Odds are, the minute you alert an editor to what you think is a hot new trend, concept or idea, twenty other freelancers have hit him up already with the same idea. It seems almost impossible to know what is going to be timely before anybody else does but there are ways to stay ahead of the curve.

First, educate yourself. If you are an expert or have an interest in a particular field, alert relevant public relations organizations that you would like to be on their list to receive new information, press releases and newsletters.

This sounds basic, but stay on the calendar and check it out with publication's lead times in mind. October is Fire Safety month, for instance: parenting magazines might be interested in relevant articles as long as you're pitching in the spring.

Work your contacts if you have any. While an editor might systematically turn down your feature ideas, she might be starving for articles in a particular section. If you have a relationship with an editor, ask if they're short on a particular section and see what you can do to come up with fresh ideas for that category.

Meanwhile, seek out publications that you know are keen to cover breaking new trends and ideas in your field. If you like technology, study and pitch to Wired.

Finally, timeliness can simply come with persistence. If you have an idea that you absolutely love but nobody is biting, keep pitching it around. As you work on it you can apply new spins on it to reflect current events. But the key is to keep trying if you think you've got a good one, because today's idea that might be of interest to Editor A could be a great idea tomorrow to Editor B.