Hi, Gab,
On 1/31/06, Gabriel H. Mercado < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> I dont sorry. i rely either on Migs, Andres, Percy, Melvin or whoever
> hapless Linux dude I know who happens to wander by. Most of the time I only
> need a quote, and pressed
Oh, I meant the list of journalists and editors to whom we should send the
primer to.
whoops, ok!
Do you have contacts with any of the newspapers to whom we can make the
pitch to?
re pitching articles, my two cents: basically your work is your best pitch. Plus your rep, meaning how reliable you are churning out work. Writing ability would probably be only third. Pls. permit my pretentiousness for one second and allow me to give you (and anyone else who wants to write regularly) a better view :D. Editors run a schedule of monthly topics. PCmag had a security and entertainment issue, and a storage one for next month where I wrote for. If a PLUG representative can get in on any given publication's schedule of topics, you can fan it out to an available writer/expert, and pwede na siya maghanda for it at least a couple of weeks ahead.
So a perfect pitch to an editor would be: "Hey bro! I have an idea for your Security issue. It goes like this: yada yada yada." He'll then say, "Sounds good, can you make it blah yada blah?", you'll go "Sure! Better yet, I'll make it blah yada blah AND yada blah blah for a sidebar!". He'll then say, "Ok, 2,500 words end of the month?" - and that's it.
> At this point it's time to discuss intended goals. If it's just occasional
> mileage, that's easy enough. How much coverage and what kind is good enough?
Off the top of my head, three things:
1) Press releases. Given the scope of Linux activities around the country,
we should be able to come up with at least monthly press releases about our
activities. Also, we can include lists of successful
2) Position papers. Come up with position papers on pressing issues of the
day, e.g., software patents, IT in government and in business, etc.
3) Technical articles and feature articles. This is where I want to
concentrate on, whether it be how-to's, case studies, etc. This is the
stuff that Linux advocates are willing and love to write.
Well from my experience, editors kasi are such a harrassed group of overworked people. They have to deal with writers with bloated egos like myself, over sensitive advertisers, print issues, pressure from bosses, unappreciative readers, etc. In other words, I don't envy them.
So if you make their lives easier by being Mr. Reliable Writer, churning out x,xxx words OnTime, OnTopic and without being overly preachy, then they'll throw rose petals along your path :)
hope i made sense!
Gary
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