Editorial Calendar
A publication's schedule of planned coverage topics and special issues.
Definition
An editorial calendar outlines a publication's planned coverage themes, special issues, and advertorial opportunities throughout the year. Trade publications often publish calendars showing which industries or topics each issue will feature.
PR professionals use these calendars to time pitches when publications are actively seeking relevant content.
Why It Matters
Aligning pitches with editorial calendars dramatically increases placement odds. A story about manufacturing innovation pitched for the manufacturing issue has much better chances than a random submission.
Calendars also reveal advertising opportunities that can complement earned media strategies.
Examples in Practice
A B2B PR team cross-references editorial calendars from 20 trade publications to plan the year's pitch calendar.
A company times their sustainability announcement to coincide with a business magazine's annual green issue.
A PR manager notes that three key publications plan cybersecurity coverage in October, scheduling client news accordingly.