janatwaterhole.jpgI’m in Darwin, Australia right now. Australia’s Outbackbrought me over to have a look at their State. I’ll be here for two full weeks, three altogether in Oz. For those of you who are press trip regulars, I’d love to hear about what you do to make good on your trips. When I signed on for this we talked about some ideas for story placement.

Obviously, I want to give them as much exposure as I can. Sadly, I can’t do it all while I’m on the trip. I can barely cover the regular work I need to do during the breaks between tours.

I’d love to hear about the average length of time it takes you to get your stories in, or your articles published after you return.

Here’s a little something I whipped up, a slideshow from my first day trip to the Tiwi Islands. I put it on JenLeoLIVE! because it’s mostly for the friends at home, and becuase I like learning new things, but I managed to work in a plug, too.

So, give me your press trip tips! I’m all ears.

3 comments

  1. Hi Jen – It has taken me as long as two years for some press trips I have taken, but usually, I find an angle while on the trip itself. I try to pitch before I travel, but its hard to do that when you are unfamiliar with the area. Think of the people you meet, the interesting things they do, and who they are. What publication would their business or product fit with?

    What are you eating that is different there? Are there food products that can only be found in that area? What is the story behind it? These are things food magazines look for. Its okay to pitch when you get back. Heck, I write most of my articles on the plane ride home or waiting during layovers. Most of all, enjoy yourself while you are there. It will leave the most impact which will come out in your stories.

  2. The GOOD PR people know that it is not uncommon for it to take a year for something to show up in print, plus the pros know that it’s pretty hard to really pitch a story until you’ve been there and can see how it will all play out. I wrote an article last December from a press trip that was just published this month–pretty normal.

    The big problem with these trips is that they’re usually so tightly scheduled that you don’t get any time to wander around and talk to real people…

  3. Talking to REAL people? Wait! That wasn’t on my itinerary! Oh, wait, yes it was. It’s the gambling at Sky City Casino that somehow got removed. 🙂

    Thanks for commenting. I’m in a good mood. I’m back from a two day trip, and my hunky Outback Jack of a tour guide kindly changed my upcoming 5-day safari to his 3-day trip. I had to, the previous schedule was too tightly packed and now I’ll get a day’s breathing room between the three safaris. Which is a good thing considering I have exactly 3 magazine articles due by the 20th.

    Thanks Shannon and Tim for your comments. BTW, Tim, I got your book the day before I left for Oz.

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