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DETROIT NATIVE SUN
DETROIT NATIVE SUN
The Great Escape from the Writers' Block
The keys to writing a press ready article, column or editorial
Getting an editor to read and publish an article or editorial can be difficult, if your work doesn’t stand out from among others or fails to capture attention.
To engage the editor, remember your objective is to get people to “read”.
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R – reach your audience with a high EMV headline
R – reach your audience with a high EMV headline•E – exciting lead paragraph to capture attention
E – exciting lead paragraph to capture attention•A – supporting paragraphs must speak with authority
A – supporting paragraphs must speak with authority•D – Your concluding paragraph should create a discussion about your subject matter
D – Your concluding paragraph should create a discussion about your subject matter The first thing an editor will see is your headline. If your headline is boring, then your article is likely to end up in the recycle bin without the first sentence being read.
The headline analyzer is a good tool to use to determine if your headline has good Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) words. Most skilled copywriters' headlines will normally have 30% - 40% EMV words in their headlines. Words with a high EMV will likely arouse the curiosity of readers. Visit https://www.aminstitute.com/headline/index.html to analyze your headline.
Next, your lead paragraph should attract attention while delivering what your subject matter is about. Eliminate all fluff and unnecessary words (such as greetings, overused clichés, rambling, and jargon). Get to the point. Storytelling is a good way to arouse attention and make the reader want to read on to see what happens next.
Always make sure your article is grammatically correct and free of spelling errors. Microsoft Word offers a great Editor tool that will highlight any spelling errors and grammatically incorrect sentences. Your editor score should be at least 90%.
Offer at least three points or examples to support your line of thinking. Your point of view must appear to be credible. The reader should want to take some sort of action, after reading your article/column (research, share your article with others, or even write the editor a letter).
Bring your article or column full circle with the concluding paragraph. Tie in something from your lead paragraph to the concluding paragraph. You may also wish to issue a call to action to generate conversations about your subject matter.
Getting an article published doesn’t have to be like playing the lottery. To increase the odds of gaining an editor’s approval, follow the “read” method.
