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Op-Ed Writer for Newspaper Opinion Pages
Give your argument and what you know firsthand, and get a submission-ready op-ed with sources checked, a pitch to the editor, and a short bio.
River drafts an op-ed you can submit to a newspaper opinion page, in your own voice and built on what you know firsthand. Tell it your argument and why you are the person to make it. You get a draft with a news peg up top, the argument stated early, evidence from your own experience and checked facts, and the strongest objection answered fairly. A source list, a pitch email to the opinion editor and a short author bio come with it.
Generic essay writers produce a balanced overview, and opinion pages reject balanced overviews. Editors want one clear argument, tied to something in the news, from someone with a reason to be heard. River builds the draft around those three things and keeps your experience at the center, because that is what no staff writer can supply. Every statistic is checked and cited for the editor, and anything River cannot confirm is marked rather than smoothed over. If a reporter only needs a quote from you, the HARO response writer answers source requests instead.
It is for nurses, teachers, business owners, researchers, advocates and residents who have something to say about a local or national debate and have never written for an opinion page. Use it when the news gives you an opening, such as an upcoming vote, a new report or a court decision. Treat the draft as a starting point, and read it aloud before you send it. If you have news to announce rather than an argument to make, the press release writer fits better.
What opinion editors look for in an op-ed
An op-ed is an argument, not a report. The New York Times guidance for guest essays describes them as delivering an argument in the author's voice, based on fact and drawn from expertise or experience. That definition holds at most papers. Editors look for a clear position stated early, a reason the piece matters this week, and an author whose background gives them standing. A strong op-ed usually makes one point well rather than three points loosely.
Length and rules vary by outlet. The Times says published guest essays typically run 400 to 1,200 words, and it asks that submissions be exclusive to it. Many local papers set tighter limits on their submission pages, so check before you cut. Exclusivity matters everywhere: sending the same piece to several papers at once can burn a relationship with an editor. If one outlet passes or does not reply within its stated window, then try the next one.
The best evidence is often your own. An illustrative example: a school nurse arguing to keep campus clinics persuades more by describing the six-week wait students faced before the clinic opened than by citing a national survey. Pair that experience with a few checked facts, answer the strongest objection honestly, and end with something specific the reader or decision-maker should do. Disclose any financial or professional stake in the outcome, since editors will ask and readers deserve to know.
How it works
Make your case
Give your argument and why you are the one to make it, in a few sentences.
Name the outlet
Add the paper and the news you are responding to, if you already know them.
Get the draft
A full op-ed with a source list, pitch email, headline ideas and a short bio.
Make it yours
Ask River to cut it, change the tone, or rework it for a second outlet.
What you get
- A submission-ready draft in your voice, with a news peg and the argument stated early
- Your firsthand experience at the center, since that is what gives you standing to write
- Every statistic checked and cited in a source list the opinion editor can verify quickly
- The strongest objection to your argument stated fairly and answered, rather than ignored
- Length fitted to the outlet's published limit when River can find it, about 700 words otherwise
- A pitch email to the opinion editor, three headline ideas and a two-line author bio
Common questions
Is it ethical to get help writing an op-ed?
Yes, as long as the argument and the experience are genuinely yours and you stand behind every word. Editing help is common, and many published op-eds pass through communications staff. What crosses the line is submitting views you do not hold or facts you have not checked. River drafts from what you tell it, and you approve the final version.
How long should my op-ed be?
Follow the outlet's own limit, which most papers post on their submission page. The New York Times says its published guest essays typically run 400 to 1,200 words, and local papers are often shorter. If you name an outlet, River looks for its published limit, and if it cannot find one it writes about 700 words and tells you so.
Can I send it to several newspapers at once?
No. Most opinion pages expect exclusive submissions, and the Times states that requirement outright. Send it to one outlet, wait for a reply or its stated response window, then move on to the next. River can rework the news peg, length and pitch for a second outlet if the first one passes.
What makes an opinion editor say yes?
A timely news peg, a clear argument in the first few paragraphs, and an author with real standing on the topic. Editors also value pieces they could not get elsewhere, such as a school nurse on campus clinics. For a trade magazine byline rather than a newspaper, use the thought leadership article writer. Fresh, specific detail from your own experience usually beats a general statistic.
Will River write my headline?
It suggests three, but the opinion desk usually writes the final headline, so treat them as a way to show the editor your angle. The pitch email matters more. It should say in a few sentences what you argue, why now, and why you are the right person, and River drafts that for you too.
What if I have a stake in the issue?
Disclose it. If you work for, fund, or benefit from one side of the debate, say so in your bio or pitch. Editors will ask anyway, and a stake revealed after publication damages your credibility and theirs. A disclosed interest rarely sinks a strong piece. River adds a disclosure line whenever your description suggests one.
Built by
Chandler Supple
Co-founder & CEO, River
Chandler has spent the last six years working in AI, building tools for millions of users and Fortune 100 companies. In 2025, he co-founded River to build a new kind of operating system for AI agents.
Op-Ed Writer for Newspaper Opinion Pages
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.