Editors have a lot on their plate. They create and manage editorial calendars; deal with multiple writers, contributors, reviewers and other internal staff; develop story ideas; edit content and oversee the production process. When working with editors of B2B publications, the bar is high. B2B editors produce content for professionals who know their jobs and industries better than the editors do. So how can companies get articles published in the outlets their target audiences are reading? The following tips are designed to give editors what they want and place your expertise in front of a highly targeted audience:

Editors are looking for topics that are intriguing, unexpected and even controversial. Above all, they want something newsworthy, fresh or a new angle on a familiar topic. To provide real value, go beyond general observations and provide the reader with real-world solutions or actionable steps.

Many publications put out editorial calendars each year. That means they’ve already decided what topics they want to cover in the coming months. Look at the editorial calendars and determine where you can contribute a topic that will help them fill a hole in their content for that issue.

A brilliant pitch is tailored to the publication, the audience and the editor. Rather than simply providing a subject idea for your article, boil it down to an attention-grabbing statement. So instead of proposing something general like “diversity in the workplace,” provide a more specific topic, such as “Top-10 Trends in Diversity in a Post-pandemic Workplace.” And don’t take a lack of response for an answer. Editors are busy, so be sure to follow up if you haven’t heard back regarding your pitch.

Every publication has a specific set of requirements that can include formatting, writing style and graphics. Take the time to review the editorial or author’s guidelines. In addition, read other articles in the magazine and be sure to model your submission after those articles that were successfully published by the editor.

Editors will fact-check your article, so be sure to use credible sources and hang on to all your background information until the article publishes. Better yet, keep all your source materials in a digital folder and make it available to the editor.

You get only a few words (not sentences) to grab your reader’s attention. To draw your reader in, articles need to have solid hook up front that makes the reader say, “Tell me more.”

Traditional news writing uses an “inverted pyramid” format for articles. In this structure, the first paragraph fully communicates the core message with every word packing a punch. More detailed information appears in subsequent paragraphs in order of importance. Follow that example.

In addition to including great information, your article must also be “skimmable.” To create easy-to-read articles:

One golden rule of journalism is that you don’t have to know everything. You just need to know who and what to ask. It can be tempting to write only about what you know. Your internal team probably has a lot of experience and expertise, but they don’t know everything. Seek outside perspectives from industry analysts, professional organization and association leaders, business partners, customers and even competitors.

With increasing use of technology, it’s easy for editors to check your article for originality. Expect that your article will be scrutinized for plagiarism, so include citations and attributions as needed.

Published articles are a big opportunity for marketers to promote their brand. But there’s a fine line between being informational and self-promotional. To think (and write) like a writer, you need to work for the reader, not the sales team. Save the marketing copy and sales pitches for the brochures and proposals. Instead, focus on telling a story and sharing ideas, not pushing your products and services.

Editors and journalists work on deadlines and missing a deadline means your article might not get published—now or in the future. To make sure you meet your deadline, break your process down into smaller steps and build in time for unforeseen delays. When working with outside sources, give a deadline for interviews, edits and other input.

Trade magazines, business journals, news and blog sites, newspapers and other forms of media that rely on the written word continue to serve an important purpose. They provide information, expertise, thought leadership and timely reports to help readers stay informed, gain knowledge and solve business challenges. While traditional publishing has changed dramatically over the years, trade magazines and other business publications are still a powerful medium for companies that want to attract attention, demonstrate thought leadership and create a competitive edge in the marketplace. Simply stated, consistently published articles help you increase visibility, credibility and name recognition in your marketplaces. That means more opportunities for business growth.

Working with editors and creating content that gets published are both a science and an art. Trade Press Services has a 26-year track record of getting our clients published in the outlets they target. With thousands of articles published in more than 850 outlets, we are proud to maintain a 100-percent success rate. To learn more about how Trade Press Services can get your thought leadership published and reach your target audiences, schedule a short call with one of our experts.