by Brad Bloom @Faithfitnessmag

It’s not Christmas yet. Have you watched the Hallmark Channel this month? In honor of “Christmas in July,” they’re airing reruns of their Christmas shows – complete with advertisements for Christmas ornaments.

I was recently at Wal-Mart, and they already had the seasonal school supplies section fully stocked. They’re ready for our money. It’s July! I’m not even close to thinking about school being back in session. Truth is, I’m confident they already have their Labor Day and Halloween supplies in storage with a display date scheduled. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years contracts, shipping schedules, and plans are already finalized.

Seasons and holidays happen annually.

They’re predictable. Most people enjoy them, anticipate them and look for … FRESH!

I know I do. As a magazine publisher, I want to capture the attention of my readers with seasonal goodies. With all of the regular content we produce, we don’t always have the time and capacity to produce seasonal stories and experiences.

That is where you can play an important role. I think you can get your foot in the door as a content creator/curator (formerly only known as a writer) with any number of magazines or other online media. I know I’m looking for a good proposal.

How to Become a Sought-out Content Creator

Here is what you do:

1. Plan ahead. Way ahead. I’m currently doing our Summer 2018 Dream Big – Live Faithfully promotion. At the same time, I’m wanting someone to come to me with a seasonal promotion for our December 2018/January 2019 issue. It needs to be done and uploaded (offline) to our site by November 1. Valentine’s Day, Spring 2019, and a 2019 Summer Fitness Vacation Guide are all ready now for you to start working. You can’t really plan ahead far enough. On the other hand, if you wait too long, it will be too late for you to be the star contributor to our next season.
2. Imagine the possibilities and be creative. What would you want to read and then do to really make a season special? As a fitness magazine, we help readers to find exciting and natural ways to be physically active throughout the year. We encourage them to have fun and be healthy with seasonal foods. We inspire them to transform the ordinary season into a spiritually dynamic time with family, friends, and one-on-one with God. Round out these basics with photos, videos, podcast interviews, personality profiles, and accessories, and my readers will be saying, “Wow – Cool!”
3. Write a story and more. Sure, a good story dialed into my magazine’s editorial style is awesome. However, if you come to me with a pitch for a whole promotion that you can help us manage and generate revenue, I’ll be paying attention. We love to have social media engagement. Help us attract new readers and then engage them with giveaways and events. Want to do a story on “5 Great Destinations To Start The New Year Fit?” One of those destinations is a New Year’s Celebration, Spa and Spirit Retreat in sunny Miami, Florida, where our readers can meet you, the author? I’m up for that. Bottom line, a story is nice, but a full promotion that is executed well has a much bigger payoff for me and, yes, especially for you.

Seasonal writing and content development and management is a way for you to introduce yourself to publishers and make a strong first showing.

While you should assume it may be demanding, you can also take comfort in knowing that the season has a start and end date. This is a way to build on a wealth of existing resources and experiences while creating all new fun. When you do that well, people will talk about how you made their season extra special. That’ll get the publishers hiring you again, and you’ll become known as a “seasoned professional” – pun intended!

What seasonal piece could you pitch to a magazine editor or professional of your choice? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Brad Bloom,

Publisher of Faith & Fitness Magazine, Shout! Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine and map Travel Lifestyle Magazine. 

He is president of Lifestyle Media Group, a ministry that develops and distributes content to help people fuel their passion to connect daily living and Christian faith. Bloom draws a distinct difference between secular and his faith-centered brands, “Life should be lived way beyond training harder, living adventurously and going further. That’s all good but God is great. We can be equipped to be great when we get beyond all the doing and actively Be Life – the life of Christ to others.”