Create an Abstract for the Media
Do you send your article to the publishers after you have assembled your media list, obtained contacts, and prepared the content? A 200-word abstract that consists of four components is what most reports want to see.
Audience suitability
Your material should establish your point of view and provide evidence to support it for the reader, who will typically find a unique point of view quite interesting.
Timeliness
Make sure your content is relevant to your product and incorporates current trends.
Value
Why should the readers be interested in the issue you are resolving for them?
Credibility
The main goal of getting published is to establish credibility. Describe yourself in one line and explain why people should pay attention to you.
Email Pitch
When you attach the abstract, you type it in the email’s body. It is an attempt to sell the media on something.
Say hello
Describe your contribution.
Include any timeliness requirements in the pitch if applicable.
A few facts about you to establish credibility.
Avoid using emojis.
Never specify a publication deadline; remember that this is just a request.
Avoid including the abstract in a document. Reporters hate attachments because they increase the likelihood that their stories will end up in spam.
What Time Would Be Ideal for Sending This Email?
First, avoid sending this email on Tuesdays or before a long weekend. Most reporters’ deadlines are Thursday evening, so Friday morning is the optimum time to ship. Your pitch forms first impressions of you. If you write it well, you’ll get published.
Send a Follow-up Email
Over 500 emails are sent to journalists daily, so do not get alarmed if you do not receive a response. You can wait a week before checking in if your content doesn’t have a time component. Create your email with care, keeping in mind that you issued a request, and kindly verify that the information was received.
Giving more information once you check in might be a tactic to increase your credibility.
Writing With A PR Lens
The first sentence of a pitch or idea with a misspelled word is the most startling thing a reporter may encounter. They’ll immediately hit “erase.” You shouldn’t lower your standards because of a single misspelled word this early in the game.
So don’t transmit a draft that has errors. You must thoroughly revise and proofread your work before submitting it. I enjoy reading my pieces aloud after printing them out.
Try this. Read it aloud to your pet, your plant, or yourself. Reading aloud enables you to more clearly see your writing flaws, helping you to avoid delivering articles that have grammatical and spelling mistakes.
If you have the means, you might think about having a copy editor review your writing. Remember that a little is more. Remove the words from your phrase if it still makes sense without them. If your sentence contains any vapid or unnecessary words, remove them.
Although I understand your excitement over the publicity, please refrain from using too many exclamation marks or capitalizing phrases to underline their significance. Your writing should innately enthrall your audience.
Reporters prefer to read the brief, error-free, and grammatically correct text. Your value increases, and magazines will want to publish more of your work when you consistently produce quality writing, which is where you want to be.
Drafting Content That Publications Will Accept
You want to consider some subtleties while creating contributed content for magazines.
1. Write with a vendor-neutral tone. This isn’t all about you, unlike your blog or LinkedIn page. It has to do with the subject that you teach. It’s crucial to present all perspectives and arguments. People don’t want to hear you pitch your company. They desire education.
2. Steer clear of industry jargon. It’s essential to focus your copy on how you’re assisting your audience rather than trying to outdo your competitors. Most likely, you’re instructing a group of people who don’t know as much about your subject as you do.
They are interested in your perspective. The terms leverage, synergy, game-changing, and disrupting the industry were the most obnoxious PR buzzwords used in pitches. These are meaningless words.
Remember that your goal in getting published is to educate readers, not impress your colleagues.
3. Retaining truthful expertise. Ask yourself if the material is helpful for your reader now or in a future post if you notice that you’re starting to stray from your topic. Avoid bluffing and write truthfully.
4. Keep your readers’ time in mind. To arrange your piece, begin with an outline. Make sure your comments and arguments are supported, and state your aim clearly at the outset. Long narratives are less prevalent these days. It’s challenging to publish them.
Be aware of the publication’s word limit before submitting. The editorial standards mention it.
6. List your references. Experts in the field are excellent resources for presenting alternative opinions or making odd comparisons. Use your friends, coworkers, and outside sources if you’re having trouble proving a point of view.
7. Don’t write to sell; write to draw interest. Avoid being overly sales with your content. Lead generation, not revenue, is the goal of getting your article published. Additionally, they tune you out if you write like a salesperson. But what good is it if your content doesn’t encourage repeat visits to your website?
So, to encourage your audience to visit your website, include a call to action in your writing, a special deal, or information on accessible further education.
You are prepared to submit your completed piece to your reporter once it has been completed. Keep in mind that you are an authority who is imparting knowledge on a subject that people are interested in learning more about. Send in your work with assurance.