publication with a much smaller — but more engaged — audience. Even national issues benefit from local voices. 

One of our former clients, Partners for Justice, wanted to weigh in on progressive prosecutors during California’s debate about the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Instead of using the organization’s New York-based CEO, we instead relied on the California program director for the byline. It gave the op-ed a more authentic West Coast perspective and made it much more relevant for local editors.

The lesson? Your organization may be national, but your credibility is often local.

Too many cooks make for a cold op-ed

Joint bylines can be great. Joint editing processes… less so. Every additional organization usually means another communications lead, another executive, another legal review and another round of comments. Before long, the timely news hook that inspired the piece has come and gone while everyone debates a comma. When partnerships make sense, establish one person with final approval before anyone opens a Google Doc. Your future self will thank you. (So will we.)

Speed beats perfection

This is especially true for letters to the editor, where the news cycle moves at the speed of panic. One of our clients was attending a conference in India when a New York Times article created the perfect opportunity for a response. Despite the 10-hour time difference, they reviewed the copy, turned around edits and approved the final version within six hours of our first draft. A little over a day later, the West Side Campaign Against Hunger CEO’s name was at the top of The New York Times letter to the editor section, right after New York City Mayor Eric Adams’.

That kind of responsiveness gives you a chance. Waiting until tomorrow usually doesn’t. A polished letter submitted 36 hours late is often just a very nice writing exercise.

And sometimes… you just get lucky

Not every placement follows the rules. 

After the Uvalde school shooting, we worked with former client Common Ground Committee on an op-ed calling for national unity. The organization intentionally avoided blaming either political party, didn’t want the NRA mentioned and insisted on not using the word “gun.” It also had two co-authors, which meant more rounds of edits and approvals. And neither author, nor their organization, had ties to Texas.

On paper, it broke several of the “rules” above. It still landed in USA Today.

Why? Partly because we had built trust with the opinion editor over time. Partly because the conversation was moving so quickly that publications were actively looking for credible voices. And partly because, in a sea of editorials taking predictable positions, a more measured perspective felt genuinely different. 

Sometimes relationships help. Sometimes timing helps. Sometimes your unusual angle becomes your greatest strength. The point isn’t that the rules don’t matter. They absolutely do. But good opinion writing isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about giving editors something timely, relevant and worthwhile to publish — and making it as easy as possible for them to say yes.