"Op-Ed Guidelines for The Wall Street Journal"

The Wall Street Journal is a great place for you to get noticed. Getting your opinion piece published on the op-ed page carries cachet. Plus, it’ll make a great reprint to share with clients and prospects.

Check out “Op-Ed Guidelines for The Wall Street Journal.” Your essay should run 600 to 1200 words and be pasted into the body of your email to edit.features@wsj.com. Those words should be “jargon-free,” according to Robert Pollock, editorial features editor. The 1200-word upper limit is on the long side, so keep that in mind if you submit to other newspapers’ op-ed sections.

The guidelines don’t say this, but your essay should get to your point quickly. A busy editor may reject your essay after reading only one or two paragraphs.

Also, try for what reporters call a “news hook.” Tie your essay to something in the news.