Episode #75: Pitch A Contributed Article with Luz Corona (ADWEEK)
“Sometimes we've pursued follow-up pieces to trending articles we have. We'll get pitches that say, “This reporter wrote about this. I have a response to that.” if it's additive to the piece or if it's pointing out another angle, we’ll sometimes publish that.”
-Luz Corona, on contributed story ideas that are chosen for ADWEEK
Ever wonder how some experts get to share their expertise through contributed articles in big, industry outlets? In this episode, we chat with a community editor whose job is to vet these kinds of pitches. Tune in to this episode if you want to understand the ins and outs of pitching contributed content on behalf of your expert.
In this episode, you'll learn…
How a real contributed article came to be from pitch to publish
How to ideate a contributed article that editors want
What elements are needed in a contributed article pitch
Our guest:
Luz Corona, Community Editor at ADWEEK. She oversees the Voice section, the opinion column featuring perspectives from advertisers, marketers, influencers, and tech professionals. She also moderates interviews and panels, and co-hosts the flagship podcast, "Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad."
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Summary:
In this conversation, Luz Corona, the community editor at Adweek, discusses the role of a community editor and the process of pitching for the Adweek voice column. She explains the importance of submitting pitches through the portal and provides insights into the high volume of submissions they receive. Luz also shares tips for building relationships with PR and comms people and highlights the need for unique angles and evidence in op-ed pieces. She emphasizes the importance of reading Adweek articles to understand the publication's coverage and offers advice on resubmitting proposals and handling mediocre pitches. She also discusses the process of building relationships with contributors and pitching articles. She highlights an example of a successful article by Goldie Chan about CES and Eureka Park. Luz emphasizes the importance of giving writers the freedom to come up with their own angles and adding a personal spin to their articles. She also shares insights on engagement and trending articles, reaching out to potential contributors, and transitioning from a marketing role to journalism. Luz concludes by giving shoutouts to several comms and marketing professionals and discussing her pet peeves in PR pitches.
Show Notes:
00:00— Introduction and Luz's Role as Community Editor
01:24— Overview of Adweek Voice Column and the Pitching Process
03:33— Importance of Submitting through the Portal
04:20— Follow-up on Pitches and Relationship Building
05:06— Managing High Volume of Submissions
06:19— Reasons for Meeting with PR and Comms People
07:40— Number of Submissions and Timely Pitches
08:03— Choosing Unique Angles and Topics of Interest
09:09— Reviewing Pitches and Setting Priorities
10:01— Planning and Scheduling Content
10:59— Providing Timely Updates to Contributors
11:53— Managing Expectations and Feedback
12:22— Topics to Avoid and Filling Coverage Gaps
13:04— Specificity and Evidence in Pitches
14:20— Agency Hot Takes and Unique Angles
15:19— Following Up on Pitches and Resubmissions
16:13— Building Relationships and Existing Connections
18:04— Handling Resubmissions and New Proposals
19:12— Providing Feedback and Substance in Op-Eds
20:12— Including Data or Examples in Proposals
21:01— Prioritizing Strong Stories for Readers
22:28— Importance of Reading Adweek Articles
23:41— Resubmitting Proposals and Mediocre Pitches
24:34— Introduction and Article Summary
25:19— Building Relationships and Pitching
26:00— The Example of Goldie Chan's CES Article
27:18— Giving Writers Freedom and Adding a Personal Spin
29:23— Highlighting Perspectives in the Community
30:36— Engagement and Trending Articles
32:16— Pitching and Following Up
33:24— Reaching Out to Potential Contributors
36:36— The Solo Stove Article
38:32— Reaching Out to Writers with Specific Angles
40:28— Transition to Community Editor Role
42:26— Transition from Marketing to Journalism
47:21— Shoutouts to Comms and Marketing Professionals
48:08— Pet Peeves in PR Pitches
49:11— Closing Remarks
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