25 Little Things Writers Do to Earn MVP Status Among PR Professionals

I firmly believe the media industry has three sides: editors, freelance writers and public relations professionals. Rather than a pyramid, which we often think of, with editors at the top, writers in the middle, and PR at the bottom, I prefer to think about this as an equilateral triangle, with all three sides being represented equally. 

Publications need content, and PR is the megaphone for cool people, places and products that make for interesting stories. That’s why I firmly believe that we all need each other, and that we need to view interactions between writers/editors and PR as a two-way street. In this post, I highlighted 25 Ways PR Can Make A Freelance Writer’s Job Easier. While journalists may not be concerned with making PR’s job “easier,” they do need to better understand the professional expectations around working together.

That’s why, together with our Pitchcraft members who work in PR, I’ve flipped the script to pull together this list of 25 little ways that writers can be a shining star in the eyes of the PR pros they’re working with. Even if you disagree as a writer, keep in mind you never know where someone will end up. In the past three years as Pitchcraft CEO, I’ve seen more than a few publicists shift into editor roles at major publications.

1. Sharing calls for pitches, whether that’s through personal emails (major brownie points!), social media or individual newsletters (without charging for leads, though).

2. Responding to personalized pitches with a quick “not a fit” or “thanks, filing this away” even if they can’t use it right now. Even better, if something’s not a fit, responding with a quick note about what they are looking for instead (i.e., “I can’t use this, but I am looking for XYZ, if you have anything there.”)

3. Actually filling away information that’s sent and pulling it for future stories, when they do have a fit (rather than asking PR to resend). 

4. Offering to do a short scoping call to flesh out a story idea or pitch.

5. Providing honest feedback on a product sample.

6. Including a sentence of background information (including a link, UVMs, audience details) on the publication they’re writing for, if it’s not commonly known, along with their query.

7. If a pitch comes through with something they don’t like (i.e., photos not shared their preferred way), responding to let PR know what they would like in the future so they can save their preferences.

8. Communicating ideas of where they want to pitch a story idea PR sent to them.

9. Following up post-press trip or hosted visit with a thank you, thoughts on story ideas and where they might be pitching.

10. Sending updates on pitches and the feedback they’re receiving from editors, even if it’s a pass or no response. 

11. Divulging their deadline (and being truthful about it) with the first email to eliminate extra back and forth.

12. Being open to transparent conversations about their work and the outlets they’re writing for (and maybe even sharing dream outlets, in case PR wants to make an editor introduction).

13. Clearly communicating the end goal when sending a query or conducting an interview (i.e., “This is for a print piece scheduled to run in the June issue of XYZ”). 

14. Not asking for information that can easily be found on a client’s website or Google.

15. Fact checking information with PR on a client before submitting a story.

16. Providing past examples of stories they’ve done for the same publication or on the same topic for clients to reference ahead of an interview.

17. Passing along a few example questions or overall themes before interviews.

18. Understanding when a client can’t deliver what they need by their deadline, and not writing them off forever if that happens.

19. Sending a story link or PDF after it runs.

20. Being responsive when back-and-forth has begun.

21. Avoiding last-minute requests whenever possible.

22. Brainstorming creative ideas together.

23. Meeting up in person to discuss life and work, whether that’s for coffee, lunch or cocktails.

24. Practicing gratitude, courtesy and humility. 

25. Building professional relationships by showing interest and respect for the individual they’re working with.

Share Your Thoughts: What did we miss on this list? Would you add anything else to the list of little things that writers do to earn MVP status among publicists?

Ready to Join the Movement?

Are you inspired to be a part of a community that demonstrates gratitude, courtesy and humility, actively striving to deepen professional relationships among journalists and PR? At Pitchcraft, we prioritize relationships over transactions and believe in taking the professional high road, always. 

If you're ready to experience the power of a relationships-focused approach and want to connect with like-minded professionals who share these values, I invite you to join us in Pitchcraft. Explore our platform and start engaging with a community that values transparency, collaboration, and mutual success. Together, we can redefine the industry standard and create a space where everyone truly enjoys firing up their laptops.