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From the program: Fewer than 20 percent of the op-eds published in newspapers nationwide are authored by women. Help us dig behind the myths and get the real story on what’s happening on the op-ed pages. This interactive workshop will bring together a panel of editorial/op-ed page editors (the insiders) and op-ed contributers (the outsiders) to talk about “what’s keeping women’s voices on the outside” … and off the editorial pages. The session will look at strategies for increasing the number of commentaries that are submitted by women, maximizing your potential for getting published (without compromising your position), and how to avoidt he pitfalls of being pigeonholed. In addition, we will touch on how to establish yourself as a “go to” writer so editors come to you to solicit pieces. The session will also identify strategies for partnering with newspapers to pressure the editors from the otuside to change the status quo on the op-ed pages.

Speakers:
Denise E. Zeck, executive director, American Forum and the National Women’s Editorial Forum
Martha Burk, founder of National Council of WOmen’s Organizations (NWCO), op-ed author
Marjorie Pritchard, op-ed page editor, The Boston Globe

“Help another woman everyday. That’s how women get ahead in news organizations and everywhere else.” -Martha Burk

“I think people need to get hooked on op-eds. Women need to get hooked on writing op-eds. Even if they’re not writing them now, someday they’ll be in a position where they should be weighing in on public discourse about these issues.” -Denise Zeck

Zeck also says feminist pieces about topics like sex education get filtered into spam sometimes, due to the language. It occasionally makes sense to followup with an editor through call.

Zeck advises that writers hook op-eds to a timely issue, says that sometimes op-eds  (often regional ones) break stories because no one is covering the same issues. Reporters follow up on op-eds as basis for full length stories.

Marjorie Pritchard reviews 700 op-ed submissions a week. Pritchard of The Boston Globe says the paper stopped running syndicated columns to make space for 13 freelance op-eds/week. She suggests that writers try to get published in smaller papers that often struggle to attract submissions.

Zeck also says articles get picked up by conservative publications, because of the dearth of op-eds being submitted to smaller papers.

“Editors like to hear from young people. They don’t hear these perspectives.” -Denise Burk, who discussed a young woman who got an op-ed about the police chief’s abuses published in The Chicago Sun Times.

Burk says that you can plan ahead of time which op-eds you’ll be submitting so that your quick submission offers a better chance of being published. “We don’t have a crystal ball, but we can predict some of the things that are going to come up.”

Pritchard says to always submit an already written op-ed, rather than pitching one, because of the time sensitivity.

Even though op-eds don’t pay, Burk says they have other advantages, such as media exposure and allowing writers to do on-air commentary on their areas of expertise.

Have an op-ed you need help distributing? Send it to forum@mediaforum.org.