Submission
Once your piece is ready, the next hurdle is getting it published. This section provides some guidance on landing your piece at a great publication.
Tips to Get Published
Choose the right publication. Identify media outlets that align with your target audience and the topic of your piece by reviewing what types of things they typically publish. Look through their recent opinion pieces to avoid redundancy.
Craft a strong pitch. Send a concise and engaging message to the editor when submitting your piece.
Write a compelling headline. The editor may end up changing it before publication, but it’s a good way to capture their attention and summarize your angle.
Submit a polished piece. It should be free of any errors, read smoothly, and rely on credible sources.
Have some backups. It’s common for op-eds to be rejected before finding the right fit. Keep refining your writing and targeting other publications.
Submitting Your Piece
When your piece is edited and polished, you can begin submitting it to news outlets for placement by following the instructions below. You can reach out to Pro-Animal Future’s Communications Lead, Phoenix Huber, for further guidance as needed.
Review submission guidelines for the publication that you’re targeting. You can usually find instructions for submission on their website. Closely follow the instructions.
Include your piece in the body of your email. If the publication requires you to email your piece rather than filling out a submission form, make sure to include it directly in the body of your email rather than as an attachment.
Make an outreach plan. Submit your piece to your preferred publication, then follow up to give that editor a deadline by which you’ll begin submitting to other outlets.
Follow up! Be sure to reach back out to editors if you don’t hear from them to make sure that your submission wasn’t missed. For an op-ed, you should follow up after about a week. For an LTE or time-sensitive piece, you could follow up after about 24-48 hours.
Reach out to other outlets. If the first outlet doesn’t respond, don’t be discouraged. Repeat the process for the second most ideal outlet, and line up a few other backups. Even the best pieces can see multiple rejections before an editor accepts them, but do take a look at your piece before you submit it again in case you see anything to improve.
Pitching to Publications
In order to get your piece published at an outlet, you need to pitch it to the editor in your submission email. Write a short pitch to explain why your piece is of interest to the publication’s readership, as well as any connection you have to the issue. It can also be helpful to explain why you’re specifically interested in being published at that outlet.
Submission Email Examples
Here’s an example of an email sent by our very own Alaina Sigler, which resulted in her piece being published in Westword! Feel free to use a similar format and pitch strategy.
Hi Westword editorial team,
My name is Alaina Sigler, a long-time Westword reader and long-time peaceful protestor for the over 1,000 lambs who are slaughtered daily in Denver. As you may have heard, our city has a new ballot measure circulating that would ban the operation of slaughterhouses. In the op-ed below, I invite readers to connect with their emotions that they feel towards animals, as well as the grief we share in common with animals. I provide an opinion that we can evolve beyond the harming of animals as a society, and that pro-animal laws in our area can promote a more just and sustainable future.
I am happy to revise this op-ed with any feedback. Thank you so much for considering my submission!
Best,
Alaina
Following Up
Hi Westword team,
Checking back with you about my op-ed regarding the ballot measure to end slaughterhouses in Denver. I would love to work with you on a final draft that will be a good fit for Westword readers. Will you be interested?
Let me know within 7 days or I’ll start submitting elsewhere. Thank you!
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