155 Bovet Road
San Mateo, CA 94402
650/572-7341
http://www.infoworld.com
If you'd like to see how your technical product stacks up against the competition, InfoWorld.com's Test Center is a place to do it. For more than a decade the center has
conducted real-world evaluations of computer hardware and software, producing four types of articles from their findings: reviews, analyses, action plans (how-to's) and
comparisons (scored evaluations of products). The center touts itself as a trusted source for IT professionals who are making buying decisions for their companies. Its findings
can be found daily online and in its weekly magazine, which goes out to 370,000 IT professionals who qualify for the free subscription.
Contact/Content
Denise Ryan, editorial assistant. [email protected]
She is the initial contact for the publication who will forward your information to the correct editor.
"The best products to pitch us are the ones that are relevant to the IT person and are timely in terms of what is happening within the industry," says Ryan. "We have a
comparison schedule online that vendors like to look at and see if their product fits into it."
Pitch Tips
Editors need a lead time of one to two months to review your product. The initial pitch to Ryan should be by email.
"I respond to every email," says Ryan. "But I can't say the same thing about voice mail."
Ryan's lag time in replying to email ranges from a day to a week. Once she responds to your email with the correct editor's name, it is your job to track them down and pitch
your idea to them. Most editors have their own agendas of what they are planning to review. But pitches are heard.
"We do up to five independent reviews every week," says Ryan, meaning editors have a lot of copy to create. "So pitches are a great way of getting into the book."
Also, as per Ryan's advice, it is okay to say she suggested you to the editor when speaking to them on the phone. It might help them hear your pitch.
Comments
In April the center will be testing electronic commerce development. They are looking to test products that not only help a company with its ecommerce needs today, but can
evolve as the company's Web needs grow. The deadline for submitting a product is Apr. 14 for the Apr. 24 issue.