How to Pitch an Editor a Contributed Article (Without Getting Ignored)

By Bob Decker

If you want your contributed article idea to actually land in an editor's inbox and get a yes, how you pitch it matters just as much as the idea itself.

In my last blog post, 5 Ways to Come Up With Contributed Article Topics (That Editors Actually Want), I walked you through where to find strong topics your customers want to read and publishers want to print.

So presumably, now you've got a solid idea or two. You know it solves a real problem, and it fits the "problem → why it matters → how to approach it" framework. But here's where a lot of good ideas stall out: the pitch. You send an email, you hear nothing back, and you're left wondering if your idea wasn't good enough. Or did something else go wrong?

Chances are, it's the pitch. Pitches can be tricky. Let's take a look at how to write one that gets read, gets a response, and gets you published.

Let’s start by thinking from the editor's point of view. They get dozens of pitches a week, most from people who've never read their publication. So the fastest way to stand out is to show them you have.

Your pitch should sound like you already know what fits their audience. Reference a recent article they've run, or a topic area they cover frequently. In just one sentence, you’re telling them you're not blasting the same pitch to 20 publications. You're talking to them specifically and offering them an exclusive story.

Keep it shorter than you think.

Editors are scanning, not reading. Your pitch should feel like a quick, useful conversation, not a proposal. Aim for 3 or 4 short paragraphs at most that cover:

● What the article is about, in one sentence

● Why it matters to their readers right now

● A quick line on your credibility to write it (your role, your company's relevant experience)

● Word count and when you will send the article to them

That's it. If they want more, they'll ask. Don't attach the full article yet. A strong pitch earns you the chance to submit. It isn't the submission itself.

Lead with the reader's problem, not your company.

This is the single biggest mistake you can make in a pitch. Editors are looking for editorial value, not brand exposure.

If your first line talks about your company, your product, or an announcement, you've likely already lost them. Instead, open with the engineering challenge your article solves. For example, "Engineers designing for thermal management in compact enclosures keep running into the same wall. Here's a piece that walks through what’s going wrong, and what actually works." That sounds like something an editor wants to publish.

Give them a reason to say yes today.

Editors have deadlines and content calendars just like you do. If there's a natural hook – an upcoming trade show, a shift in the industry, a relevant anniversary or milestone – remind them. It gives your pitch a timely reason to move up the queue instead of sitting in their inbox for weeks.

You don't need to manufacture urgency. Just point out what's already true and let it do the work.

Skip these reasons for your pitch to be ignored entirely.

● Attaching a press release instead of describing an article idea

● Pitching multiple publications the exact same idea at the same time

● Following up more than once or twice – after that, it's a no, and that's okay

● Overselling your company instead of the article's value to their readers

Before you hit send, ask yourself: if a stranger who's never heard of your company read this pitch, would it sound like a useful article idea, or a sales pitch in disguise? If it feels like the former, you're in good shape. If it feels like the latter, go back and cut anything that talks about you instead of your reader.

That one gut check will save you a lot of ignored emails.

Getting a pitch right takes practice, and even strong writers get turned down more than they'd like. But when you lead with the reader's problem, keep it short, and show the editor you understand their audience, you dramatically improve your odds of getting a yes. You’re also building the kind of relationship that gets your next pitch opened even faster.

Pitching editors doesn't have to feel like guesswork.

At Redpines, helping you craft pitches editors actually respond to is part of the PR strategy we develop for our clients. Because we've built long-standing relationships across the core technology trade press, we know what catches an editor's eye and how to position your story so it fits.

If you'd like to talk through how to get your next pitch in front of the right editor, give me a call at 415-409-0233.

5 Ways to Come Up With Contributed Article Topics (That Editors Actually Want)

By Bob Decker

In my last blog post, What Editors Really Want: Getting Your Technical Articles Published, I shared what decision makers at trade publications look for and what guidelines to follow to have the best chances of getting published. 

But at some point, you may have stalled out on this thought: “I get why contributed articles matter, but what would I even write about?”

If that’s where you are, you’re not stuck. You’re looking in the wrong place.

Because in the sensors and semiconductor industry, the best article ideas aren’t invented from scratch. They’re already sitting inside your company in conversations, documents, and day-to-day problem solving.

The key is knowing where to look and how to recognize a strong idea when you see one. Let’s walk through 5 of the most reliable sources that your customers want to read and publishers want to print.

1. Start with real engineering problems.

The strongest contributed articles almost always begin with real-world design challenges.

Think about the questions your customers are asking:

● “How do I manage thermal issues in a smaller footprint?”

● “Why is my signal degrading at higher speeds?”

● “What’s the best way to ensure reliability in harsh environments?”

These aren’t just support questions. They’re article ideas.

If one engineer has asked, many others are dealing with the same issue. And trade publications exist to help solve exactly those kinds of problems. A simple way to pressure-test an idea is: Would an engineer search for this? If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

2. Mine the content you’ve already created.

You likely don’t need to start from a completely blank page. Many contributed articles begin as something else:

● An application note

● A white paper

● A webinar or conference presentation

● Internal training materials

● Even a detailed email explanation

Contributed articles can stem from reshaping existing knowledge for a broader audience. For example, a dense white paper can often become a more accessible article by focusing on one specific problem and simplifying the explanation. A webinar can turn into an article by extracting the key teaching points and removing the presentation format.

If your engineers have already taken the time to explain something well, you’re closer than you think to having an article ready to publish.

3. Look at what your sales and applications teams hear every day.

Your sales pros and applications engineers are on the front lines. They hear objections, confusion, and edge cases that make them your best source of article ideas.

Pay attention to:

● Questions that come up repeatedly

● Misconceptions about how something works

● Situations where customers don’t know there’s a solution to a common problem

● Conversations that require a deeper explanation

Those moments often translate directly into strong tutorial-style articles. If your team has to explain something more than once, it’s probably worth writing down.

4. Pay attention to industry trends (and add your perspective).

Not every article has to be instructional. Some of the most engaging contributed articles offer a point of view or thought leadership that will add to your company’s credibility and authority.

Look at what’s changing in your space. Are there new standards or technologies? Has there been a shift in design priorities? How about supply chain challenges? What is the impact of AI on engineering workflows? Are there evolving expectations for performance or reliability?

Within those shifts, what are you seeing that others might not? And what have you learned from working with your customers that could be shared with the broader industry? You don’t need a groundbreaking opinion. You just need an informed one that’s based on real-world experience.

5. Use the “problem → why it matters → how to approach it” framework.

If you’re unsure whether an idea or existing content will work as a contributed article, run it through a simple structure:

● Problem: What challenge is the engineer facing?

● Why it matters: What happens if it’s not solved?

● Approach: What are the practical ways to address it?

If you can clearly answer those 3 questions, you likely have a strong article. This framework also helps you avoid one of the biggest pitfalls: drifting into promotion. When you stay focused on the problem and the solution, the article naturally remains helpful and editorial.

That’s where contributed articles start to work the way they’re supposed to: building authority, strengthening your reputation, and helping your expertise reach a wider audience.

You likely already have more article ideas than you think.

At Redpines, we help you uncover those ideas, shape them into strong technical stories, and place them with the editors who are actively looking for this kind of content. Because we’ve built long-standing relationships across the core technology trade press, we know what works and how to get it published.

If you’d like to talk through a few article ideas, give me a call at 415-409-0233.

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.