How to Improve Your Editorial Workflow in Multi-Author WordPress Blogs (2023 Update)

As a website scales from one writer to multiple authors, ineffective editorial workflows can hamper growth. Without clear processes, publishing high-quality content at volume becomes unrealistic.

In this comprehensive 2023 guide, we provide solutions to streamline multi-author publishing by improving WordPress editorial workflows. Whether launching a new site or optimizing existing operations, implementing these best practices will boost productivity and efficiency.

Why a Structured Editorial Process Matters

On a multi-contributor site without structured workflows, disorganization creeps in rapidly:

• Missed Deadlines: Without visibility into writing progress, late content throws off schedules. According to HubSpot, only 56% of teams using manual processes hit their publication deadlines consistently [1].

• Communication Breakdowns: When managing 5+ writers without centralized documentation around who is responsible for what, emails get missed and tasks slip through the cracks.

• Blocked Scaling: More contributors should mean more content. Yet a 2022 survey found that 76% of publishers can‘t increase publishing volume due to process constraints [2]. Bottlenecks limit growth.

Workflow processes solve these issues by coordinating publishing tasks, documentation, and cross-functional teams. The data shows implementing structured flows has significant benefits:

• Sites using mature workflows publish 135% more content [3].
• Structured systems reduce missed deadlines by 62% [4].
• Formal processes cut the time spent on status meetings by an average of 20% [5].

Now that we‘ve made the case for improving workflow processes, let‘s explore solutions to implement effective systems, even with 10+ authors.

#1 Tool for Multi-Author Editorial Workflows

While tools like Asana, Trello, and Google Docs have workflow functionality, they lack deep integration into WordPress publishing.

The best editorial workflow plugins connect directly to authoring in WordPress for context and visibility. Our top recommendation is PublishPress Pro.

PublishPress adds specialized post statuses, instant notifications, content calendars, workflows checklists, and in-depth analytics into WordPress, tailored to streamlining publishing.

The free version has basic workflow structuring, but upgrading to PublishPress Pro unlocks robust features like:

✔ Multi-step publishing processes
✔ Real-time notifications via email and Slack
✔ Granular user roles and permissions
✔ Customizable workflows by site section or author
✔ Calendar views of all scheduled content

Pro tools provide end-to-end visibility and management into authoring workflows, keeping all stakeholders aligned. Next, we‘ll explore core features and implementation in more depth.

Step 1: Install and Configure PublishPress Pro

PublishPress can be added like any WordPress plugin. From the admin dashboard:

1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New
2. Search "PublishPress Pro"
3. Click "Install"
4. Activate the plugin

Next, open plugin settings to enter your license key for Pro capabilities. Navigate to PublishPress > Settings and input your license in the "License" tab:

Now PublishPress Pro extensions will be unlocked.

The next 3 steps show critical modules to configure for streamlining WordPress editorial workflows.

Step 2: Set Up Custom Editorial Statuses

Post statuses give context on content progress, but default WordPress options like "Draft" and "Pending Review" don‘t cut it for collaborative publishing.

How does "Pending Review" help authors know what step content is stuck on? How do editors track bottlenecks without visibility into what phase articles are in?

Custom post statuses make every transition visible so authors know what to work on next and managers can track throughput.

Here are helpful examples of tailored editorial statuses:

☑ Awaiting Client Feedback
☑ Ready for Legal Review
☑ Fact-Checking in Progress

PublishPress Pro lets you create unlimited custom post statuses fitting your review and publishing processes.

To add new statuses:

1. Navigate to PublishPress > Statuses
2. Click "Add New Status"
3. Enter name and description
4. Choose color code for at-a-glance identification:

Rinse and repeat to build statuses matching your workflows.

Now authors, editors and site managers can instantly know the next step articles are waiting on.

Step 3: Configure Email Notifications

When managing multiple users, real-time updates are critical so everyone is in sync. Waiting for status meetings to discover articles stuck in limbo is not effective.

PublishPress facilitates instant notifications when action is needed or required approvals change article status.

For example, email alerts can be configured for:

• Editor requesting revisions from author
• Legal sign off being required
• Content becoming overdue based on schedules

To set up notifications:

1. Go to PublishPress > Notifications
2. Hover over a current rule and click Edit
3. Select who receives alerts
4. Update trigger statuses
5. Choose email copy and frequency

Tailoring notifications keeps your teams looped in automatically as publishing workflows progress.

Step 4: Require Pre-Submission Checklists

Checklists attached directly in the post editor provide submission guardrails by requiring author tasks prior to the next workflow phase.

For instance, you may need writers to:

☑ Include 5 internal links
☑ Have manager sign-off on sources
☑ Enter SEO metadescription

Creating checklists ensuring these quality bars are met before an editor reviews a draft prevents rejections downstream.

You can make checklist tasks optional or required, meaning authors literally cannot submit articles without fulfilling them.

Checklists boost content quality by systemizing prerequisites from the start.

Step 5: Review Editorial Analytics

Analytics help you make data-driven decisions around what‘s working, what needs improvement, and if workflows align to business goals.

PublishPress delivers insights into:

☑ Average time spent in each custom workflow state
☑ Number of posts stalled or delayed
☑ Rejection and revision rates
☑ And more…

Analytics identifies concessions and bottlenecks within processes. If new writer onboarding is resulting in high revision requests, for example, add more upfront guidelines.

Data enables you to continually optimize publishing operations.

Real-World Multi-Author Editorial Workflow Examples

To see how these features come together, here are two real-world examples of multi-contributor workflows configured using the PublishPress Pro features we just covered:

Example 1: Streamlined Small Team

The Pet Care Weekly blog has three authors creating a mix of evergreen guides and trending news articles on pet ownership.

With a small team, they want a lightweight process focusing on quality and consistency. They set up:

Statuses: Draft, Ready for Review, Scheduled, Published
Notifications: Email author when editor feedback provided; email all contributors when posts are scheduled/published
Checklist: Add metadescription, 3 internal links, proper image formatting

This simple yet effective workflow ensures good communication and content consistency for Pet Care Weekly‘s small team.

Example 2: Enterprise Editorial Workflow

The Good Parenting magazine publishes childcare advice across 20+ authors. With in-house editors, external contributors, and remote staff, tight workflow processes are crucial for productivity and quality.

They leverage PublishPress for:

Advanced Statuses: Pitch, Writing in Progress, Fact Checking, Ready for Legal Review, Editor Final Pass, Copyediting, Image Sourcing, Scheduled

Notifications: Email section editor when posts awaiting review, email authors when edits required, Slack message legal and copy when status changes

Checklist: Comply with style guide, submit sources for review, provide minimum 3 original images

Robust workflows keep all stakeholders aligned, resulting in premium published content.

Scale and Optimize Publishing with Workflows

Creating structured editorial processes is imperative as your content team grows from solo creator to multi-author publishing house.

Tools like PublishPress Pro overlay optimized workflows onto WordPress, providing needed visibility, consistency, and insights even running distributed teams.

Implementing the editorial process best practices in this guide positions you to expand publishing capacity while maintaining quality – turning growing complexity into a competitive advantage.

References

1. HubSpot Content Strategy Report 2022
2. Contently Content Insights Survey 2022
3. Skyword Content Benchmark Report
4. Rock Content Content Management Research
5. Statista, as reported by CoSchedule