How to build trust with editors

Guest bloggers must do a little homework before hitting send.

Just submitting your article through a generic email address or in an online form almost guarantees your piece will get lost in the noise, which means you’ll have a slim chance of being included on the site.

You are far more likely to succeed in getting it published by first developing relationships with the opinion editor at these publications. This is especially important when you’re hoping to publish articles on high-level sites such as CNN, IB Times, The Washington Post, or The Hill.

By developing these relationships, you may even become a go-to person that editors reach out to with topics they want published in the future. Building these relationships won’t happen overnight, however.

Here are a few key steps you’ll need to take to make them a reality:

1. Understand the publication’s beat.

Before ever reaching out to an editor, you’ll need to take the time to do your research.

Look at the articles they have recently published to get a sense of their tone and style. Research their list of editors and determine which one is the right person to reach out to for your article idea. Decide if you’ll need a relevant time peg to present as the reason why your article is necessary to publish now.