How to attempt a resurrection

Here’s a truth that no-one (least of all me) wants to hear: when features are hugely delayed, it’s usually because the editor(s) doesn’t fancy them. There can be other reasons — war or weather disasters in an area, say — but most likely is that the piece you’ve been awaiting simply isn’t floating someone’s boat.

Perhaps they shouldn’t have commissioned it in the first place. Perhaps the writer has done a crap job (ahem). Perhaps it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Perhaps a new editor with different tastes is in town; perhaps two travel desks have merged.

Whatever the reason, a non-appearing feature is more often than not explained by apathy or disfavour at the editing end. So what can be done about that?

Clearly it depends on the scenario — a PR can’t remedy an awful piece, or certainly won’t get the opportunity. But what often helps is a fresh angle. Has anything new happened in the accommodation or region which could easily be tacked on to a feature as an updated hook — a new ‘top’, in editorial parlance? Are there any imminent major anniversaries or TV/film links? Editors themselves could incorporate this new top, or ask the writer; the point is that it’s an easily-done remedy which suddenly makes a piece more current, and thus more tempting to run.

Equally, you could gently suggest — to the writer or editor, whichever is your primary contact; just avoid going direct to editors if it’ll irk the writer — that the piece be subtly adapted to a forthcoming season (a lovely autumnal piece, say) when the destination is at its loveliest (if this is true), without any untruths being added.

A final option to escape a logjam is to enquire about whether a print-promised piece might solely be published online? Should that be palatable according to a it’s-better-than-nothing logic, this can offer an escape route convenient for all. The desk knows they are obliged to run the piece at some point, or offer reparations, after all — and quietly rolling it out digitally might just be an acceptable solution for them.