• Focus. Develop and support one argument thoroughly. Don’t try to cover several points more generally. By trying to say everything, you may end up saying nothing.
  
  
• Support. Your opinion needs to be supported by compelling facts (preferably ones you can attribute to a particular study). This will give your piece some substance.
  
  
• Illustrate. A well-chosen personal story or real life example will give life to your argument. In an op-ed, or very briefly in a letter, a story can illustrate the crucial impact of play on one child or one family.
  
  
• Speak plainly. Write in plain English, without using too many large words. Use shorter sentences to get your point across in as clear a fashion as possible.
  
  
• Follow the rules. All newspapers have guidelines for op-eds that generally include a maximum word count, exclusivity rules, and instructions for how to submit the piece. Often, you will need to pitch the op-ed to an editorial board to get it published. You can often find the rules for submission on the newspaper’s website or on the op-ed pages of the physical paper, but if not, contact the editor directly to determine the publication’s specific rules. No matter how well-written your submission is, if it doesn’t follow the rules it likely will not get printed.
  
  
• Submit and follow-up. Submit your piece, following the newspaper’s instructions for doing so. If it is accepted, congratulate yourself, make copies of the piece when printed and make sure that key individuals and organizations get a copy in case they miss the first printing! Be sure to send a copy to the KaBOOM! Playmaker Network!

Checklist
Before you submit an op-ed, check to make sure:

• You’re under the newspaper’s word limit (usually 600-750 words).
• You have one main argument, not multiple arguments.
• A reader will understand your main point after reading the first paragraph.
• You have included a few carefully chosen facts, statistics and stories.
• You have not used any jargon or acronyms.
• Your op-ed can be understood by an average adult.
• Your op-ed contains no spelling or grammatical errors.
• Along with your submission, you have included a description of who you are and what makes you a credible writer on this particular issue (you’re a parent, you’re a teacher, you’re a community leader, etc.).
• You have included whatever contact information the newspaper requires be submitted with the op-ed.

Resources:
Major Media Outlets
Find Media Across the Country for Free

"The very existence of youth is due in part to the necessity for play; the animal does not play because he is young; he has a period of youth because he must play."
– Karl Groos, German evolutionary biologist, 1861–1946