How to Become a More Effective Self-Editor: The Developmental Edit
As discussed in the introduction to this series on becoming a more effective self-editor, writing and editing are two distinct processes. You will be a better and faster writer if you treat them as such. Similarly, editing has two phases: the developmental edit and the copy edit.
The developmental edit improves the structure and organization of a piece of writing. It focuses on the audience, clarifies the purpose of the piece, and makes sure it has a consistent tone and perspective. Before turning your attention to the copy edit, make sure the structure is sound.
Use the CORD Framework™ to enhance the editorial quality of your article.
The CORD Framework serves as the foundation for much of the developmental edit and ensures the editorial quality of your work. Take a break after you finish writing to gain some perspective, and then read your article and ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it cogent? Does it present a compelling case in support of a specific position or viewpoint? Is it useful to the intended reader? Does it provide enough context for the reader to understand its importance? Could the reader share the most important information with another person?
- Is it original? Does it present a strong voice and clear point of view? Does it add to the conversation by focusing on insights, not simply information? Does it build upon the writer's experience and position them as an authority? Do analogies and anecdotes help the reader understand complex concepts?
- Is it researched? Are the writer's insights based on evidence? Are their assertions grounded in fact? Is the data accurate? Is it essential? Can it be simplified? Are cited sources trustworthy? Is the research cited appropriately and presented with sufficient context? Where the ideas get complex, does the writer slow the pace?
- Is it deep? Is the piece well written? Does it leave a lasting impression? Does it dive below the surface and offer insights not found elsewhere? Is it relevant? Does the writer discern fact from opinion?
Download a copy of The CORD Framework™ to improve the editorial quality of your articles.
Review and improve the structure and organization of your article.
Once you've ensured the editorial quality of your article, it's time to improve its structure and organization. Read the article aloud to identify places where the rhythm, flow, or voice doesn't quite work. Mark the areas that need adjustment and then reread it, asking yourself the following questions:
- Is it striking? Is the headline strong? Does it grab your attention? Does the deck support the headline and make the reader want to learn more? Does the first paragraph get right to the point, or is the lede buried a few paragraphs down?
- Is it focused? Does the article maintain its focus, or does the writing stray from its purpose? Does the writer make their point clearly and succinctly, or do they say the same thing in slightly different ways? Does each section of the article support the main point? Are there any darlings to murder?
- Is it authoritative? Where does the article present opportunities for the writer to increase authority by adding detail, examples, or further evidence?
- Is it skimmable? Do you get the general idea of the article simply by reading the heading, deck, and subheads? Are there any long sentences or paragraphs that can be broken down? Does the writer use bullet points and lists where appropriate?
- Is it targeted? Is the intended audience clear throughout the piece? Does the tone of voice shift or stay consistent? Are such shifts intentional and easy for the reader to follow?
It's not just about grammar and spelling.
Editing is about so much more than grammar and spelling. To be a good editor, you must start by looking at the big picture. You have to put yourself in the reader's shoes and make sure that it is clear and easy to follow. Only after the structure is sound can you focus on the details.
In the next installment of this series, we'll dive into the copy edit. This line-by-line edit looks at grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It seeks out confusing, complicated, and wordy sentences and makes them clear and compelling. I'll give you a checklist you can use to make the process easier so you can become a better writer, a deeper thinker, and a clearer communicator.
How to Become a More Effective Self-Editor: An Introduction
Good writing is the product of good editing. Working with a good editor is incredibly satisfying. A good editor takes your words and turns them into vehicles that convey your thoughts and ideas. A good editor takes what is clear to you and makes it clear and compelling to the reader. Here’s how you can capture some of that magic and become a better self-editor.
Understand that writing and editing are two distinct processes.
Editing is not writing.
Writing captures fresh thoughts, ideas, and expressions on the page. It is a process that results in several drafts. The first draft is written quickly and without referencing your notes. Its purpose is to get the ideas on the page so you have something to work with.
It’s a lot like a jigsaw puzzle.
You’ve got to get all the pieces on the table and right-side-up before you can find the edges and start putting together the picture.
Once the first draft is done, you start the rewriting process. You are no longer writing for yourself — now you’re writing for the reader.
This is when you clarify your ideas, add structure to the piece, and incorporate details from your research.
This is when your piece starts to take shape.
You may rewrite, rework, and refine your piece a few times before you feel like you’ve captured everything you want to share with the reader. Only after you complete that process are you ready to start editing your work.
Editing takes everything you’ve captured on the page and makes it clear and compelling to the reader.
But you can’t switch from writing to editing immediately.
Give your work room to breathe.
The more work you’ve put into a piece of writing, the more time you need to allow the piece to sit before you start editing.
When possible, let the piece sit overnight so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. If that isn’t possible, print the piece, close out of your word processing program, and take yourself for a walk. At the very least, make yourself a cup of tea and putter around for a bit.
Then you can come back to your work with a bit more perspective.
Embrace a systematic approach to editing.
There are two phases of the editing process: the developmental edit and the copy edit.
Start with the big picture.
The developmental edit improves the structure and organization of a piece of writing. It focuses on the audience, clarifies the purpose of the piece, and makes sure it has a consistent tone and perspective.
Once the structure is sound, you can focus on the nitty-gritty details.
The copy edit is the line-by-line edit that most people think of when we talk about editing. It includes grammar, punctuation, and spelling but goes deeper. It identifies and eliminates confusing, complicated, and wordy sentences that cause readers to tune out and move on to the next thing on their list.
Becoming a better editor helps you become a better writer. That, in turn, enables you to become a deeper thinker. In the next installment of this series, we’ll dive into the developmental edit, and I’ll give you a list of questions to ask that will strengthen the foundation of your work. In the final installment, we'll look a bit more closely at the copy edit, and I'll give you a checklist to help you tighten up each sentence.
On Inspiration, Ideas, and Deep Thinking
To write for high-visibility publications, you must consistently identify, develop, and share insightful ideas with the publication’s readers. For many, the process of presenting new ideas month after month after month feels daunting. As someone steeped in your work, you understand the challenges and solutions within your area of expertise. That clarity and depth of understanding might lead you to underestimate the value of your knowledge, experience, and insights.
But you are not your audience.
While information is widely available in our digital age, practical insights born of knowledge and experience are rare. But how do you discover and develop ideas that you can turn into shareable content?
Five steps to developing and sharing impactful ideas.
Like any worthy endeavor, developing and sharing impactful ideas is a skill you can learn, develop, and practice. And the more you develop and practice that skill, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes. Here are three steps to developing and sharing impactful ideas:
- Follow your curiosity. When something attracts your attention, pay attention. Dig into it. Allow yourself time to play and explore. And then, ask yourself what sparked your curiosity. Explore that too.
- Capture your ideas. Write down your ideas, and synthesize new ideas constantly. Note anything that captures your attention. Whether you’re reading, listening, watching, or experiencing something new, do it actively. Don’t just capture the facts. Capture your ideas about those facts. A simple yes, and or yes, but will help you capture insights. And the value lies in your insights.
- Carve out time to think. You can’t think deeply about an idea when you’re interrupted every few minutes. You have to concentrate and turn the idea over and over again, examining it from all sides. You have to identify and question your assumptions. Commit to deep work. Let your mind wander a bit — make associations, draw connections, and surprise yourself. Be open to the magic.
- Share your ideas. Once you’ve developed your idea, you have to put it in a format that allows you to share it with others. You might share your idea in a blog post, article, newsletter, podcast, short video, or LinkedIn post. Sharing your ideas allows you to test them, see how others respond to them, and identify gaps in your thinking.
- Refine your ideas. Even the most narrow idea has deep, interconnected roots. The more you explore a single idea, the more nuanced your understanding will become, and the more easily you’ll be able to identify related ideas. Capture and develop these as well, and you’ll find you have an inexhaustible well of ideas.
A research journal allows you to note the source of the idea, capture quotes from that source, and add your insights. Download a research journal template here.
There is something almost magical about ideas. If you hold on too tightly, they slip right through your fingers, and you lose them. You have to dance with your ideas; otherwise, they might not stick around.
Ideas are woven into the fabric of the universe. It’s as if they are waiting for us to give them form and substance. Our job, then, is not to create ideas but to recognize them when we see them. The best ideas don’t exist in a vacuum. They dance with one another and with other people. The more you share and refine your ideas, the more impactful those ideas become, and the more new ideas invite you to dance.
Seven Questions to Ask Before Responding to a Trending Story
Responding to a trending story can be satisfying, especially when the issue at hand is important to you. But it can also backfire. Those who disagree with you may push back on what you have to say or question your authority, credibility, and integrity. Others may simply stop paying attention to you because they no longer believe your values align with theirs. That can be a good thing, so long as your response to the trending story is thoughtful and deliberate. Before you respond to a trending story, ask yourself these seven questions:
- Is my commentary on this issue related to my experience or area of expertise? If the issue is not directly related to your experience or expertise, you may want to respond as a private individual instead of a professional. If it is related to your area of expertise, consider bringing the weight of your professional experience to bear on your response.
- Why should other people care about what I have to say about it? Everyone has opinions. Why should the reader care what you have to say about the issue at hand? What makes you qualified to have an opinion on this matter?
- Am I adding something of value to the conversation? What does your commentary add to the conversation? What gaps does it fill?
- Why do I want to share my opinion on this issue? What purpose will sharing your opinion on this issue serve?
- Is this the best way to achieve my purpose? How can you achieve that purpose? Is this the best way to do so? Or is another tactic better suited to your purpose?
- Is my purpose clear to the reader? What other purpose might a reader attribute to your commentary? How can you ensure that the reader understands your underlying purpose?
- Does my commentary include anything I do not know to be true? Typically, a trending story is still developing. Some facts and circumstances are not yet known. If you respond to a trending story, clearly indicate where you are getting your information and make it clear to the reader when you’re speculating. You want to be able to stand behind your opinion even if new facts and circumstances come to light.
Before you share your opinion, especially if you're fired up about it, make sure that how you share it doesn't damage your reputation. Reach out to a trusted friend or colleague and share your backstory, goals, and commentary. Ask them to help you identify your blind spots, and listen closely. Your reputation is your single most valuable asset — it takes time to establish but can be destroyed in a matter of seconds.
On Newsjacking, Hot Takes, and Opinion Pieces
When a story starts trending, a video goes viral, or an event takes over the news cycle, sharing your thoughts on the matter can be tempting. In some cases, speaking up in support or opposition to an issue that is important to you is part of how you stay in alignment with your core values. In other instances, you may speak up to increase your visibility and demonstrate your expertise.
Three tactics you can use to respond to a trending story.
When a trending story strikes a chord, you must decide if you want to respond to the story and, if so, whether you want to respond as a private citizen or an authoritative expert. Responding in your professional capacity means that you are lending the weight of your business experience and expertise to your response. If you are responding to a trending story as a professional, there are three tactics you can use:
1. Engage in newsjacking.
The term “newsjacking” was coined by David Meerman Scott, the well-known marketing strategist and author. According to Scott, newsjacking is “the art and science of injecting your ideas into a breaking news story so you and your ideas get noticed.” The definition has expanded to include any trending story, whether newsworthy or not. Newsjacking can take several forms, including a tweet, meme, article, or video. It can poke fun at the trending story or offer a clever counterpoint.
For example, when gas prices surged in April 2022, Krispy Kreme ran a multi-week promotion where the average price of gas dictated the price of a dozen doughnuts. The company shared the news through a press release and its social media accounts. Dozens of media outlets wrote about the Krispy Kreme gas pricing, creating a lot of buzz for the doughnut purveyor.
2. Write a hot take.
According to Merriam-Webster, a hot take is “a quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction (as in response to current news).”
A hot take is a type of newsjacking. In some circles, the term “hot take” is derogatory, and there are several memes about the hot take’s questionable value. Social media has made it easy for people to share their opinion about everything, regardless of whether they know much about the subject. But the derogatory connotation of the term “hot take” also stems from the fact that this type of commentary is often provocative — and that doesn’t always sit well.
3. Write an opinion piece.
An opinion piece expresses someone’s beliefs or views. In traditional newspapers, these articles typically appear on the op-ed page (the page opposite the editorial page).
Like a hot take, the writer must quickly produce an opinion piece in response to a trending story. But opinion pieces are generally not as provocative or sensational. Instead, they are persuasive.
When done well, responding to a trending story can increase your visibility and position you as an expert in your field. But when done poorly, it can damage your reputation. Before responding to a trending story, think carefully about whether your response elevates the conversation or simply adds to the noise. Once you’ve decided to respond, think about which of the tactics above will help you reach your goals.
How to Tame Writer's Block
You cannot tame writer’s block if you don’t understand what it is or what is causing it. But while “writer’s block” is a common term, every writer’s experience is a little different, and there is no one agreed-upon definition.
The term “writer’s block” was introduced in 1949 by Dr. Edmund Bergler in his book, The Writer and Psychoanalysis. Bergler spent two decades studying writers who suffered from “neurotic inhibitions of productivity.”
Yep. Bergler considered writer’s block a neurotic disease.
In the early 198os, Yale University psychologists Michael Barrios and Jerome Singer conducted further research to understand what it meant for writers to be creatively blocked and how writers could overcome such blocks.
Writers who made no progress on their main project and felt unable to write for at least three months were categorized as blocked. Barrios and Singer followed their progress for a month, interviewing them and asking them to complete several psychological tests focused on waking imagery, hypnotic dreaming, and rational discussion.
They detailed their findings in “The Treatment of Cognitive Blocks,” published in the September 1, 1981 issue of Imagination, Cognition and Personality. Barrios and Singer found that blocked writers often reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, were more self-critical, and indulged in much more procrastination.
Like Bergler, Barrios and Singer approached writer’s block from a psychological perspective. As a result of their work, Merriam-Webster defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.”
That’s a bit too heavy.
That type of writer’s block — a creative block that lasts for months — is relatively rare. And as someone who once made her living as a freelance writer, a deep and prolonged bout of writer’s block was a luxury I could not afford.
Identifying and combating three types of writer’s block.
Every writer goes through periods when they feel deeply unsatisfied with the quality of their writing. And every writer has published something they wish they could have worked on just a little longer and polished just a little more. That’s part of being a writer. In my experience, there are three types of writer’s block:
1. You have no idea what to write.
If you don’t have any ideas, walk away from the computer. Take a break and go for a walk. Once you’ve cleared your mind, grab a pen and some paper and do a little brainstorming exercise. Think about the questions your clients, partners, and prospects ask, the convention wisdom you call into question, and the action your clients can take right now to achieve their goals. Try to come up with at least ten questions you’d like to answer.
If you have a hard time getting started, turn to generative AI! Prompt the program by indicating your audience and topic, and then have it generate 25 questions your audience has (or should have) about the topic.
What if you have the opposite problem? If you have so many ideas that you’re not sure where to start, take a break. Come back to your list of ideas later and choose the one that you feel most energized to tackle today, that you know will help a specific client right now, or that responds to a question someone asked you recently. If that doesn’t work, choose the third idea on your list and start writing.
2. You're stuck.
If you know what you want to write about but are unsure how to get started, complete a SOAR analysis to identify the audience, the reason they should read the piece, and the thing they will takeaway from the piece. Then create a simple outline that includes a working title, necessary context, and a few bullet points. You might also try changing the format. Email is a less formal writing style, so try emailing yourself with an answer to the question the article poses.
Sometimes it’s hard to start because you haven’t thought through the piece enough. Go for a walk and think about what you’re trying to say. Outline the article in your head or capture a few ideas on your phone. Try dictating the first draft of your article. It doesn’t matter how you start, just so long as you get started.
3. Your motivation abandoned you.
If you don't feel motivated, examine that feeling closely. Is it really a lack of motivation, or are you just fried? If you're fried, don't try to push through. Take a walk or a nap or do some work in the garden. The only time it is helpful to push through is when you’re nearly finished, and you just can’t seem to get those last few paragraphs done! In that case, set a timer for 15 minutes and write like a fiend. Knock out the first draft, and don’t worry if it’s terrible.
But if you’re having a hard time putting your butt in the seat and getting started, try scheduling a co-working session with a friend or setting a deadline that they will hold you to. You could also try The Most Dangerous Writing App, a terrifying tool designed to help you write the first draft quickly — if you stop writing, your words will start to flash red, and the app will delete your work.
Becoming a more resilient writer.
Each type of writer’s block has a slightly different treatment plan. But the best way to become a more resilient writer is to embrace a writing practice. The more you write, the easier it is to keep going, even when the writing doesn’t come easily.
Wrestling the writing dragon is part of being a writer. The only thing that can help with the writing dragon is setting a deadline, sticking to it, and reminding yourself that done is better than perfect.
Yes, you will publish some pieces before you think they’re finished. That’s part of being a writer too. When you finish a piece that requires you to wrestle the writing dragon and publish it even though you’re not completely happy with it, you free yourself up to work on something new.
When it comes to creative blocks, there’s no way out but through.
How to Increase the Return on Your Investment in Writing for High-Visibility Publications
Once you publish an article in a high-visibility publication, you’ll want to make the most of that initial success. Writing for publication gets your ideas in front of a new audience, increasing your visibility. It differentiates you so you stand out from the crowd, and it gives you a great deal of credibility with your audience.
But it’s hard to realize these benefits if you don’t continuously promote your articles (and ideas) in several ways. Here’s how to get the greatest return on your investment in writing for high-visibility publications:
1. Syndicate your articles.
Most (though not all) high-visibility publications allow you to syndicate your articles after a short waiting period. Syndication is the practice of republishing an article to other websites, including your blog and third-party platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, and Thrive Global. Syndicating your articles allows you to get your work in front of a lot more people.
2. Promote your articles and status as a contributor.
Regardless of whether you are allowed to syndicate your articles, it is important to promote your articles and your status as a contributor to your audience. Here are a few ideas:
- Share your articles with your email subscribers and online communities, including social media platforms, Slack channels, and other online communities.
- Add the article to your list of Publications on your LinkedIn profile.
- Share individual articles with other experts in your field, mentors, advisors, trusted colleagues, clients, or prospects — especially if you recently had a conversation about the same topic.
- Share individual articles in the chat on a Zoom call if it directly addresses someone’s questions or concerns.
- Add the publication’s logo to your website and link it to your author page.
- Include the logo or name of the publication in your email signature.
- Add the logo or name of the publication to your social media and community profiles.
3. Repurpose your articles.
Although promoting your articles is a crucial step in enhancing your visibility, paywalls and algorithms may impede the effectiveness of your efforts. That’s why it is also essential to repurpose your articles. For example, you might:
- Combine a compelling image with a quote and share what inspired you to write about that topic.
- Create an infographic that captures the process outlined in your article and share it on your blog and across your social media channels.
- Write a series of social media posts that elaborate on each key point you made in the article.
- Create a slide deck outlining the main points of your article and share it on LinkedIn.
- Record yourself reading a key point of the article and create an audiogram to share across social media.
- Use your article as inspiration for a short video, LinkedIn live, or podcast episode, and link to the article in the description.
- Combine several articles on the same topic into a short ebook to use as a lead generation tool.
Writing for high-visibility publications is incredibly valuable. One article can inspire a prospective client to sign up for a lead generation offer or a potential partner to reach out and start a conversation.
You can significantly improve your chances of attracting that type of attention by syndicating, promoting, and repurposing your articles so you can share them with your audience multiple times. And if your articles are evergreen, continue to share them over time.
Why not make the most of the time and effort you’ve already invested in writing articles for publication?
A Workflow for Syndicating Published Articles
If you're thinking of writing for high-visibility publications, and you're wondering whether it's a good use of your time, there's one thing you should know: While most high-visibility publications require original content, many allow you to syndicate the published article after a short waiting period of 10 to 14 days.
But what does it mean to syndicate your published articles?
When you syndicate an article, you republish the same article to other websites, including those publications that accept syndicated content.
Some publications require you to change the title of the original article before publishing it elsewhere. Almost all request that you link back to the original article. Here is a five-step workflow for syndicating published articles:
1. Confirm your right to syndicate the original article.
While most high-visibility publications allow you to syndicate articles you wrote for their platform, not all do. Double-check the guidelines to confirm your rights and the publication’s syndication requirements.
How long do you have to wait before syndicating your published articles? Does the publication recommend using specific language to link to the original article? Can you use the original title, or do you have to change it? Are there any other requirements?
Not all high-visibility publications have guidelines. Even those that publish guidelines don’t always address the question of syndication directly. If you have any doubts about the requirements, ask your editor.
2. Publish the article to your blog.
Once the waiting period is over, syndicate your published article to your blog. If you want to include an image, you’ll need to find your own. (Just make sure you have the right to use it.) And even if it isn’t required, link back to the original article:
“This article was originally published on [Publication].”
The words “originally published” link back to the original article, not the publication’s homepage.
Why? Because that link back to the original article helps build credibility with those who visit your website. They not only see what you wrote, which gives them a better sense of how you think about your area of expertise, but they see social proof. Another publication vetted you and published your work because they found it valuable. That tells the visitor that you have something to say that is worth listening to!
3. Share the article with your community.
Depending on how you share the article, this step might be categorized as either syndication or distribution. Either way, make sure you share your article with your email subscribers and online communities, including those on your preferred social media platforms. The people you reach through these platforms have already expressed interest in what you have to offer. Sharing your work with them not only builds your relationships, but it just might help them find a path forward.
4. Publish the article to third-party platforms.
There are a ton of third-party platforms that allow you to syndicate your published articles. Consider posting your work on Medium. You might also consider researching outlets that syndicate published work, such as Business 2 Community, Thrive Global, or BIZCATALYST 360. If you belong to a membership association, you might also be able to syndicate your article to their blog. Just check with them first!
5. Syndicate the article in your LinkedIn Newsletter.
LinkedIn has always allowed you to publish original or syndicated articles on their platform. Now those articles can become a LinkedIn newsletter that you publish on the schedule of your choice. The benefit of LinkedIn newsletters is that your work reaches an entirely different audience than your blog or email newsletter — and because the article is republished in full, as opposed to a link to the article, the algorithm doesn’t interfere (as much) with your reach.
If you’re writing articles for a high-visibility publication that allows you to syndicate your content, do it. You’ve already invested time and effort into writing an article for publication. Syndicating the content gets the piece in front of a lot more people for a small amount of effort.
And you don’t have to take all these steps — nor do you have to do them all at once. You may publish a new article every two weeks and decide to publish a newsletter on LinkedIn every month. So long as the articles you write are evergreen (remains relevant over time), you can make a plan that fits your schedule and gives you plenty of room to breathe.
How to Pitch High-Visibility Publications
Many publications have specific guidelines about how to pitch your ideas. Some want you to pitch an article, some want you to pitch a column, and some want you to submit a completed article for consideration. Others offer no guidance at all. But every pitch incorporates the same core elements.
To determine which publication to pitch, you first need to develop a pitch strategy. The pitch strategy will help you create a series of filters based on your business goals and objectives so you can narrow down the list of potential publications to pitch. Once your publication roadmap is in place, you can evaluate the shortlist of publications to determine which ones complement your writing style.
Once you’ve identified your top-choice publication, you can focus your efforts on crafting a pitch that editors will love. But you’ll need to do a little research first.
Familiarize yourself with your top-choice publication.
Does your top-choice publication have guidelines? Do they want you to pitch a specific editor? Or do they have a form they want you to complete? Do they want you to pitch an article or a column? Review their contributor guidelines, style guide, and media kit so you can understand as much about the publication (and its readers) as possible.
If the publication does have guidelines, follow them. Exactly. Failure to follow their guidelines will likely result in your pitch being rejected. Not all publications have contributor guidelines, and those that do, don’t always make them easy to find. Use the publication’s search bar and look for terms like “contributor guidelines,” “contribute,” “write for us,” or “submission guidelines.”
Subscribe to your top-choice publication and search for articles about your area of expertise. Review the headlines and notice how the articles are categorized. If most articles appear in a specific section on the website, look closely at that section. These articles are part of the conversation you want to enter, so read them carefully and look for places where you can add to the conversation.
Develop your idea for an article or column.
Your article or column must add something to the conversation about your area of expertise. What are the gaps in the conversation that you can fill? What is missing from the conversation right now? How can you give the publication’s readers a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the topic?
If you’re pitching an article, you need an attention-grabbing headline and a few key points that show the editor how your article adds to the conversation. If you’re pitching a column, you’ll need to come up with several article ideas.
Download the editorial calendar template to help you capture and develop your article ideas.
Craft your pitch.
A well-crafted pitch gets right to the point. It isn’t cute or clever; it’s clear. In a few short paragraphs, you must show the editor that you’ve done your homework, will be easy to work with, and will provide a ton of value to the publication’s readers. Unless the publication’s guidelines say otherwise, you will pitch your idea by email. Here are the seven elements every pitch should include:
- Subject. Keep the subject line of your email simple and clear so the recipient knows what to expect. For example, “Pitch: [Article Title]” or “Pitch: Column on [Overarching Idea].” If you’re pitching a column, spend some time developing the overarching idea for your column.
- Salutation. If pitching an individual editor, make sure you spell their name correctly! Keep the greeting formal and professional. Unless you know how they like to be addressed, it is often best to address them by their full name.
- Hook. Grab the editor’s attention with a strong first sentence. The hook is the same kind of lede you’d use in an article. What is your article or column about? Why should the publication’s readers care?
- Beat. What are you going to write about? If you’re pitching an article, give the editor the key details in a few sentences. Include a working title and a summary that explains how the article will unfold. If you’re pitching a column, explain how it adds to the conversation and why the publication’s readers should read it.
- Credentials. Explain why you are qualified to write this article or column in one paragraph. What are your credentials? Have you written for other publications about this same subject? Have you been featured in other publications? Have you worked with well-known clients? Were you trained at a prestigious institution? The editor wants to know they can trust you to give their readers solid, actionable advice.
- Clips. Links to three relevant clips (writing samples) that show you are a good writer and strategic thinker. Ideally, these links go to analogous publications, but they can also be links to your blog, Medium, or an article on LinkedIn.
- Close. Thank the editor for their consideration, and (unless the guidelines dictate otherwise) let them know that you will follow up in 10 days.
Once you’ve crafted your pitch, you will want to refine it. Make sure it is as short as possible and easy to read. Incorporate some white space and use a bulleted list for your clips. If you have difficulty explaining your article or column in a few sentences, you may not have thought it through enough.
Once you’re happy with your pitch, double-check your grammar, triple-check that you’ve spelled the editor’s name correctly, and then hit send. Make a note on your calendar to follow up with the editor if you haven’t heard back from them in 10 days, and then get on with your day knowing that you’ve done everything you could.
How to Structure an Article for Publication
Every article follows the same basic structure. It’s like a recipe. The more familiar you are with your ingredients and the more knowledgeable you are about how to combine them, the stronger a writer you will be — and the more you can play with the recipe.
If you’re new to writing articles for publication, it might help to stick to the recipe for a while because it will help you convey your ideas in a way that is clear and compelling. Because readers are also familiar with the recipe, it makes it easier for them to follow along and understand your idea and how to apply your insights to their experience.
Articles are comprised of seven foundational ingredients.
Business writing is practical and efficient. Your readers don’t have time to meander through a story that sets the stage — they want to know what they will learn from your article before they even start reading. So get right to the point and use examples along the way. Here are the seven ingredients to a successful article:
- The hed. The headline or title conveys the promise you are making to your reader. It should be specific and easy to understand. When possible, it should capture the spirit of the story. It gives readers a taste of what’s to come — and it does all of that in fewer than 15 words.
- The dek. The deck or subtitle allows you to expand on the headline and give your reader an idea of what's to come. Not all publications include a dek.
- The lede. According to William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, the lede, or lead, is the first sentence (or paragraph) of your article and is the most important: “If it doesn’t induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence [or paragraph], your article is dead.” The lede tells the reader what the article is about and uses a hook to get them to sit up and take notice.
- The nut graf. The nut graf is the paragraph or paragraphs that follow the lede. It transitions the reader into the body of the article and tells the reader where they are headed and why they should continue reading. It builds on the lede — revealing the point of the article quickly and all at once so that even if a reader goes no further, they know what the story is about.
- The subhed. The subhead or subheadline appears in the body of an article and divides it into sections. Most articles have at least two subheads that outline your main points in an easy-to-scan format.
- The body. The body of your article is where you fulfill the promise you made to the reader in your headline.
- The close. The close is the conclusion of your article. It circles back to the lede and summarizes the key takeaways.
Every article follows some variation of this structure. From journalistic magazines like The Atlantic to business magazines like Inc., Entrepreneur, and Insider, you’ll see this same structure used repeatedly. Even industry trade journals, which are much more research-focused, use this basic structure.
To help you get more familiar with this structure, analyze an article published on your favorite business magazine’s website. See if you can identify each of these elements. Then use this structure to outline your next article — you’ll find the structure offers plenty of room for creativity. And once you’ve got the structure down, you can start to experiment. You’ve got to know the rules before you can break them effectively!