What Editors Really Want: Getting Your Technical Articles Published

 By Bob Decker

In my last blog post, How to Build Authority (and Show Up in AI Answers), I shared that contributed articles are one of the most powerful tools you can use.

They’re a great way to earn editorial coverage in trade publications by providing real value for their engineer readers. We looked at how contributed articles work, where the content can come from, and why they matter more than ever.

Since then, a reader asked what editors expect when you’re submitting an article to them. So today, I’m answering that excellent question and letting you know what decision makers at trade publications look for and what guidelines to follow to have the best chances of getting published. Let’s get started. 

What do editors expect when you’re submitting an article?

Anytime you’re trying to get published, you’ve got to play by the rules of the publisher. Even more so when no money is exchanged, trade publications have clear expectations and they won’t publish your content if you don’t meet them. There are typically two factors editors require:

1. Exclusivity (for a limited time)

Most publications want content that has not already appeared on your website or in another magazine. Editors typically expect no prior publication even on your own website and certainly not on competitors’ websites. Often, the exclusivity window is short, and after a month or a few months, you’re welcome to publish the same article on your own blog, website, LinkedIn, or other locations, often with attribution. 

2. Helpful, not promotional

Editors expect informative content with general references to component types and limited brand-specific references. The more objective your article sounds, the more likely it is to be accepted. Ironically, this neutrality increases trust, which benefits your brand long-term.

One way you can make this work in your favor is writing about a product or feature on a product that only you provide. It doesn’t have to be all about you or your brand, but conveniently, your solution is the only one available. 

What are the structural guidelines for strong contributed articles?

Most electronics trade publications prefer:

● 800 to 1,200 words

● 2 or 3 graphics or figures (charts, graphs, diagrams, or images)

● A clear framework of presenting a problem and a solution

A strong article typically identifies a real engineering challenge that readers will want solutions to. Your article should explain why it matters, present practical guidance, and conclude with solutions — not a sales pitch.

Articles that open with a real-world design problem tend to perform well because they immediately connect with the reader’s experience. For example, engineers might be struggling with thermal management in compact designs, signal integrity at higher speeds, or component reliability in harsh environments. When your article starts by acknowledging a challenge engineers recognize, the rest of the article naturally engages readers and adds to your credibility.

It’s equally important to remember what doesn’t get published. Articles that read like product announcements, press releases, or datasheets are almost always rejected. Editors are not looking for marketing copy. If an article repeatedly names a specific product or focuses heavily on brand messaging, it quickly signals that the piece is promotional rather than editorial.

A good rule of thumb is that an engineer reading your article should come away with new understanding or practical insight, even if they never purchase anything from your company. When an article delivers that kind of value, editors are far more likely to see it as a contribution to their publication rather than an advertisement in disguise.

When you respect editorial guidelines, provide genuine technical insight, and structure your article around a clear problem and solution, editors are much more likely to publish your work. As a result, you’ll not only gain visibility in trusted industry publications, but also position your company as a knowledgeable partner that understands engineers’ real-world problems. Over time, that authority builds trust with readers, strengthens relationships with editors, and helps your expertise reach a wider audience.

Getting contributed articles published doesn’t have to be guesswork.

At Redpines, contributing editorial content is a key part of the PR strategies we provide our clients. Because we’ve developed long-standing relationships with editors across the core technology trade press, we know how to write technical stories, where different articles fit well, and how to position them for publication. 

If you’d like to explore how we could help get your expertise in front of the right readers, give me a call at 415-409-0233.

How to Build Authority (and Show Up in AI Answers)

By Bob Decker

Why publishing on your blog or social media alone is not enough these days

If you want engineers to see your company as a trusted expert, contributed articles are one of the most powerful tools you can use.

In the sensors and semiconductor industry, public relations isn’t just about press releases. It’s also about earning editorial coverage in the trade publications engineers rely on for product research, design guidance, and industry trends.

Unlike advertising, this kind of visibility doesn’t come from paying for space. It comes from providing real value. Let’s take a closer look at how contributed articles work, and why they matter more than ever.

What is a contributed article?

A contributed article is longer-form editorial content published by an independent trade publication at no charge. No advertising dollars change hands. Instead of promoting a specific product, the focus is on solving a design challenge, explaining a technical concept, interpreting an industry trend, or sharing practical engineering insight.

Trade publications exist to help engineers make better decisions. If your article does that, editors are often happy to publish it. 

“But why not just publish on our own blog and LinkedIn or other social media?” you ask. And you absolutely should publish technical content on your own site and social channels. But publishing in a respected trade magazine adds something your website alone cannot provide: independent authority. 

Appearing in the editorial pages of a trusted publication reinforces your expertise in a way that self-published content cannot. 

This dynamic has become even more important in the age of generative AI. AI systems tend to favor authoritative editorial sources when constructing responses. Independent trade publications carry significantly more weight than vendor websites in that process. Earned media coverage serves as a powerful validation signal. AI tools are remarkably good at distinguishing between advertising and editorial content, and they prioritize the latter.

If you want your company’s expertise reflected in search results and AI-generated answers, contributed articles are one of the most effective avenues available.

There are two types of contributed articles that work best:

1. Tutorial Articles: Help Engineers Solve a Problem

Tutorial articles are practical and educational. Their purpose is to help engineers understand how to apply a component or technology correctly and confidently. For example, they might explore topics such as understanding differences between component types, how to design miniature optical switching solutions, or managing power integrity in high-density layouts.

Yes, your company likely manufactures the components being discussed. But the focus should be on the design challenge and the technical considerations, not on why your specific part is superior. If an article reads like a datasheet or a product brochure, it won’t get published. If it reads like a helpful engineering guide, there’s a good chance it will.

2. Thought Leadership Articles: Share Perspective

Not every contributed article has to teach a step-by-step solution. Some of the most impactful pieces offer insight and perspective. A thought leadership article might examine emerging trends in power electronics, supply chain resilience in semiconductor manufacturing, sustainability pressures in component design, or the influence of AI-driven tools on hardware architecture.

These articles don’t need to present groundbreaking research. They simply need to offer informed observation. Engineers value thoughtful analysis that helps them anticipate where the core technologies industry is heading and how that direction might affect their designs.

Where Do Contributed Articles Come From?

By now you may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but it’s going to require a lot of time and effort to put contributed articles together and get them published.” But you likely already have more article material than you realize.

A contributed article often begins as something else. It may start as an application note written to explain a specific use case. Sometimes the foundation is content prepared for a webinar or a conference presentation. In other cases, internal engineering documentation or technical training materials provide the seed of an idea.

When technical teams are already creating useful educational content, the opportunity is there. The shift is less about inventing something new and more about reframing existing knowledge for a broader audience. With a little bit of editing and a focus on solving real-world design problems, materials your engineers are already producing can become strong editorial content for trade publications.

So now that you know what contributed articles are, where they come from, and why you should make them a part of your overall marketing strategy, in my next post, we’ll discuss what editors at trade publications are looking for, and how to maximize your investment of time and effort to have the best chances of getting published. 

Until then, did you know that getting contributed articles published is a part of the PR strategy we provide? 

At Redpines, we have long-standing relationships with publications in the core technology industry, and can connect your content with the right editors to get you published. To talk about the services we can provide you, please reach out to me by phone at 415-409-0233.

From Target List to Real Engagement: Turning ABM Strategy into Action

By Bob Decker

We’ve been focusing on account-based marketing (ABM) in recent blog posts. If you haven’t read part 1, about what ABM is, or part 2, about why ABM works at both ends of the funnel, start there before continuing with this post. 

Most ABM conversations start with building a target account list. And that’s important, but it’s also where many ABM strategies quietly stall.

Identifying the right semiconductor manufacturers, OEMs, or system integrators is only the first step. The real value of ABM shows up when those accounts begin to engage – when engineers respond to a white paper you’ve produced, procurement asks for follow-up details, or an executive agrees to a first call.

This gap, between conceiving a strategy and actually executing it, is where ABM succeeds (or doesn’t).

Consider a company selling specialized MEMS sensors to the industrial automation and medical device markets. On paper, the target list looks solid: Tier 1 OEMs, systems integrators, and a handful of global manufacturers. But if every one of those accounts receives the same messaging, the same emails, and the same generic “request a demo” call to action, ABM quickly turns into traditional marketing with a smaller audience.

Effective ABM moves beyond selecting a target account and focuses on how you can be most relevant to that account. Here are a few examples: 

• A design engineer evaluating sensor accuracy and environmental tolerance needs application-level content – white papers, performance comparisons, or integration notes – that will convince him or her that your specialized sensors meet their specific requirements.

• A procurement manager cares about supply continuity, lead times, and pricing stability, so your outreach should include clear information on manufacturing capacity, second-source strategies, lifecycle commitments, and predictable pricing models that reduce risk and simplify vendor approval.

• A product manager or VP of engineering is thinking about roadmap alignment, long-term availability, and risk mitigation, which makes executive-level messaging, technology roadmaps, and examples of long-term customer partnerships far more effective than detailed product specs alone.

Turning a target list into real engagement means building touchpoints that reflect those realities. That might include a short technical brief shared by sales, a LinkedIn ad aimed only at engineers inside a specific company, or an executive-level perspective piece that positions your company as a stable, long-term partner, rather than just a component vendor.

ABM works when each interaction feels intentional. When prospects feel like your outreach reflects an understanding of their role, their constraints, and their priorities, engagement follows naturally.

At Redpines, we help core technology companies bridge the gap between marketing and comms planning and execution. With the right structure and focus, ABM becomes less about running campaigns—and more about starting the right conversations with the accounts that matter most.

If your marketing feels like it’s stuck at the list-building stage, let’s talk. We can help you turn strategy into action that drives engagement. Reach out to me by phone at 415-409-0233 to start the conversation.