How to place a by-lined article

There are a lot of yellowed, crinkled manuscripts of by-lined articles sitting on someone's windowsill, gathering dust. That's often because they were done backwards. Authors often start by interviewing sources, writing the article, and getting it approved. Then they'll start shopping the finished article around to editors. The problem is that the finished manuscript probably doesn't match any publication's requirements. An editor may be interested in the topic but want a different approach. Or the editor may want one section of the article expanded, and other parts killed. Or the topic is all wrong, and no publication is interested in running it.

We believe this approach leads to a lot of wasted time and effort, disappointment by the sources who have put a lot of time and thought into the article, and a blow to the credibility of the PR person who did the work. Here's a better way:

1. Figure out what the article will be about. Talk with your source, (if it's not you), and put together a rough outline of what the story line will be. Here's some hints about topics:
   • Don't make it a story about your product. It won't run. Make it about the technology in your product and its benefits. Or about why it uses one approach rather than another. Or about how a customer is using your approach to solve a problem, and why that approach is superior to other the customer considered.
   • Read three back issues of the target publication with a critical eye. Pick a story whose approach is close to the one you want to take and use it as a model.
   • Ask the publication for an author's guide. Some have them, some don't. Follow the guide; don't improvise because you think you have a better way.
2. Check editorial calendars to see if anyone is planning a feature on that topic. If there is, put that publication high on your target list. If not, research publications that cover your area, and get ready for some selling.
3. Contact the editor with a concise proposal, generally stating what the article is about, its tone, and why the editor's readers will be interested in reading it. This contact can be by e-mail, phone, or fax. We prefer e-mail. If an editor is interested, offer an outline. Ask if the editor has a favorite article that has run recently that would be a good model for yours.
4. Interview the sources for the article and draft an outline. Review it with them, make any changes, and send it to the editor for review. Call in a couple of days to see if the editor is interested. If so, agree on the length, number and type of illustrations, and when the manuscript is due. Try to get an idea of when an article would run. (Editors are generally reluctant to commit without seeing a manuscript, but most will give a two- or three-issue bracket.)
5. Lie to your contacts about when the manuscript is due. We suggest telling them it's due 10 calendar days before the actual deadline. That gives you some wiggle room to accommodate the inevitable delays.
6. Write the article, get it approved, put together a solid package of illustrations, charts, or diagrams, and FedEx it so the editor gets it two days before you promised it. Call the nest day to make sure it arrived. (This isn't the same as calling to see if an editor got your release. Your article is a major investment and the editor knows it. The editor will be conscientious about making sure it arrived.)
7. Try to get a schedule about when the article will run. Once the editor has read it, she or he will be more willing to make a commitment.
8. Stay in touch and see how the article is progressing. Chances are the editor will ask for some modifications and rewrites. Work with your sources to supply them quickly. At this point, the editor's timing is critical.
9. Don't announce the article will appear until the editor says it will. Articles sometimes get bumped.
10. When the editor tells you when the article will run, send out a notice to the sales force and other channels, so they can alert their customers and prospects to look for it. Let people within the company know as well.