Keep your statements short and punchy. Don't get carried away with jargon or assume your reader knows as much as you do about the subject. Take a fresh approach. Find a way to engage your reader start to finish. Know your timeline.
Newspapers take up to two weeks sometimes to publish an op-ed.
Be patient, but keep in touch to find out the status of the piece once you have submitted it. Letters to the Editor are an excellent and personal way to communicate about arts issues important to the community. Especially since there is often very little attention given in most local newspapers to these issues. Letters are usually in response to a local issue of importance or a recent article or editorial. Publications are open to critical letters, as long as they are composed in a constructive manner and raise valid issues.