ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS

Don’t leave loose ends which raise questions. Example: You are launching a new product which works faster than its rivals. Your press release says that ‘Harrison’s new MaxiGizmo produces more widgets per hour than any other machine of its type’. This instantly raises the question, ‘Wonderful, but how many per hour?’ A story from a local church about a fund-raising event talks about the very successful outcome, lots of visitors, the church can now pay its way for another year, etc. Great stuff! But how much did you make? The editor thinks that his readers will want to know this. Wouldn’t you, if you were reading it? And he may well wonder, why aren’t you telling him? The only way to sort it out is to pick up the phone and ask you. Or, if he’s busy, maybe he won’t bother to use your story this time...