Pitching a blog or opinion article

A guide for authors

Writing an opinion article can be an effective way to promote your book. Most publications feature opinion articles in one form or another, and many of these are open to submissions, such as The Conversation or the Times Literary Supplement. We often encourage authors to pursue these opportunities, and we are happy to support you through the pitching process.

You can also read about promoting your content, to find out how we market your work at Oxford University Press (OUP).

Here are some general tips to consider when pitching to publications:

• Generally, opinion articles need to be related to something happening in the news. This link should be made really clear in your pitch.
• Pitches are best kept short, containing 1-2 paragraphs, or a handful of bullet points. It’s important to include a broad outline of the proposed article and, most importantly, what it brings to the wider story – if it’s something that has already been covered in another article, it’s unlikely to be picked up.
• Many publications have a bank of ‘go-to’ contributors, as well as a lot of other submissions, so the editor will need persuading. Include some information about why you are the right person to write the article.
• Make sure that your proposed article is in line with the tone and political leanings of the publication you’re pitching to.
• Send your pitch directly to the opinion editor, if you can find their contact details. It’s always worth pitching to a publication’s general ‘opinion@’ email address too.
• Start small – it’s more effective to send a few tailored pitch emails, rather than contacting multiple publications at once.

Our publicity teams have provided some examples of how to structure a pitch email below.

Pitch template

I hope this email finds you well. I am getting in contact to see if you would consider an opinion article on [topic].

Article description:

• Introductory sentence
• Key arguments/points
• Why it is relevant to the publication?

Please let me know if this is of interest to you. Additionally, I have included some information about my book on [related topic] below my signature.

Best wishes,

[Author name]

[Author signature, including link to book]

“Quote from a recent review.”

—Review Source

Short description of the book. Include an introductory paragraph, and key content. Make sure to include anything relevant to the pitch.

About the Author

Write a short biography about yourself, especially if it is relevant to the pitch.

Pitch examples from OUP publicity

Dear XXX,

I’m reaching out because Joshua Glasgow, author of The Solace: Finding Value in Death through Gratitude for Life has drafted an opinion article that I think would work perfectly for XXX, and I wanted to see if you agree.

It is widely thought that we should be grateful for our lives, but two platitudes about gratitude--that it must be directed toward a benefactor and that it only fits benefits that are undeserved--would make gratitude for life impossible for many people. This piece attempts to rescue gratitude for life for everyone, by explaining how we can give up those two platitudes.

Let me know if you think sounds appealing for the section. I think it would work well around Thanksgiving. I’ve also included more information on Joshua and The Solace below my signature for you.

Best,

XXX

“In this sharp work, philosopher Glasgow (Four Views on Race) combines the analytic thought of philosophy with his personal reflections to examine whether there is comfort to be found and offered when responding to the inevitability of human death… While readers looking for simple comfort to share when confronted with death won’t find it here, those seeking a fresh view on death’s meaning will have much to ponder.”—Publishers Weekly

Recalling the last months of his mother's life, Glasgow reveals in his new book, THE SOLACE, the breakthrough he finally arrived at for himself: when we are grateful for life, we value all of it, and this includes death, its natural culmination.

Just as we are grateful for the value in our lives, we can affirm this value in death. This is how to face death that can be found both rational and comforting—in a way that provides solace.

Too often we think about death as nothing but a loss. But if we shift our thinking, we can focus on how the goodness of life radiates to all its parts, even to death itself. In this way, we can find solace in death without having to resort to sentimentalism, and we can do so in a way that is equally relevant for the religious and non-religious. THE SOLACE provides a reassuring and significant tool for those grappling with the fact that we pass away.

About the Author

Joshua Glasgow is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Sonoma State University, where for several years he was also Director of the Center for Ethics, Law, and Society. He works on a variety of topics in ethics and political philosophy. He is the co-author of What is Race?: Four Philosophical Views, published by Oxford University Press in 2019.

~ ~ ~

Email subject line: 23rd April is St George's Day. What does it mean to be English?

Dear XXX,

• What does it mean to be English and who in England would describe themselves as English? 
• What political challenges arise in the context of the rise of English nationalism?
• Is English culture valued as highly as other cultures within the United Kingdom, and England itself? 
• Should St George’s Day be a national holiday? 

In their new book, Englishness, The Political Force Transforming Britain, Ailsa Henderson and Richard Wyn Jones draw on data from the Future of England Survey, established in 2011 to explore English attitudes towards England and its place within the UK, Britain, and the wider world, and social attitudes to the constitution across England, Scotland and Wales.

With St George’s Day approaching, I wonder if you would be interested in Richard or Ailsa writing an article for you on what it means to be English in 2021?

If you would like a copy of Englishness, please get in touch. 

You can find further information in the attached press release.