3) Do work for them. Give them opportunity to be as lazy as they can be. Provide them with a preformatted HTML version of your article so they don't have to spend extra time doing it themselves. This option is especially useful for webmasters who publish your articles on their website.

4) Don't stop there. Not only should you offer them an HTML copy, offer a text copy of your article. This makes it very easy if publisher of your article is being published in an ezine.

5) Make them love you. Offer them best of both worlds. Eliminate need for them to request permission to use your article. At most, publisher should only have to notify you that they are publishing your article.

Bridge gap and they'll be coming back for more: http://www.valuablecontent.com/submit.html

The less work a publisher has to do happier they are, and more articles they can publish.

With these three tips in mind, a successful e-mail subject line might read:

[Story Idea]: Linda, Here's a Tip for Your "Cooking with Linda" Column

That’s a heading that will stand head and shoulders above rest.

Here are a few more e-mail do’s and don'ts: Do:

* Make information you place in subject line short and to point. Often, reporter's e-mail software cuts off subject at only a few words.

* Don’t get cute or be too vague in your subject line. For example "Here’s a Great Story!" is vague and sounds like spam; "This Will Win You A Pulitzer!" will make you look silly (unless you’re delivering scoop of century, of course!).

* Try to make your most newsworthy points at top of your e- mail message - don't expect a reporter to scroll down to find news.

* Include your contact information, including cell phone, e-mail address, regular address, fax number & website URL at beginning and end of e-mail.

* Include a link to your website if you have additional information such as: photos, press releases, bios, surveys, etc.

Don’t:

* Include more than a short pitch letter or press release in body of your e-mail.

* Allow typos or grammatical errors.

* Include an attachment with your e-mail. In this day and age of sinister viruses, reporters automatically delete e-mail with attachments.

* Place following words (by themselves) in subject line: "Hi", "Hello" - media's spam filters will pounce and destroy.

* Send an e-mail with a blank subject line.

A cool tip: Use Google News (www.news.google.com) to search for recent stories that have appeared relating to your industry or field of interest. Then, e-mail reporter directly (use a subject line such as Re: Your July 5th piece on electric cars). Give positive feedback on story and let him know that, next time he’s working an electric car story, he should get in touch, as you’re an expert with provocative things to say. Give a couple of supporting facts to back up assertion, include your phone number and web link, and ask if he’d like to see a full press kit. This technique really works!