Getting Ink
03/28/08
If you think about it, you can probably name at least one “famous” bass fisherman who hardly ever wins a tournament. This guy may be team donator most of the time, but he’s got tons of good sponsors. How does he do that? In a word: promotion.
Seems like the guys who make the most noise get the most TV time, but guys who know how to promote get the ink. So how do you get your name into magazines and newspapers? I’ll let you in on a little secret: outdoor writers ALWAYS need story ideas. If you call me a week before deadline and want me to go out with you to do a story, I’ll jump for joy, and so will just about any other outdoor writer.
The trick is to have something concrete in mind before you contact the writer. You don’t have to be well-known or even a pro or a guide. Are you on a dynamite swimbait bite at a local lake? Do you have a unique way of rigging a drop shot or a spooning technique for stripers that’s just slaying them? Call a writer!
Simply sending an e-mail saying “Hey, I’m a great fisherman and I want you to write about me,” won’t get you much of a response. But if you call or write and say, “Hey, I’m on big fish at Roosevelt right now trolling spinnerbaits”, you are giving the writer something concrete on which to focus.
Remember, most magazines and newspapers won’t let writers do obvious plugs. In other words, we’re not going to be able to cram all of your sponsors into a story. If I wrote, “So-and-so ran down the lake in his Skeeter Bass Boat before stopping to lift his Dobyns’ Rod off the capacious deck to throw a River2Sea Nest Raider on 14-pound Power Pro, detecting the nest through his Ono sunglasses while maneuvering his Minnkota trolling motor…” You can see where I’m going with this. Newspapers in particular are always yanking product names out of stories.
BUT – if you let the writer take a photo of the bait you’re using to catch all those monster fish, it’ll probably get into the story, especially if there is a big fish hanging off it when the photo is taken. And the caption will probably identify the bait, too. Also, your tournament shirt and all its logos will be in the photo. Now we’re getting somewhere!
If there is truly a particular reason that a sponsor’s bait is working better than any other similar lure, make sure you emphasize that fact so it can get into the story. I always do my best to get your plugs in because I know how sponsorship works, but sometimes things get taken out.
Some guys get nervous about doing stories with writers, but as soon as we get on the water, it becomes fun, especially for the writers! My husband John and I work as a team and here’s how we do it: Say Gary Dobyns calls us and invites us to come on up for a couple days because he’s on big fish at Clear Lake and all my photos of him are OLD (Take the hint, Dobyns!). We’ll meet him at the lake and just go fishing with him.
John brings his own rods, and he and the angler fish while I sit and take notes and photos. John tries to pick the guy’s brain so I can get a good story out of the trip. He’ll ask the same kinds of questions that your buddy will ask you when you come in after a day on the water: How deep were they? How did you catch them? What bait did you use? What line and why, etc., etc.
I love going out with guys who talk constantly. They blurt out great tips without even thinking about it. You yourself are probably full of great little tips and ideas and you don’t even realize their value; but if you just let yourself ramble you’ll be dropping nuggets of gold in the writer’s lap.
Most of the time, we’re not going to keep you out there all day long. Just long enough to get a few pages of notes and some decent photos. I like it when we catch a nice fish early in the morning when the light is good. Cloudy days are even better – the light is good all day long!
Things to Remember
You only need one fish. Don’t get stressed. We have actually borrowed fish for photos.
Talk! Please don’t make us beat the story out of you.
We’re fishermen too. We don’t mind meeting you at the lake before sunrise.
Dress for photos and don’t leave a bunch of junk lying around in the boat if you want us to use photos of it in the story.
If you blurt out something you don’t want to see in print, for heaven’s sake, say so. (Within reason, of course – I once had a guy tell me he didn’t want me to mention the lure he was using or the kind of structure he was fishing, then he got mad at me because the story never came out. What story?)
You didn’t take us to raise. You don’t have to bring along food and stuff for us. But do tell us if we need to bring our own life jackets.
The writer does not have the final say on what gets into print. Editors can slice and dice a story for a variety of reasons. The newspapers are really brutal – if a local team gets into the playoffs, kiss half the outdoor page goodbye! Print publications have just so much room, and what the editor thinks is crucial may not match your ideas.
Writers, especially magazine writers, often have deadlines that are months in advance of the story being printed. Once I get to know you, I may call you in mid-winter and ask you take us out for a story about spoons in summer. When picture time comes I’ll make you strip to short sleeves for the photos. Or I might ask you to wear a jacket in summer.
For first contact, it’s probably going to be easier for you to get in touch with a writer than vice-versa. Call or e-mail the magazine. Usually they will contact the writer and give him the option of calling you, or they will give you an e-mail address or other contact info.
Big magazines and newspapers aren’t the only media out there. Local and regional publications often have dedicated readers who subscribe because they are only interested in what works where they live. Browse the magazines and papers at local tackle shops and sports shops to see what is printed in your area. Local writers are just as desperate for story ideas as any other writer, and it may be easier for you to get into print that way the first time around.
Want to do a story with a writer who lives in another state? Do the story by phone. The big problem of course is photos. I do a lot of stories with pros who live elsewhere, and that means I have to rely on them to send me photos. Most of the time, I can’t use those photos. Here’s why:
Photo Dos and Don’ts
DON’T send photos of yourself holding up a fish and smiling directly into the camera. Those are referred to as “grip and grin” shots and will be rejected by almost every editor on the planet.
DON’T send photos where most of your face is darkly shadowed by the brim of your hat.
DON’T look right at the camera. It’s not very candid. Look at the fish or at what you’re doing.
DO get someone good to take photos of you for your website or for you to have handy to send to writers. The more you have the better. Have a variety, taken in different seasons and in different locations using different lures.
DO hire an outdoor photographer or writer to take photos for you. Here’s a tip: if you take me out for a story, I’ll send you photos if you ask. I do it all the time, and I do it for free. I figure if you’re nice enough to take me and my husband fishing for a day, and give me a good story that I’m going to be paid for, the least I can do is send you some decent photos to use however you please.
DO have a website with an area where writers can download HI-RESOLUTION ACTION photos of you. Editors like photos where something is happening. I like to take photos of you while you’re fighting and boating the fish, taking it off the hook, re-tying, etc.
DO keep an eye out for weird stuff like the horizon being slanted (happens all the time on lakes), or stuff looking like it’s growing out of someone’s head.
DO take off your sunglasses for the photo shoot.
IT’S FUN – HONEST!
The absolute best thing about being an outdoor writer is getting to meet so many cool people. I have loved every fisherman I’ve ever been in a boat with (well, except for one or two, and no, I won’t tell you who they are). The only time I have a problem is when the guy won’t talk. I can’t write a story about you if you don’t say anything to me.
Trust me – call a few writers and offer up some definite stories, and you’ll be in print in no time. If a magazine asks you to write something yourself, don’t panic! Writers are often happy to ghost, too. That means your name is on the story but we do the writing and our name is on the check! The writer is happy, your sponsors are happy, the editor is happy -- life is good. Writers and fishermen are a match made in heaven – call one today!