Publish & Prosper: How to Leverage Your Publications

While writing stands as this powerful tool, few consultants understand how to get published and even fewer take the critical next step of leveraging their publications for paid speaking engagements, richer consulting assignments and professional repute.

So how do you get your articles published? Most consultants dream of seeing their articles in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, The Financial Times and Consulting magazine. And while having your name associated with these publications will clearly send your reputation soaring, few consultants will get this opportunity. While not dismissing these publications outright, focusing your attention on industry specific publications will likely result in acceptance of your article with new consulting opportunities following.

With literally thousands of industry-specific journals, magazines, and newsletters starving for first rate articles, it is often difficult to understand where to pitch your article. Begin by finding out what your clients are reading. Most belong to trade groups and nearly all of these groups produce a newsletter or magazine. While many don't have the stature of an HBR, remember this is what your clients and potential clients are reading and this should be your target audience.

A Northeast public utility trade group with fewer than one hundred total members produces a small electronic newsletter that is read by less than a thousand.
When I was approached by them to write a single article (one of my clients was a member), I saw that this was a means to reach out to the full membership. One article soon became a monthly column, which lead to speaking at their conferences, to now doing business with over 20 percent of their members. That's the power of writing and leverage.

This model of writing an article, pushing to write a column, to speaking at their conferences, to getting consulting assignments from their members is a proven business generator when breaking into a new industry segment.

While industry groups are a great source for your articles, there are many other entities begging for quality content, including:

• Local newspapers
• Regional business magazines
• Chambers of Commerce
• Client newsletters

So what do editors and readers want? Obviously, your article must be relevant and interesting. To demonstrate your expertise, share your ideas, insights and perspectives. Unless this is a research paper overly focusing on other's perspective diminishes you and makes the reader wonder why they didn't originally read your source's article. As for topics, good consultants have the pulse of their clients, prospects, industry and profession. Within these, there are boundless subjects from which to choose.

How do you pitch your article?

• Read several of the past issues to get a flavor of what is accepted.
• Understand everything you can about the publication and their readership. Your article must appeal to them.
• Make sure they will accept articles from the outside. Some won't accept freelancers while others only accept articles from members.
• Follow the publication's stylistic guidelines.
• Send your pitch to the editor-in-chief. Find out whether they want you to pitch an article concept or the completed article. In addition, most prefer an electronic pitch while others may want a letter or a phone pitch.

The six musts for each pitch:

• Send it to the decision maker, usually the editor-in-chief.
• In the opening paragraph, be specific on what your article is about. Remember, you want to grab the editor's attention. You may also want to pitch an alternative article at the same time.
• In a few bullets, note why your article will benefit their readers. Remember, unless there is value to the readers, it will never be accepted.
• Outline your credentials.
• Provide your contact information so that the editor can reach you.
• Follow-up with the editor. While it may be difficult to reach a busy editor, a follow-up call can push you closer to an acceptance.

Leveraging For Fame and Fortune

Once it's published, what happens next? While there's tremendous personal satisfaction in seeing your article in print, if you're expecting the phone to immediately start ringing, you may be disappointed. Unfortunately, even with the best read periodicals, your article may not have been seen by a potential buyer. And even if it was, few readers take the next step of picking up the phone to make that call to you. Instead, you should take control of the process and use your article to leverage your consulting business. You can use the article in several ways:

• Reprints: generate professional reprints. The publisher may do this, but more likely you will have to do this. Send your reprints to your clients and prospects with a personal note. With every proposal you write, include a reprint of a relevant article. In addition, provide each attendee to your speaking engagements a reprint. Providing the value of your article over a marketing brochure is very powerful.
• Website: Archive all your articles on your website and drive prospects to your site.
• Social media: Announce your publications on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn—and be sure to attach a link to the article.
• Online article hosts: Post your articles on such sites as Ezine Articles and Evan Carmichael. Your articles will often get national and
• international exposure and be sure to Google Alert your name so you can track it.
• Speaking engagements: When pitching engagements, include an article reprint. It will show your expertise in the subject area.
• Media: Do the same when pitching radio and TV interviews. Incidentally, I have frequently been asked to be interviewed because producers have seen my articles.
• Blogs: Post your articles to your blog and be sure to note where your article was first published. For shorter blog posts, take excerpts of your article with a hyperlink to the full article. This will provide you a double hit.

Writing several articles for the same publication can open the door to writing an ongoing column. In fact, once you become known for your writing, many editors will seek you out to write for the publication. And multiple articles can form the foundation for a book—a tactic I used in writing my book Uncomplicating Management.

Putting it All Together

Leveraging your writing, consulting and speaking is a circular process. Articles lead to speaking topics and engagements, which leads to consulting opportunities, which spurs new ideas for writing and speaking. It is a dynamic and continuous process. And your writing positions you as the subject expert. The more you write, the higher your recognition level and professional stature. No longer is the mantra "publish or perish." It is now "publish and prosper."

Rick Dacri is a workforce expert, featured speaker, consultant and author of the book Uncomplicating Management: Focus On Your Stars & Your Company Will Soar. His firm, Dacri & Associates, helps improve individual and organizational performance. The article's author can be reached at rick@dacri.com.