Exposure in magazines can be a great way to garner publicity

for your organization, though lately there are fewer and

fewer of them. Because of this, it's important that a PR

professional use all of her savvy when pitching a story to a

magazine. Follow these tips to keep your pitch out of the

"circular file."

Read the Publication - With so many magazines offering at

least limited content online these days, there is no excuse

for not reading a few articles in a publication before

sending your press release or pitching your story. Reading

all the publication guidelines in the world can't substitute

for firsthand knowledge of a magazine's content and style.

Submitting an unsuitable piece to a publication shows the

editor that you did not respect her time enough to do your

homework.

Plan Ahead - Magazines operate on a long lead time, so you

should approach an editor at least three months before you

want your story to run, and preferably six. This is

especially important if you story is intended to run at a

certain time of year, such as a holiday. Further, many

specialty and trade magazines, though not hard news

magazines that must keep up with current events, have their

editorial calendars planned out as much as a year in

advance. Most publications will be happy to share them with

you so that you can plan accordingly. Just call the main

phone number, email the "Info" or "Press" address, or check

around online, as the editorial calendar might be posted.

Pitch to the Right Person - Sure, it's easier to send your

query to the Editor-in-Chief and hope for the best, but

unless you are pitching to a tiny publication this will

generally get your story sent straight to the recycle bin.

These days, journalists and editors are often listed on the

magazine's website, but another good strategy for making

sure you are pitching your story to the correct journalist

is to call the organization and ask.

Choose Your Approach - There are three common ways to get

magazine coverage for your story - sending a press release,

pitching to an editor who then assigns a journalist to the

story, or submitting your own article or feature story.

While sending a press release is generally accepted at all

publications, this approach has the lowest chance of

garnering coverage. Pitching to an editor takes work - you

must query them, either by phone or email - but often is

your best chance of getting published. As for writing your

own story, some magazines are glad for the extra content,

while others will be offended that you even suggested this

option. This is why it's a good idea to know the publication

and to do your homework beforehand. If you do try this

route, be sure to stick to the publication's guidelines.

Once you have landed a story in a magazine, don't forget to

recycle your publicity by posting it on your company website

or lifting choice excerpts for use in marketing materials.

With the right handling, one positive magazine article can

generate many fruitful returns.

May the Force be with you,

Mickie Kennedy
Founder, eReleases.com
CEO, eReleases.com & Press-Release-Writing.com