| You improve your chances of getting coverage if you | | | | longer lead times for their special editions. AP's new |
| understand the lead times of the various media when | | | | specials editor, Julia Rubin, begins thinking about her |
| pitching story ideas.Newspapers, for instance, often | | | | monthly specials more than a month in advance. She |
| work with no lead time. Online, radio and TV, too, are | | | | likes to receive information about products and |
| known for their immediacy. Newspaper special | | | | services, as well as story ideas that tie in.Here are |
| sections, such as a holiday gift guide, might want | | | | some of her upcoming features and their deadlines: |
| material one to two months in advance. Weekly | | | | Fashion, 2/1/2006; Health/Fitness, 3/1/2006; Careers, 4/1 |
| newspapers, like the , have their special editions | | | | 2006One final tip, editorial calendars are a great way |
| planned months in advance and begin reviewing story | | | | to find out what editors want and when. If you don't |
| ideas for those as much as two to three months out. | | | | subscribe to one of the editorial calendar services, try |
| So, they might be thinking about their February 17 | | | | doing a Google search for "editorial calendars" plus |
| corporate philanthropy section in December.Magazines | | | | your topic of interest to see what comes up.Harry |
| - particularly those aimed at consumers - often have | | | | Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR. He has |
| lead times of as much as six months. Some of those | | | | 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering |
| include women's books like Ladies' Home Journal and | | | | bottom line messages that ensure success for serious |
| Redbook, as well as men's magazines like Maxim. In | | | | businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Focus |
| December, those editors are already thinking about | | | | Four, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina |
| Easter, taxes, Mother's Day and baseball season.Even | | | | Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning |
| newswires like the Associated Press have some | | | | Systems, VELUX, Verbatim and Wicked Choppers. |