What tops your list of pet peeves? For me, it’s the improper use of you’re/your, their/there and it’s/its, followed closely by ending a sentence with a preposition. What can I say? I wish I were Grammar Girl.

I would argue with near absolute certainty that, for members of the media, nothing is more irritating than ill-informed publicists – the kind that pitch a food story to a careers editor or a celebrity sighting to a social media blogger.

We, in the publicity world, have probably all slipped up at some point. During your early days on the job, someone somewhere got an email from you with a story idea that probably wasn’t the best fit, and thank God they didn’t send the pitch to Gawker. While for most of us, those days ended with our internship, some publicists still haven’t caught on – as evidenced by the monthly public flogging of an ill-informed publicist on some highly trafficked blog.

I get the publicist’s argument. It’s time consuming. You have hundreds of people to reach out to on behalf of your client, who wants results – now. You don’t have time to read blogs for hours on end or watch CNBC, FOX and CNN all day to see how your client fits in the roster. I get it. But trust me when I say, doing some digging and investing some time is worth it.

Not only does your current client have a far better shot of actually getting covered if you understand your target’s interests and the focus of his or her blog, column, or program, but your future clients have a far better chance of getting covered as well. See, what it really boils down to is relationships. If you take the time to get a firm understanding of what topics your contact likes to cover, the types of people he likes to interview, the method by which he prefers to be contacted and how you can offer value, you open the door to a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship. It takes time and effort, but what you get in return is someone who will want to continue working with you for years to come.

I turned to Phil Gerbyshak, a blogger that we work with regularly (and really like), to get his take on what he expects from publicists looking for coverage for their clients. Although his response is directed toward book publicists, his expectations apply to all PR professionals.

In the barrage of emails you receive from publicists, what determines whether you respond or simply hit “delete”? In other words, what do you expect from a publicist who is seeking coverage for his or her client on your blog?

First, I expect that you know me. Meaning, are you following me on Twitter? Have you read my blog? Do you know if this is a book I’d read and enjoy?

Second, I expect that I am special. Meaning, you better use my name (not someone else’s because your mail merge went awry, don’t worry, we all know most places do that), and you better know the title of my blog, if you include it. Also, you better know if I am a man or a woman, and maybe even my political views to know whether or not I will even cover this writer. Do a quick search on my blog to see if I’ve ever written about this author or topic before, and if I have, mention that and your favorite link (not just the first link).

Third, I would hope that you can get me access to the author, or a copy of the book to giveaway, or something, ANYTHING, that you didn’t mention in the first e-mail. See #2 about making me feel special.

Last but not least, I will open your e-mail if it isn’t sent on a Monday morning needing a Monday afternoon reply, ESPECIALLY because I know you’ve had the book at least a few months before you’re coming to me.

OK, so I lied, I’ve got one more thing: I remember if you’ve actually tweeted out or commented on any of the previous things I’ve done for you. If you do this and I can feel you appreciate me, I’m going to open your email EVERY TIME.

And given all these things, the book may still not be a great fit for me and my readers or my schedule. It’s not personal, it’s just a me thing.

Getting to know someone – their interests, their likes and dislikes – takes time and effort. But it’s a worthy investment.