STORYMOJA

I am going to begin this week’s reading by sending you all to an article that I thought was quite interesting. Please read it and keep the information you gather in mind as you submit your artistic pieces in future. Also feel free to share any such material that you find and feel would be useful to this writing community. So here: 40 Tips to make your Writing hit its mark.

Now, that we have that out of the way, let’s discuss something that should be discussed. Not all writers are fiction writers. Sometimes even fiction writers have to write opinion editorials, otherwise sometimes called op-eds. The reasons for writing op-eds might vary, from needing your writing to earn income, to just expressing your opinion about something you care about. So let’s get to the important stuff.

What is an Op-ed?

Newspapers

An Op-ed is an opinion piece through which writers express their views on a timely issue. Right now, the issues burning the Kenyan air are: The Mau Forest, The Post-Election Violence, IDPs, Gay Relationships and The Passat Debate. The opinion piece is drafted and submitted to a publication’s editorial board for review. Publications here in Kenya include The Daily Nation, The Standard, The Star. Add a few more names from the East African Region to your list. And there is nothing wrong with submitting Op-eds to papers outside of the country and continent.

How do I get an Op-ed placed?
Op-ed editors tend to look for articles that cover subjects and make arguments that have not been articulated elsewhere in their publications. Editors also look for timeliness, ingenuity, strength of argument, freshness of opinion, clear writing and newsworthiness. Personal experiences and first-person narrative can be great, particularly when they humanize and/or bring a larger idea or issue to life.

Each publication has individual guidelines for submitting an Op-ed. A quick call or email to the editorial page editor of a publication can clarify what the rules are for an individual outlet. Depending on the publication, these guidelines can also be found online. Generally speaking, Op-ed guidelines tend to include the following:

• Should Be Approximately 750 Words. The opinion piece stands a better chance of publication if it makes its argument quickly and compellingly, backing it up with evidence.
• Should Avoid Jargon. Remember that you are speaking to an audience that may not be as familiar with the issues of community pharmacy as you or your members are.
• Should Be Exclusive. A publication is more likely to publish an opinion piece if the editor knows the same piece will not be appearing in a competitor’s. In fact, many
newspapers will require the writer to guarantee exclusivity for a two-week period.
• Should Include Contact Information. Editors will need your contact information to verify authorship and/or sentiments expressed in the piece. It’s best to provide your
email address along with your work and cell phone numbers.

Do you have any more ideas with regards to this topic that you would like to share with us? Storymoja will reward one reader every month, for your participation in our Writer’s Blog. All you have to is either send us a piece of your work or comment on and rate the posts.

And now to this week’s reading:

What would you do for love? How far would you go? A Shameful Sacrifice by Nixon Mateulah.

And then here is a letter to our far cousin who lives in the White House. Dear Mr. President by Denis kabi

Does it ever get better? It will get better by Sandra Mushi.

A new day has dawned for one young man. But what is the price for it? Black Tie Affair by Stanley Mitoko.

lastly, we go to the land of hopes and aspiration and the harsh reality that kills dreams. Green Card by Peter Yieko Ndiwa.
Thank you very much for sharing your work, and for commenting on other writer’s pieces. Please continue sending your ideas about how to make your weekly reading more fun to blogs@storymojaafrica.co.ke. And remember, all stories published on the Storymoja Blog will be eligible for the Crown of Story of the Week. The stories are posted every Monday. Please critique and vote for the story you believe should wear the crown. At the end of the week, the votes will be tallied and the story with the most votes will posted on the Storymoja Website as the Story of the Week on the Friday of the same week. To have your story in this weekly process please send it to blogs@storymojaafrica.co.ke before Friday at 4pm.

Have a wonderful and creative week!