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Progressive Party magazine
Gudelines on how to submit editorial material
Editor Sue Fenton answers some Frequently Asked Questions about how to get your company mentioned
Q
What are your deadlines?
A
I have a large database of party suppliers which I email before each issue to let them know the deadline (If you are not on this list but would like to be, please let me know) so most of the industry is aware of the deadlines. But if you have information between editions, please send it anyway - it could help me get a head start on the next issue.
One important point: editorial deadlines are always well in advance of advertising deadlines. If you are advertising you should bear this in mind.

Q
I sent in something after the deadline last time and it still got in. How strict is the deadline?
A
As soon as the deadline has passed I collate all the material sent in and start writing. I have a rolling schedule that means I have to send a certain number of pages off to production each day following the deadline. Some features and sections are done later than others so can sometimes accept late submissions. Others are turned round much quicker. I cannot say in advance which features will be written later - this is entirely according to my whim.
If I have not had enough submissions for a particular feature because people are late sending their material in, I might drop that feature altogether.
The News section at the front is usually done last so there is some leeway on the deadline, but I cannot guarantee anything. If your news is startlingly interesting and topical, I will try and include it, but if there is no apparent reason for it missing the deadline I will give it low priority.
So if you want to be sure of being included, do keep to the deadline.

Q
Why do you rewrite or shorten what we send you?
A
I want material in my magazine to be concise, informative and relevant and to be of consistently high journalistic standards and to conform to the magazine’s house style. I always edit and rewrite to make the best use of the material I have in the space I have. What you send might be perfectly well written but I do not want to use the same words that will appear in another magazine. Or it might just be too long for the space I have available in a particular feature. Or it might need rewriting to fit the particular ’angle’ I’m taking with a feature.
Another reason is that sometimes companies find it hard to write objectively and concisely about their own business and this can lead to what I can only term ’waffle’. I always take a pair of shears to waffle. Except my own, possibly.

Q
Why are some companies mentioned more than others?
A
Typically, because they regularly tell me their news in a timely and relevant fashion. I write about them because I know what they’re doing, and I know what they’re doing because they tell me about it! Other companies are far less proactive in communicating with the media: some even appear to be under the impression that I am psychic and should write about them even though they never tell me anything.
Another reason for some companies getting more mentions is that they know how to "answer the question": remember being told this before exams at school?
Sometimes I have specific questions I want answers to for an article, and will email such questions to my database of suppliers. Often the question will call for an educated, informed opinion on some issue to do with business or retailing. There are surprisingly few suppliers who can come up with the goods. When a company answers the question fully and intelligently I will include the answer, and this of course means more coverage for that company.

Q
Do I have to pay for an advertisement to get editorial coverage?
A
No. Much of the editorial is written before ads are confirmed. We aim for editorial integrity and I have a magazine to fill, so I will include anyone who has something interesting and relevant to say.
Having said that, companies who advertise do tend to be aware of the value of publicity generally and make a point of communicating with the press on a regular basis. This often earns them editorial coverage but it’s not directly connected to the fact that they advertise.

Q
Do we need to employ a PR person to get editorial?
A
I’m often surprised by the number of companies who don’t have a named individual on the staff whose responsibilities include communicating with the media. It’s common sense for even small companies to make sure that they talk to journalists.
I’ve known more than a few occasions (not just in this industry!) where companies have complained at their news not being reported, yet when pressed admitted they simply didn’t tell the media about it. It’s not rocket science.
However, I’m not suggesting that everyone needs a full-time PR person or consultant. It makes sense for the larger companies, but if you’re a small company and can’t afford it, journalists will be quite happy to talk to your marketing manager, MD or whoever can speak for the company.

Q
How long should the information be that I send in?
A
Try to be clear, concise and to the point (certainly avoid waffle, repetition and self-congratulation) but not so short that you miss out relevant and interesting information or your message cannot be understood properly. I need to understand what you are talking about if I am to explain it to my readers, so write for as long as it takes for you to express the concept coherently. I’d rather have too much information than too little: I can always cut your material down if it is too long.
Having said that, most good ’product’ press releases are quite short - a few paragraphs at most. With a new product there’s only so much you can say - so say it then stop!

Q
Should we send pictures?
A
Yes please. We like pictures. We use a lot of product pics, of course, but I’d like to have more ’people’ or ’lifestyle’ pictures, so think about how you can best illustrate your story.

Q
How many pictures?
A
I usually use one or two per company per feature, but it can be useful to have a few to choose from: I do keep the spares for a while and this gives me the option to use spare pics elsewhere in the magazine if I am short. So if you send, say, three for each feature, that should be about right.

Q
What format should pictures be in?
A
The best format is high-res jpeg (300dpi equivalent) though we can accept tiffs and pdfs. If need be we can also take old-fashioned prints.
Please don’t send low-res digital images: we don’t always notice that they are poor quality until we are at at the production stage, which causes leaves us with a big hole and means you don’t get your picture in!

Q
Any other tips about pictures?
It’s vital that I know what each image depicts and who it’s from. If you cannot describe your product, I certainly cannot. There have been times when I have in desperation considered writing captions that say simply "A balloon", "Another balloon!", "Yet another balloon!" and so on, because the suppliers did not tell me anything about the product. So I need descriptive text for each image. If the pictures are of people, the same applies: who are these people?

Q
I’m a retailer/decorator, not a supplier. Can I get mentioned in the magazine too?
A
Definitely! We like lots of retailer input, on all sorts of subjects. If you have something particular to tell us, perhaps you had a special event at your shop or have opened a new branch or something, just email me the details and some pictures whenever they’re ready. Or if you’d be willing to be interviewed for one of various stories we might be working on, please let me know and I’ll be in touch!

Q
Where do I send press releases and information?
A
Please email susanfenton@btconnect.com or call 01737 766446. If you need to send material by post please call me first.
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