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What's in store for this edition:
The PR tool hiding in plain sight
How to use Editorial Calendars for PR
You had a great pitch ready to go — then you checked and saw the outlet just ran something similar. If only you'd known sooner, it would have been perfect! Editorial calendars are the key to stop chasing stories and start anticipating them.
What is an Editorial Calendar?
An editorial calendar is the way a publication tells you what topics they will be featuring over a set time period. You’ll usually find them for print magazines and trade outlets, however many different publications have them. They are designed for advertisers, but are the secret weapon for PR pros.
If you know what kind of stories a magazine will be publishing well ahead of time, it gives you plenty of time to pitch yourself or your product to be featured in that outlet.
It’s usually a simple document that outlines:
What topics will be covered
When specific issues with themes will run
Sometimes it will specify what sections or columns those topics will be published to
How to find editorial calendars
Go to the media outlet's website (A good place to start is with local business/lifestyle outlets and relevant trade publications in your industry.)
Scroll to the footer and look for link like “Advertise” “Media Kit” “For Advertisers” “Advertising Information”
Open the media kit and look for the “Editorial Calendar” or “Calendar.”
Save that information, perhaps in a spreadsheet, for you to easily find.
Here’s Time Magazines Editorial Calendar so you can see how one looks.
💫 Pro Tip: Most long-lead magazines work 3-6 month's ahead. Trade publications may be a bit shorter, but still well ahead of publication date. Pitch accordingly.
How to use an editorial calendar for PR
Once you find the editorial calendar, then take note of the following details.
The big theme for each issue or month (e.g., “Cybersecurity Issue,” “Women in Leadership,” “Holiday Gift Guide”)
When those issues will be published
If there are bonus distributions of that issue to trade shows or conferences
When you line your pitches up with the set theme, the more journalists will have a reason to care about your idea. It's like you’re saying “You already plan to cover X in your October issue. Here’s a story/source that fits that exact theme. Look how prepared I am to help you!”
Making a reporter’s life easier is always our goal!
Editorial calendar for PR Workflow
Step 1: Choose the outlets that are a must
Collect the editorial calendars. Don't forget industry or trade, regional outlets, niche outlets that fit your audience.
💫 Pro Tip: The best place to keep all the information collected is the one that you actually currently use and know. In other words, the one you will open without thinking, “Where did I put that again?”
Step 2: Matchmaking time
Match your stories to their themes. Start with the obvious fits. Then, are there “almost” fits that could become a good match with the right angle or data?
Write down your ideas. Make sure they are aligned well.
Step 3: Figure out when you need to start pitching
If a publication says November is “Women in Leadership”, and it is October right now, then it’s already too late.
If it is print publication then you'll need 3-4 month's before the issue. For digital-only outlets you’ll have more flexibility, but earlier is still better.
💫 Pro Tip: Editorial Calendars are typically published once a year, often in Q4 for the following year. So now is a great time to start your research! Do you have a product? Look for times when they will do product reviews or gift guides.
“It take as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
Do this now: Find a trade publication that you read and see if you can locate the editorial calendar.
Term to Learn
Editorial Calendar are a schedules that outlines the themes, topics and special coverage a publication has planned over a set period.
FAQ
Q: What if my story idea doesn’t match any listed theme?
A: If you don’t pitch at all it’s a guaranteed 0%. Your odds go up from there if you do pitch. Your odds are even better when you tie your angle to a planned theme. Perhaps you can re-frame a story so it supports a topic they’ve committed to.
Learn from others.
0% Cool : 100% Cringe
Bauer Hockey Missed the Goal
@pavvythegoalie So, what happened next with Bauer? This is probably the last update regarding this situation. Grab your coffee sit down with me and catch ... See more
A hockey‑playing TikToker, @pavvythegoalie, loved Bauer products and often talked about them and featured them on her channel. Imagine the disappointment she felt when she was threatened with legal action for casually showing and flipping through their catalog on her TikTok channel.
After such a shocking response from the brand she had been loyally supporting and promoting for free, she shared her experience online. Let’s just say the public didn’t like it one bit. The brand’s competitors swooped in and are now being featured by the goalie.
It's penalty box time for Bauer.
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Reward loyalty with loyalty. Don’t extinguish the excitement someone has of your brand–support it. Look at the big picture, not just the rules.
A post from a creator with trust and followers can outperform expertly executed campaigns. If you have someone supporting you for free, support them back. Don’t stifle them.
Useful PR Resources.
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Thanks to Leduc Entertainment for featuring me on the podcast Partnership For Profit podcast.
In this episode, I broke down how to turn credibility into attention that pays, how small teams can steal big‑agency PR moves, and why earned media is quietly becoming your edge in an AI‑driven search world.
Leduc Entertainment is a great video and podcast production company to work with, especially if you need to turn your story into revenue-driving content with Hollywood-level visuals and get it distributed. Why them? Because making a podcast is one thing. Recording, editing it and getting it distributed is quite another!
Attention Seeker of the Week
Alabama
Meet Alabama, a 3 year old Vizsla living it's best life ever in Coral Gables. This pooch thinks it’s a cat by lounging on the edge of the sofa, and when she needs attention is very vocal about it and will gladly let you know. What a beautiful attention seeking pooch.
I met Alabama and her humans at an art festival in Coconut Grove, Florida. I’d love to feature your attention seeking pet and spread a little joy!
Why a koala wearing sunglasses? Because why not! Who doesn’t love koalas?
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
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