Commissioning stories over Christmas: perfect timing?
Photo credit: The Pub by mild_swearwords on Flickr
James Brown has an interesting anecdotal post up over at Organ Grinder about the best time to get articles commissioned in magazines. He says this week is the best time due to a combination of “end of year list exhaustion”, plenty of trips to the pub and lowered expectations as to what stories are out there.
I think the situation is a little different on newspapers.
Most of the national newspapers have had their Christmas parties already*, and this week most reporters are working their arses off trying to get all the work in so they can be with their families on Christmas Day. Just think of the Sunday papers. Their busiest days of the week happens to coincide with Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
One of the tips from Brown’s post is to get chummy with editors who are sloshed up in the pub after work. I’m not sure if starting a commissioning relationship with someone who’s drunk is a great idea: if they don’t know who you are at the pub, they’re unlikely to remember you in the morning!
The best way to get commissioned is still, and has always been, pitching the best stories you can find, but I’m sure there’s something to be said for pitching them when expectations are low. I think Brown’s post bears that out: the scoops he mentions includes an unprofiled Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and a Jack Dee before his first TV appearance. That’s how you get commissioned.
*News International’s party had to win the prize this year. Apparently they hired out a massive warehouse, and had Jedward, Peter Andre and others performing next to giant stalls themed to each paper.
