Build Your Own Reporter List
Over time, the goal is reporters who come to you. It starts with a simple list you build by hand.
Think of it like a recipe card box: a few good cards beat a giant unsorted pile.
1. Make a sheet with columns: name, outlet, topic they cover, last contact.
2. Each time you are quoted, add that reporter to the sheet.
3. Each time you read a great article in your field, add that writer too.
4. Note one personal detail, like a beat or a recent story, to mention later.
5. Review it monthly and keep it small; ten warm contacts beat a thousand cold ones.
This list becomes your quiet asset. When you have real news, you have real people to tell.
Never blast the whole list at once; that is how warm contacts go cold.
Try this today: start the sheet with the last reporter who quoted you.
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Больше про how many posts before traffic — @AskTheEditor
Over time, the goal is reporters who come to you. It starts with a simple list you build by hand.
Think of it like a recipe card box: a few good cards beat a giant unsorted pile.
1. Make a sheet with columns: name, outlet, topic they cover, last contact.
2. Each time you are quoted, add that reporter to the sheet.
3. Each time you read a great article in your field, add that writer too.
4. Note one personal detail, like a beat or a recent story, to mention later.
5. Review it monthly and keep it small; ten warm contacts beat a thousand cold ones.
This list becomes your quiet asset. When you have real news, you have real people to tell.
Never blast the whole list at once; that is how warm contacts go cold.
Try this today: start the sheet with the last reporter who quoted you.
—
Больше про how many posts before traffic — @AskTheEditor
What a journalist query actually is
A journalist query is a short note where a reporter asks the public for help on a story they're writing. Think of it like a teacher raising their hand to the class and saying "who knows about this?"
Here's how one reads:
1. A topic — say, "saving money on groceries."
2. A specific ask — "I need 2 tips from a budgeting expert."
3. A deadline — "by Thursday 5pm."
That's the whole thing. The reporter isn't looking for a sales pitch. They're looking for one clear, usable answer they can drop into their article and credit to you by name.
When they use your answer, you get a "mention" — your name in a real publication — and often a link back to your website.
Try this today: find one query in your inbox or a query site and just read it twice. Notice the topic, the ask, and the deadline. That's the shape of every one you'll ever answer.
A journalist query is a short note where a reporter asks the public for help on a story they're writing. Think of it like a teacher raising their hand to the class and saying "who knows about this?"
Here's how one reads:
1. A topic — say, "saving money on groceries."
2. A specific ask — "I need 2 tips from a budgeting expert."
3. A deadline — "by Thursday 5pm."
That's the whole thing. The reporter isn't looking for a sales pitch. They're looking for one clear, usable answer they can drop into their article and credit to you by name.
When they use your answer, you get a "mention" — your name in a real publication — and often a link back to your website.
Try this today: find one query in your inbox or a query site and just read it twice. Notice the topic, the ask, and the deadline. That's the shape of every one you'll ever answer.