Pitch-Writing 101
The first task of writing a successful pitch is deciding where to send it. If you haven’t written for pay before, you may want to start small—a blog you read regularly or the website of a print publication you respect. Spend some time reading the site to make sure it runs stories like the one you have in mind and to see how those stories are written. “The first place you should pitch should be the place you read the most, that you feel is closest to your voice and that you care about the most,” suggests David Hill, a freelance writer and vice president of the National Writers Union.
If possible send the pitch directly to an editor rather than to an open submissions portal. Most publications list their editors on their masthead or on the “contact us” page. If those pages don’t list individual e-mails, many editors now maintain personal websites, which will give their e-mail address.
The pitch itself begins with the subject line of your e-mail. If you have a legitimate connection to the editor—as someone you met at the AWP conference last year, or who comes recommended by a friend who writes for this publication—you can reference that in the subject line. Otherwise write it as if it were the headline of the piece you’re proposing. As editors are deciding whether to take on a piece, they’re thinking how to put a label on it that will attract readers. If you can sum up your piece in a few punchy words, you’re already halfway to showing an editor that it can work for the publication.
In the body of the e-mail, if you don’t have a professional connection to the editor, dive straight into your pitch. If you’re not sure how to frame the story, write the pitch as if it were the opening paragraph of the piece you’re proposing. Drop the reader into the story, but be sure to give all the necessary information: who you plan to interview, what trends or news events you’re jumping off from, what point or argument you’re planning to make. And be brief—a paragraph or two at most.
Follow this up with a quick summary of your professional writing experience and any special expertise you bring to the story. Editors need to know two things: that you have a great idea that’s right for their publication and that you can write it without lots of editing on their part. If your work has appeared online before, include links to your best two or three pieces, but don’t be surprised if the editors don’t read them that closely. A good pitch is all the introduction an editor needs.