Find the argument in your book that an editor wants to publish, and learn what to do before you pitch it.
- Date
- Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
- Time
- 2:00 PM Eastern
- Length
- 75 minutes, live on Zoom
- Cost
- Free
The Zoom link arrives by email as soon as you register so you can add it to your calendar.
The idea has to travel before the book does.
You didn't write this book to have it admired on a shelf. You wrote it because you think something is true that most people haven't understood yet.
A book reaches people who already decided to read it. For the idea to go further than the book can, it has to go first.
That's the work an op-ed does. One argument, your name on it, in a publication people already trust, in front of readers who had no reason to care until they read it. Editors run it because it's new and defensible. Readers who find it persuasive go looking for whoever wrote it.
Most authors never place one. It's a competitive medium with rules nobody taught them, and the rejection is silent and fast. The rules are learnable, and that's what this hour is for.
What we'll do together
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Find the op-ed inside your book
It's rarely your thesis. Often it's something you buried in chapter six. You'll learn how to spot it, then write the argument down in a sentence before the hour is over.
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Test it before you spend three weeks on it
Paul will show you how to tell a publishable idea from one that won't fly, using the test he applies to every idea: is it Applicable, Timely, and Unique?
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Plan for the day after it runs
A published piece can turn into interviews, speaking, and book sales. It's the step almost everyone skips, and we'll show you what to do first.
Built for authors with an argument to make
You'll get the most from it if you
- have a nonfiction book, finished or in progress, or a proposal you're pitching
- can state the one argument you most want people to take on, or want help finding it
- want credibility with editors, readers, and the people who can champion your book
It's probably not the right room if you
- are looking to post more on LinkedIn or Substack. This is about earned placement, and volume plays no part in it
- want someone to write and place a piece for you. This masterclass teaches you to do it yourself
Work with leading Op-Ed experts
For almost two decades, our team has published hard-hitting Op-Eds for leaders:
- Directors and Surgeons General
- Heads of state
- Fortune Global 500 CEOs, CXOs and board chairs
- Start-up founders
- Government officials overseeing health & science policy
- UN & agency leaders
- Academic faculty and a Nobel laureate
“I’ve written for leaders at Google, Stripe, and a long list of tech giants, and Paul is among the best thought leadership writers I’ve ever worked with. Carolyn is a powerhouse. She brings a whole other level of support for the intensity that comes with publishing and stepping into public view.”
Elizabeth Wellington RollinsUSA Today Bestselling Author
Meet your hosts
Paul Martin Jensen
Co-Founder & CEO, Etalia
Paul Martin Jensen has spent more than fifteen years placing bylines for other people. Working with leading institutions like Columbia Business School, the World Health Organization, and McKinsey, and with Fortune Global 500 CEOs and a Nobel laureate, he has usually been the one who wrote, edited, and pitched the piece, in close collaboration with the people whose names ran on it. His placements, earned and never paid, have run in the New York Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, CNN, Forbes, and more than 20 other outlets across the US, UK, EU, Africa, and Asia.
Paul specializes in positioning experts as thought leaders and building systems for increasing their impact.
His most recent placement took four months from idea to print and was declined or ignored for fifty-two days first.
Carolyn Barnwell
Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Etalia
Carolyn Barnwell spent twelve years at National Geographic, six on staff and six on project work for the Impact Media team, where she created its first digital series featuring scientists and explorers. She trained researchers around the world in public communication through the Sciencetelling™ Bootcamp. She was later Head of Production at the impact storytelling agency GROUND in Washington, D.C.
Carolyn is a trained leadership coach and TRE® (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) provider, has spent ten years preparing experts to go on camera, and now works with clients on stress resilience as their visibility grows. Her methodology is based on the idea that inner strength and clarity is foundational for real-world results.
A few common questions
Do I need a finished book?
No. A finished manuscript, a book in progress, and a proposal all work. You need an argument you can state in a sentence, or a willingness to find one during the session.
Is there a way to get my own op-ed reviewed and ready to pitch?
Yes. At the end of the masterclass we'll invite you into an intensive, a small group where Paul reviews your actual draft and you get it ready to pitch. It's for authors who want to implement, not only learn.
That's the only invitation we'll make, and joining is optional. The masterclass is complete without it.
Will this get me published?
No one can promise that, and we won't. Editors decide. What we can show you is how to give your idea its best chance, and how to avoid the mistakes that get most pitches ignored.
Do I need to prepare anything?
Bring the central idea of your book and something to write with. You don't need a draft.
Will there be a replay?
Yes. We'll record the session and email the replay to everyone who registers.
Do I have to turn my camera on?
No, you don't have to. We highly encourage it, though, so we can fully engage with each other.
Find the op-ed in your book.
Thursday, Nov. 5 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Free, live on Zoom.
Save my seatBy registering you'll receive the Zoom link and event reminders by email. Questions? Write to hello@et-alia.com.
