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Go Ahead and Write Something: Creating Stellar Articles
By Keith Ferrazzi | Monster Contributing Writer
Make the Pitch
What’s an editor going to say when you pitch an idea? Probably something like: “Sure, sounds great. Very busy. Gotta go. Let me see it when it’s done.” This is how editors talk, and this is what they invariably say.
But now, when you call others to interview them, you’re not just Joe Shmo, you’re Joe Shmo calling about an article targeted for the Poughkeepsie Gazette or something like that. And these aren’t just random people you’re calling. These are the people you’ve painstakingly targeted as the top experts and thinkers in the subject you’re investigating.
By calling these people and setting up an interview, what you’ve just unknowingly done is established a terrific environment for meeting anyone anywhere. The odds will never be stacked so clearly in your favor. The subject of conversation is something you know the other person is fascinated with. And by then, you’ll have had the time to become pretty snazzy with the subject yourself. You’re offering value through the publicity you’ll potentially garner. And the mutual understanding that you’re working together toward a common objective will make what would normally be a formal affair into something much closer. It’s an opportunity to shine!
Share the Credit
Most of the time, I like to share credit by offering a byline to the person who becomes most helpful. Explain that their insights are truly unique and impressive and that you would welcome their co-authorship. You’ll do the research and writing and all they have to do is give some time and energy to the project.
Then, once you begin to collaborate, ask them (more than likely they will volunteer) to open their network to you for additional research and interviews. And just like that, you’re expanding your network exponentially with contacts that otherwise might have seemed out of reach.
Guess what? By article’s end, whether it’s been published or not, you’ve managed to learn a great deal and to meet a group of important people who potentially might be important to your future. And you now have a very good reason to stay in touch with them.
This article originally appeared on Monster.com.
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