September 18, 2008

Leveraging Editorial Calendars for PR Opportunities

 Editorial calendars are published by every trade publication and offer a great way to see what editors will cover in upcoming issues. Editorial calendars are included in a magazine’s media kit to help advertisers better schedule their promotions. If used correctly, editorial calendars provide a great avenue for PR because you can pitch story ideas in line with the topics you know will be covered by the magazine.

 Every magazine has different editorial calendar guidelines. Monthlies usually work anywhere from one to four months in advance of items listed. Weeklies, on the other hand, work ahead only one to four weeks. Once you’ve identified an item, find out who’s assigned to write the story and when they’ll be working on the article. Then, with a quick email or call, make contact with the writer to briefly introduce your company and how it can be a source.