How to write an A-list
Biz magazine Business 2.0 is run by a savvy set of editors. They've learned (along with every other cunning but lazy journalist and blogger) that a list goes a long way further than a carefully assembled article, and that the former takes half the editing time of the latter.
Take, for instance, their newest attention-getting list, 50 People Who Matter. It's a perfect guide to:
How to make an A-list
- Build the core of the list with solid perennial picks whom everyone recognizes. BusinessWeek chose superstar leaders like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and Oprah Winfrey. For, say, a "Greatest American" list, pick Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Oprah Winfrey.
- Pick some up-and-comers that already earned inordinate press attention. Here, B2.0 chose the Flickr co-founders, a hotshot developer from 37signals, Digg founder Kevin Rose, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
More rules of king-making, after the jump.
- Prop up the list with respectable but lesser-known stalwarts for the most loyal readers. This is where B2.0 brings in the bankers, CEOs of unsexy companies, and small-time media moguls.
- Supplement with three or four side articles. In this case, 10 people who don't matter, the "Do you know who matters" quiz, and How we chose the 50. In fact, always run a "who's not cool," a quiz, and a methodology piece. Then jot down an intro and you're golden.
