Wed, 2020-10-21 15:09
Sam
Clarity Counts: Our Research with the Hemingway Writing Tool
Here at SWMS we see lots of unsuccessful pitches and unplaced contributions. Unclear writing is usually to blame. Clarity counts. Clarity is not brevity. Clarity is what lets readers understand you the first time — with no rereading. Writing tools measure clarity. We’ve been experimenting with them. Some results below.
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[SWMS contributor Kally Lavoie writes:] As we outlined in an 
After 19 years at Fortune, Adam Lashinsky left this month to become EIC of the most powerful business community few ever heard of. For that alone, perhaps it’s time to learn about World 50 and its newly merged partner organization, G100.
Here's a retake of a piece we published earlier this year. What exactly do readers want and need? Most PR pros see the world in terms of companies, technologies, stories and beats. There's another way to look at things, and it might shake loose new opportunity.
Ebony Magazine was founded in 1945, the year World War II ended. Essence Magazine was founded in 1968, the year Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Today, Medium publishes a pair of Black-focused titles for this generation.
Medium has a pair of new publications, probably just as difficult to pitch as other Medium pubs, yet still worth evaluating. Both are spinouts from OneZero. Future Human was built for “readers who want to understand more about the science carrying us into tomorrow.” Debugger is for “readers who are hungry for thoughtful stories about gadgets.”
It often helps to study examples of story types you're seeking for yourself. Here’s an ongoing glossary of story types in the DEI space that might help shape your strategy.
Would we do a DEI deep-dive without a Google Doc? Contained in this one is a list of 31 (and counting) reporters focused on DEI. Also included are tabs on DEI nonprofit organizations likely to be quoted by journalists, along with DEI survey and research tools and DEI awards. 
Fortune hasn’t been “Fortune Magazine” for a while now. The 101-year-old organization is now, more than ever, a conference and community brand that also happens to produce an accompanying web site, newsletters and yes, a magazine. What is PR’s stake in this emerging Fortune?