Get More Work With Better Research
I've begun to realize that I don't do enough of the right kinds
of research before contacting a publication. Here are some
things I've learned to think about and do before pitching, which
have made a difference in getting work.
Who do they love?
"It's all about relationships." Ever heard that? Publications
are about people or things that are important to people in some
way. You could say that a publication's content is a gift to its
readers, from the editor, the publisher, and you if you're lucky
enough to get in. To the degree that articles are about people,
this is another group that is prized, by the magazine and its
readers.
If you get to know these groups, you can learn how to write
about the one group and their interests, to the other group and
theirs.
For example, trade publications and newsletters that represent
organizations love to see ideas that include interviews with its
membership. Find out who those folks are and where their input
might fit snugly into your proposed article or feature. Contact
them, get some quotes and include them in your pitches.
For other publications (lifestyle, entertainment and mainstream
consumer interests), figure out who its readers are most likely
to idolize in some way, and include a quote from their favorite
"stars". Or, pitch an article about them. Tap the Reader
Feedback Loop
Drilling down, you can check reader interests and opinions of
current articles and subjects by reading reader feedback
sections. Feedback sections appear at the end of online articles
and often front of book in print magazines. These can tell you
what readers like, dislike, and what they want to see more of
from the publication in the future. Base pitches on this input,
especially if it fits the magazine's editorial concept. Go a
step further and contact the reader (if an e-mail address has
been left). Bringing readers in like that sometimes makes an
impression on editors. What else?
Prognosis Please? Analyze current articles for common themes,
approaches, priorities, common anything, and make sure a whisper
(or a scream) of that commonality shows up in your presentation
when you make contact.
Not 20 Questions, Just Six
When asking the journalist's questions - who, what, when, where,
why and how - first see what defines the most common answers in
the publication's articles. Is the who usually a scientist, a
man on the street interview, a business owner, or who? Do the
same with the other five questions.
Who's Paying the Bills? Make sure you're familiar with the
publication's advertisers and compare their products with your
audience's reading habits and interests. Find out who is selling
what, to whom and how? Discover what kind of writing brings
those potential customers between the pages? Soon you'll know
which topics are yummy to cantaloupe connoisseurs, or what the
hottest subject matter is for people who prefer to wear parkas
while standing on snow covered mountains.
Do You Get the Concept?
The editorial concept is usually short and easy to find. In a
sentence or two it tells you just what the given periodical is
all about. Make sure your ideas hit the mark with the editorial
concept. Look for it; find out what it is. Squeeze concept words
and closely related words and ideas in this corner here or that
corner there of your query.
Stylin'
Editorial style - just how does the whole word entr