if I submit an Op-Ed, will they tell me if they want to publish it?

Question

or will they just publish it?

Will they respond if they don't want to publish it?

Answer 1

They'll certainly call if they want to publish it (and as the other poster said, be sure to include your name, address, phone and e-mail).

Before you write it, however, you should contact the editorial page editor (or assistant editor) and ask if they accept unsolicited submissions. If your opinion piece is general enough (ie. not about a problem with a local railroad crossing), then check with other newspapers around the country and even around the world.

Either find the information for each one online, or pick up a copy of the Writer's Market. It's a huge book of listings of all publications in the United States (maybe Canada, too) and details whether they accept submissions, who to contact, and how much they pay. When I was a struggling freelancer, I would buy last year's copy at a reduced price and found the information was still basically good.

Answer 2

Yes, they will call you. Include your address and phone number or they won't even consider it. They will not repsond at all if they don't want to publish it.