January: Keeping that New Year’s Resolution to get yourself organized.

March: Don’t let income tax season throw a wrench into your busy life.

June: School’s out! How to remain productive at work when kids are at home and leisure activities beckon.

September: Fall’s here, time to get serious again! How to make most out of your time.

December: Holiday season – how to get it all done.

And before you know it, another year has arrived, and now your media plan is to …. start all over again! For two reasons: not every media outlet you’re targeting did story last year, and (this is part I love!) many of reporters who turned you down last year have since left their jobs and moved on. That frees you to call their replacements, who will be hearing your story for first time.

Creativity exercise:

Try this right now. List months of year on a blank sheet of paper. Fill in one of your topics where it is appropriate for a particular month. See if you can find 6, 8, or even 12 reasons a year why media should do your story.

Even daily newspapers and weekly magazines work well in advance. Though facts of their stories may change as their deadline nears, basic structure of most newspaper articles is established well in advance.

This is especially true of financial and business columnists who are your main target. They often write their pieces weeks or even months in advance.

If you come up with a story that is time-sensitive, don't sit on it. Contact a media person right away. It's hardly ever too early to plant a seed in their mind.