The Citizen Writer

Many writers dream of placing persuasive op-eds, commentaries, and columns in the world’s most read and respected publications. This book demystifies the process from start to finish, offering a comprehensive reference guide for drafting, editing, pitching, and publishing commentaries that call for a fairer, more judicious world.

Carefully analyzing the work of well-known commentators for best practices, this handbook provides practical insights from inside the field as well as writing prompts ideal for classroom and community settings. It is a resource for emerging writers hoping to break into opinion publishing and for seasoned cultural critics and commentators looking to broaden their audience and amplify their appeal. By emphasizing writing for social justice from diverse political perspectives, this work offers a timely and inclusive roadmap from ideation to publication.

Author Biography

A former newspaper section editor, Zachary Michael Jack has published or contracted op-eds and commentaries in many of America’s best circulated magazines and newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post, among others. He is the leader of the popular “Citizen’s Art” writers’ workshops nationwide, and a long-time professor of English, teaching courses in writing for social change and public writing at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.