As an expert in your field, you have information publications are looking for. These questions can help you turn your expertise into stories editors will buy.
Hello! I’m Leeron. I started this blog to help demystify the media for business owners and entrepreneurs who want publicity but don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur who dreams of being featured in publications like Forbes and Business Insider but has no clue about the first thing you need to do to make that happen. Or maybe you think these publications are reserved for other experts in the field, but not you.
I’ve been working as a journalist and writer for the past 10 years. I’ve been published in Salon, Quartz, Slate, the Village Voice, the Observer, Popular Science, Business Insider, Popular Mechanics, Apartment Therapy and many more.
Along the way, I learned a lot about how the media works. Which stories get attention? What kinds of stories are editors looking for? What makes an editor get back to your story idea within 7 minutes and say YES?
And I realize that this world of media can be really difficult to manage if you’re new to it. So I’m sharing what I’ve learned with entrepreneurs who want publicity to reach — and help — more people here in this newsletter.
Today, I’ll share ideas to generate story ideas based on your experience that editors will want to publish. You can then submit these ideas to publications. I will cover more about the submission process in future posts.
As an expert in your field, you have exposure and insight that the general population doesn’t have. Your experience is extremely valuable to publications. The trick is taking what you know and turning it into an irresistible story idea editors will want to publish.
So when you’re thinking about what ideas will work, use this as a guidepost:
Readers want articles that answer their questions and solve their problems. Editors want to publish stories their audience want to read.
This principle really is that simple. But it’s not always easy to apply.
Acquiring deep knowledge in your field can make it difficult to gauge what is actually interesting to a general audience. It’s like you’re 50 steps ahead of everyone else. What you think is interesting is just so far beyond what a general audience can relate to. So coming up with story ideas editors will want to publish requires taking a step back. Use these questions to help you do just that.
Here are 5 questions that will help you brainstorm story ideas editors will want to publish
1. What are people most curious to know about when they hear about what I do?
You’re probably used to people asking you about what you do. But take a moment to think about what people want to know most about your job.
The kind of articles you want to write are likely the kind that will help readers (this is called service journalism). Readers are drawn to articles that give them the answers they want. If you are a massage therapist or bodyworker, for example, you have in-depth knowledge about our anatomy and musculature. But let’s be real. Readers don’t really need to know all the details. They want to know how to fix their problems: How to get better sleep, have better posture, and get rid of neck pain. When someone learns what you do, what’s the one question they have about their own problem or situation? Your answers to this question could be the basis of your story.
2. What kind of trends am I noticing at work?
If you’re in a client-facing business, this question is particularly relevant. Pay attention to the trends you notice in your office. There’s a high chance that whatever you’re picking up on is relevant to the general population, too.
Say you are a therapist and you start noticing that a large number of your clients are talking about a specific topic. You’ve been a therapist for years and this is new. Whatever this general topic is, it’s likely on many people’s minds, and as a therapist, you’ll have specific insight and expertise to share.
3. What am I curious about?
This one simple question is the basis for so many story ideas that end up getting published. It doesn’t relate specifically to being an entrepreneur, but it’s a great place to start in general. Think about this question in relation to your business. What questions keep coming up for you? What is something you want to know more about for the next step of your business?
4. What is something people aren’t talking about in my industry, but should?
Sometimes ideas can come from a feeling that something is missing from a particular conversation, either within your industry or by the general public. As an expert in your field, you likely have information that other people don’t have or a specific view or opinion on a subject matter. You can shed light or contribute to a conversation in a way that other people cannot. Great! Use that as the basis for your story. (This would likely be an op-ed — and I’ll cover more about this in a future post)
5. What’s common knowledge in my industry that no one seems to know?
Is there knowledge that you and your colleagues know but everyone else seems surprised to learn? That’s a great start to a story. For example, maybe you’re a fashion designer, and there is one trick you use to make all your clients look instantly better, but the ordinary person would never think to do it. Tell us! This is exactly the kind of insight readers want, and the right editor will be excited to publish it.
Use these questions to generate story ideas based on your experience. In future posts, I’ll cover how to get your ideas to editors.