How to Write a Newspaper Column

Write a newspaper column for fun, money, a career or for your creative side. There are many tips for writing a newspaper column, but the best piece of advice is write. No matter how many days you hit a wall, keep pressing yourself to write until the words come to you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Begin with a bang. The best way to draw a reader in when you write a newspaper column is to wow them from the start. You will want to put your most powerful sentence in front.

2. Summarize up front. The inverted pyramid is used in newspapers because the reader tends to stop reading before the article is done. Put the most important information in the beginning, and then leave the lesser information for the end.

3. Be opinionated. Write a newspaper column for the editorial section. The Op-Ed pages are full of editorials and cultural critiques that bring your voice and opinion out. Keep them short, between 250 and 400 words, and give some facts to bolster your view.

4. Become a part of your community and it can help you find stories in the nooks that will give you news subjects to write a newspaper column on.

5. Learn legalities. Research the rights to your work as a writer. Learn how long the paper obtains rights to your work before it is returned to you. Also, set a pay scale that you are willing to write for. This will give you a solid start for any negotiations.

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[JRIngrisano]

on 12/8/2007 Columns are tough. They are the plum pieces. Especially with space declining in print publications, they're tough to sell. That's why a good alternative to getting a column going is to offer one online ... or to create one's own blog for a column.