If you want publicity in newspapers and magazines, one of your most valuable tools is each publication’s editorial calendar for 2007.
An editorial calendar is the January-to-December list of all special sections and topics that are being planned for next year.
It alerts advertisers to the sections where their ads would be the best fit. But editorial calendars can be equally valuable to Publicity Hounds who don’t want to spend a penny on advertising.
An editorial calendar tips you off months ahead of time to the sections where you can place stories or how-to articles. Then you can find out which editor is responsible for the section, and ask about the deadline for pitching. Knowing this information will put you miles ahead of your competitors who don’t even know about editorial calendars or won’t bother to ask for them.
To obtain an editorial calendar, call the publication’s advertising department. In fact, ask for the entire media kit which might include other information like pitching tips, the demographics of the circulation area and other goodies.
When you’re creating next year’s media plan, don’t start from scratch. That’s the hard way. Knowing ahead of time the types of stories that print and broadcast media love will put you miles ahead of your competitors.
If you need to create a 2007 media plan, you’ll find 219 story ideas that you can steal. See “116 WOW! Story ideas from January through June” and “103 Sizzling Story Ideas from July through December.”
Smart Publicity Hounds will use as many of these ideas as possible.