In This Article, Let’s Go Through The Steps Needed To Learn “How To Pitch A Story To An Editor”
Here Are A Few Steps You Can Take In Order To Gain More Information About How To Pitch A Story To An Editor:
Pitching Technique:
Throughout your career, you will need to write hundreds of pitches if you want to be a successful, published writer. I’ve spent the last six years approaching editors and newspapers with pitches, and throughout that time I’ve honed down on a few practical suggestions that will enable you to cut through the din of the countless megaphones continuously directed at editors and get your voice heard.
Have A Viable Concept:
Whatever you write, whether it’s about the intersections of gay identity in 1990s manga or the top 5 refrigerators available right now, I don’t care. Your concept should thrill you to the point that you can practically picture the article being written in front of you. The pitch should be so compelling that you find yourself rushing to the computer to create a summary of the article’s main points in bullet points.
Clear, intriguing, and novel thinking must be your beginning point. Don’t pitch without it.
Make Sure Your Article Hasn’t Already Been Written By Checking The Publisher:
Are you considering penning a piece about the misinformation being propagated by the anti-vax movement? Be aware that you’ll be up against brilliant authors for space in every major newspaper in the world. Your email will be promptly discarded since the person you are pitching probably already wrote a post on the subject.
Now, if you’re writing about how COVID-19 paired with false anti-vax propaganda hurts people of color disproportionately, you could be onto something. Do your research and make sure there are no overlaps by searching the magazine for all the articles on COVID-19 and anti-vax disinformation. Pitch on if this is uncharted territory.
The Magazine Should Have Pitching Guidelines:
Even if it appears clear, you could be shocked. For submissions or pitching guidance, go to the publication’s website. It may be found on the ‘write for us’ menu or submissions page of many magazines. Tim Herrera compiled a comprehensive collection of more than 60 pitching instructions on his substack; it’s a fantastic tool for submitting pitches to some of the best magazines.
Make Your Pitch Unique:
Obtain the editor’s name from the magazine or particular column. Find them on Twitter, follow them, and get to know them a little. You’ll get a better notion of the articles they publish and the beats they want to cover from this.
The standard email salutation is Dear [Insert Name Here],
Saying “Hello, New York Times Editing Team” is inappropriate.
This gives the impression that you delivered the proposal to 100 editors by just copying and pasting it. I’m not sure how the phrase “Hi there” got into our email lexicon. I’m guilty of doing this when I begin an email. I now see that it sounds quite informal, and you should always be professional while speaking to an editor.
Keep It Brief:
This must be emphasized again. Editors are occupied. It is a plain reality. Editors could get hundreds of emails every day, depending on the size of the newspaper. Instead of your biography or portfolio, start the email with your pitch. The hook for your concept should be in the first sentence.
At best a few pages should make up your pitch. Briefly state the essential points of your notion. Using bullet points will help you make your argument. Within the first ten seconds of the email being opened, the editor needs to be able to comprehend your idea.
Then, after summarizing your proposal in a few sentences or bullet points, include any sources you intend to utilize for further investigation. Finish the email with a brief bio and a few links to pertinent published work if this is a cold pitch or an editor you haven’t previously worked with. Your bio shouldn’t be more than two or three sentences.
If you’ve written anything on a related subject and want to include links, simply paste the URLs. I’ve used links to my work on Medium in pitches that were approved, so if you have content on a related subject there, I suggest utilizing it. I also constantly bring up the Medium publication. It demonstrates your familiarity in collaborating with editors and following rules.
These tips also help you with the question “how to pitch a news story” and help you create a new story that catches the audience’s attention. In contemporary times, it is really important to create news stories that will captivate people so you have to learn how to pitch a news story.