Getting added to a digital list

“Hi Richard,” the emails begin, “I saw your stupendous (for flattery is essential) ‘10 best alfresco hotel hairdressers’ article on TheGuardian.com, and wondered if there was any chance you could add in our client, Fresh Air Fringes? They would be a perfect fit.”

In many cases, the suggested addition would indeed be an ideal augmentation (in other cases, less so), so it’s a good shout — but that, alas, is never the issue.

The issue, in fact, is that many of these lists operate on a “set and forget” basis, and never get supplemented down the line. If you’ve missed out, you’ve missed out. It sucks and your client might be grumpy — I remember such sucky moments well from my time working in PR — but there you are. The trick is to try and prevent it from happening in future, not to try and correct the past.

Even if the lists could be supplemented, that would be up to someone on the staff of whichever publication has published them, not lowly old me. So you’re best off asking them; I just don’t fancy your odds.

All of this applies to print-edition lists that are reproduced online. For some publications such as The Times, digital-only lists, however, can be and are augmented over time. I have written pieces to which I have then added three editions a year later; or to which someone else has done the same (read: I’ve been jilted!). These are typically lists of the best hotels or things to do in a city or destination. The updating happens, I think, for Google-algorithm reasons.

It’s not easy to know when this is the case, short of checking a digital list every week for two years or some techy cleverness beyond my ken. But there’s nothing wrong with asking. I like your odds a little more here. Flattery is optional.