The Managing Editor Show

Let me stop you right there, fam. You have to stop thinking about your strategy as *your* strategy...(wha?)... because it’s not FOR YOU. It’s for your audience! Don’t write about what you want… write about what THEY want. 

Once you have stepped back and considered that your editorial strategy has very little to do with what you want or need, it sets you on the right path for building an audience that fits. I can tell you right now that it will involve asking questions, reading up, and stalking your competitors so get your Google ready! 

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Were you aware that SOL is the last missing piece of your content marketing plan? Finally, all your content marketing dreams can come true with one easy session of SOL! And if that doesn’t work, there’s always DTF to get you through those long, stressful nights.

Whaaaaaaaa? These days, as the global market both explodes and shrinks, context is more important than ever before. It can mean the difference between a successful pitch or an accidental/offensive romantic overture! So keep it SFW and double-check your acronyms before hitting send on those pitches.

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GUYS. Burnout is a PROBLEM. Being a content marketer is tiring and can run you down real quick. It’s hard to stay engaged and excited about your content when you’re tired, angry, and resentful of all the time sucked into terrible pitches. It may sound like we’re living in opposite-world, but the trick to managing your time when you’re too busy to even deal? Stop thinking.

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Have you ever sent a managing editor a message just to be helpful and not ask anything in return? No? Well, maybe you should! Relationship-building is one of the best ways to get your pitch situated for success. If you help me and find ways to connect that don’t have ANYTHING to do with asking for something... odds are I will remember that fact when I see your pitch come through my inbox later.

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I have talked a lot (a *lot*) about how to keep your pitch out of my trash. But what about becoming the person that holds all the power? If you’re a good writer, you have the foundation of what it takes to be a managing editor. But landing that job takes more than impeccable grammar and spelling. Jessica has walked the road from freelancer to writer to managing editor and shares just what it takes to get your foot in the door as a managing editor.

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Writing is terrifying. TERR-IF-YING. Putting pen to paper (I’m sorry, I mean fingers to keyboard) can feel like such a finite act. Like THIS IS IT. The final countdown of content. There is nothing else out there for you besides this one and only document.

But it doesn’t have to be that scary or serious! Sometimes we, ourselves, are the biggest obstacles. With years of practice, I have learned how to quickly navigate around these pitfalls so my writing is faster, easier, and more authentic. I’m sharing these tips that can help any writer floundering at the screen to find their footing and begin writing again.

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Who the hell does this Brandon guy think he is? Coming up into MY show and trying to tell ME what to do with his fancy schmancy “content intelligence”?!?

Wait, I can do what with it?

Cut out all those terrible hours spent combing through historical posts and analyzing the engagement data? Take the guesswork out of content creation by knowing what’s hot and what’s not for my audience?? Create a powerful content strategy that saves me hours upon hours of trial-and-error curation and nails it every time??? Well, why the hell didn’t you say that in the beginning!?!

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It’s no secret that most people suck at writing. And I mean SUCKKKKK. This season I aim to tackle this problem by sharing writing tips, tricks, and hacks to get your content out of the trash and into production. It all starts with editing the crap out of your draft (literally). Chopping out 15% of your content will go a long way towards cutting the shit and making your words (those that are left, anyways) shine like a diamond in the rough. It doesn’t stop there, though! Checking your voice, making actual sentences (surprisingly hard for some people), and reading to your cat are just a few of my favorite editor things.

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Guest bloggers. Love ‘em. Hate ‘em. Love to hate ‘em. Why do we keep on with this complicated relationship? I’ll tell you why. Because you need us and we need you and neither one of us is getting off of this damn boat. But let’s spend some time and iron out the waves before we all get sick. I’m going to share the Managing Editor buttons to push that will get your guest blog out of the inbox (or trash) and into publication.

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Have you ever been rolling along, doing the same ol’ thing you’ve been doing for a hot minute, and then suddenly have the following realization?:

“Holy shit. This final product seriously blows. WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING WITH MY LIFE?”

No? Okay, well, if you are a content marketer, maybe it’s time to pull up a chair and have a think because it’s entirely possible your content marketing plan sucks and it’s time to revisit this whole shebang. Content marketing has been trundling along on autopilot for far too long and it’s high time we all have a frank discussion and a possible “come to Jesus” on what, how, and why we are marketing in this way. 

PLUS! A very important announcement about the future of The Managing Editor show... tune in!

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Why is SEO so important when it comes to closing the deal? Because nobody, literally nobody, goes to the very first website they encounter and says “Ok cool I don’t want to look around, read reviews, or compare prices. I will just plop down $700 on this item right here and now!” Think of your own behavior… would YOU do that? If the answer is yes, then rest assured that you truly are a unique rainbow snowflake in this cold, harsh world. Nobody earns business on the first visit and that’s where SEO comes in. It brings people back to you over and over again like a black hole in the shopping universe. Rand Fishkin jumps into this topic feet first and shares this and more on SEO, keeping people from becoming numbers, and the dangers of data-driven marketing.

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What’s up, pitchessssss? On Episode 18, Elisa and Jess get real the different ways hiring somebody to do your pitching can make or break your career. A successful pitch can land you on stage in front of influencers and game-changers while a generic novel sent to strangers can burn bridges and send your career into the gutter. Save yourself the hassle and embarrassment with their tips on not sucking at a pitch.

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On Episode 17, Elisa & Jess discuss how a writer’s interest in their work dictates its success and why editors need to trust their gut when it comes to an engaging (or not!) piece. A writer’s feelings about their work is contagious. If you can’t show that you care, nobody will care... especially your editor and your reader! Pour some heart into your work to push it to the next level. And when it comes to the final round, editors need to hold their writers to that standard.

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Cue the singing candelabras - we have a guest! In the first Bonus Episode of MES, Elisa & Jess—Jesslisa? Elisess? We'll figure something out—welcome Kate Erickson, Content Creator and overall Big Deal at Entrepreneur on Fire, an online one-stop-shop for budding entrepreneurs. The three talk content management, an online tool for organization, and what it's like to critique your significant other's work. 

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Episode 3... insert John Ritter falling off a bike here. Originality and not mailing it in are on the agenda today, as Elisa & Jess tear apart the notion that canned submissions are worthy of a managing editor's consideration. Basically, if you're going to take the time to reach out to a content site, have a thought! Jess also dives into a great program called CoSchedule.

Having introduced themselves, Elisa & Jess—Jesslisa? Eliss?—dive into exactly what it is they do. Dispelling the bigger myth that managing editors merely want to cut and slash your manuscript like something Wes Craven would have created, ElJessa reaffirm that managers are, indeed, your friends. Repeat with me: they are not gatekeeping banshees, they are your friends.

In the premiere episode of The Managing Editor Show, Elisa and Jess hit the ground running, discussing not only the format of the show but their credentials as well. With over 15 years of combined experience, the conversation veers into the personal, covering everything from their favorite drinks, to the proper way to utilize yoga pants, to the Portland, Oregon metro system, to annoying Australian workout videos. In a nutshell: "Words. Bourbon. Ab videos."