Straight from the Horse's Mouth

Editors Noel Hulsman of the Globe and Mail's Report on [Small] Business Magazine and Jim Middlemiss of Canadian Lawyer tell us what works and what is sure to backfire.    

Oomph: What type of material do you look for?

Noel Hulsman - Report on [Small] Business Magazine: It's always changing depending on the issue, but regardless of the theme, I look for stories that present small business in a positive light and small companies as powerful, sexy and compelling, instead of meek or modest. I also look for stories that contain elements entrepreneurs can learn from, like case studies or profiles of companies dealing with specific issues. And all stories have to be sexy and exciting and must have an element that makes them unique. On our website, we recently featured a blog from the entrepreneurs behind an underwear company. They took us behind the scenes while they prepared for a big business plan competition.    

Jim Middlemiss - Canadian Lawyer: I look for material that helps our readers in their practice, like 'How-To' stories, and content that is of general interest to the profession, like surveys and industry stats. I also like stories that are timely or trendy. In all material I look for a hook or a story angle that is exciting and that titillates me with words and visual images I can 'hang' a story on.  Length of content is also critical, because space is our scarcest resource. One topic and 500 words is all I can spare - I don't bother to read anything longer than that. 

Oomph: What format do you prefer to receive information in?

Hulsman: A short note or pitch letter and definitely digital.

Middlemiss: Formats that make it easy for me to get the information. I really like websites that have a 'news room' or media centre so I can access the content at any time from various locations. For printed materials I like fact sheets with summaries of key data or a 1-sheet piece I can tack to the wall.

Oomph: You receive hundreds of phone calls, e-mails and printed media kits. What's the best way to stand out from the pack and grab your attention? A fancy media kit? 

Hulsman: You don't need to send a media kit and there isn't a close relationship between getting a package and getting coverage. For me the subject line of e-mail messages is critical. When I look down the list of e-mails I've received I gravitate to those from people I know or whose name I recognize; if I don't recognize the person's name then the subject line has got to do it.  

Middlemiss: Big, complicated media kits are not that helpful. I zero in on the content and look for a good headline and a first paragraph that explains what the story is about in plain language that is easy to understand. If I'm two or three sentences into a pitch and I don't get it - that's it. The other important factor is timeliness. We follow an editorial calendar so you need to look at the monthly topics and pitch accordingly. I only look at things or materials when I need to deal with them based on our schedule.

Oomph: What are the worst mistakes people make? 

Hulsman: Spamming or blasting us with e-mails without being familiar with the magazine. Another mistake is not understanding our timelines; people call two weeks before the publication date when our deadline for assigning is 12 weeks before the magazine comes out. Lastly, not realizing we look for unique stories: people see a story on a company and they'll call offering the same story...

Middlemiss: Pestering phone calls. Some people phone dozens of times asking when their material will be published. The other big mistake is sending media kits and news releases with no contact information or without a telephone number or e-mail address.   

Oomph: What's the best advice you can give our readers? 

Hulsman: Do your homework, get to know and understand the publication. Once you've done that then the key is to develop a relationship with us. But admittedly, that's difficult. Editors can't meet with everyone.

Middlemiss: Be timely: know our calendar, keep track of timelines and deadlines and pitch at the appropriate time.   

The Report on [Small] Business Magazine is available online at www.globeandmail.com/smallbusiness

Canadian Lawyer Magazine is available online at www.canadianlawyermag.com