How to Write a Pitch for an Article

Pitching to local newspapers and publications is an exciting step in your journalism and writing journey. It is essential to get your writing out there; pitching is the bridge between a draft and a tangible, public text with the power to make an impact.

So, what even is a pitch?

In the journalism world, a pitch is defined as a proposal or idea that you send to a publication to convince them of a story that you will write for them. Your goal is to have the publication you are approaching publish your work. This means you have to catch their attention and bring fresh and interesting perspectives that, in turn, enrich their news outlets. The pitch is also an excellent opportunity for you to show off your great writing skills.

How do you approach a publication?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when approaching a publication with a pitch:

• Make sure you are knocking at the right door! Each publication and newspaper has a distinct style that makes it unique from others, and your story should be a good fit for their style. This starts with picking a publication that publishes the types of stories that you are proposing to them. For example, be careful not to pitch an environmental story to a publication that doesn’t report in that field or a political piece where arts and culture are the focus.
• Familiarize yourself with the publication. What helps is reading what they publish to understand what they report on, what stories they focus on, and what is current. You can also make this an opportunity for yourself to see what areas are lacking coverage and whether you could perhaps fill those gaps.
• Figure out who their readers are. Another key thing about publications is their audiences. Each publication has a target audience, so you need to figure out who their readers are and what engages them.

Some tips!

A pitch can be intimidating, and it can feel like there is a lot of pressure to get it perfectly crafted. These tips can help you focus on the details that can impress them!

1. Make your story current and relevant! Tell them why it matters and why it is of value to their readers.
2. Make it fresh! Offer a new and refreshed angle or perspective instead of just summarizing already published news.
3. How is your story situated in the real world? Showing how the topic you are writing about shows up in people’s everyday life gives your piece another level of credibility and importance. Interviewing people is a good way to do this.
4. Collect your sources! Keep a record of all the sources you used so that you can show this if requested by the publication and back up the information you used. This gives you credibility and saves you the scramble through your Google history to find out what fact came from where!
5. Point of contact. If there is no pitch submission link or specific email address for you to submit your work to, find the email of an editor who works in the publication you want to submit to and email them directly. Using company emails may cause your pitch to be overlooked.

The Pitch itself

Let’s look at the key components of a pitch…

An interesting subject line

This is the first line that the editor will see in the email. Always put “PITCH” in the subject line, followed by the proposed title for the piece. It is advisable to keep the subject line under 65 characters, as otherwise the title might get cut off. If the story is time-sensitive, you can put “TIME-SENSITIVE PITCH”. Editors receive many pitches and emails every day, so I would encourage you to not leave the editor guessing what your story is about with a mysterious or complicated subject line. I recommend keeping the subject line simple and conveying what the story is about clearly.

The Hook/Opening Sentence

There are different ways you can catch the editor’s attention to convince them to continue reading. You can do this either by setting the scene, jumping into action, or posing questions you will answer. This needs to be interesting and intriguing, whilst also letting the reader know what they can expect from you as a writer.

A concise summary

In this section, you need to show why this story should be published at this time and by you. Grab their attention in the first sentences and then tell them what you want to write. Mention case studies or examples you will use in your piece to show you have already done research.

Credentials

This should be a few sentences on why you are the right person to write this piece and to show your experience. This builds your credibility as well!

Thank you!

A thank you can go a long way. Especially with editors who receive a lot of pitches, they appreciate it when you express gratitude and hope to hear from them soon. This acknowledges their effort and time, making your email interaction a positive one.

Sites will usually have guidelines for pitch length and pitch content. For shorter pitches, these questions need to be answered concisely to bring across your point quickly: What is the story about? Why would it be good for that publication to publish your writing? Why are you the right person to be writing this? Why is this important currently? In a paragraph or two, summarize your piece, and then mention your qualifications, such as your experience in that field and your writing experience.

If it is a longer pitch, you have room to add more context. Long pitches also include the topic background, the story proposal, your sources (who you are planning to speak to and what websites and other research materials you plan to use), whether this has been covered before and by who, how long you estimate the story to be, and why you should be the one writing it, as well as some information about yourself.

Following Up

And now you have pressed send, and waiting for a response can feel like an eternity. So, what next? Here are a few tips:

• Consider response times: The important thing to remember is that publications receive a lot of pitches, ideas, and emails on a daily basis, so response times may vary and take some time. Check if the publication has any information available on when to expect a response and if they have any advice on when to follow up. If they do not, typically two weeks is an acceptable amount of time to wait before following up. In your email, have a friendly tone, as you are asking them for their time.
• Share new materials: You can also use the follow-up opportunity to offer additional materials, such as pictures, a new fact, a new resource, or an interview you did. This keeps their curiosity high and shows your commitment to the story.
• Acknowledge their busyness: You can also acknowledge that inboxes are busy, whilst showing your enthusiasm for the story. When following up, reply to your email thread to bring it back to the top of their inbox.

I would recommend limiting yourself to two follow-up emails, each with around a week in between. If you have not heard anything back or they have let you know they are not interested, move on to a new publication. There are so many publications out there, so remember: Rejection is redirection to a publication that is much better suited to your writing!

Patience and resilience are important, especially in this field. Handling rejection with grace will make the process of finding a publication and having a successful pitch much smoother! Happy writing, and all the best for your pitches and stories!

About the author

Chloe Rebecca Woodley is a Summer Intern at Write the World from Kenya and Germany. She recently graduated from Hampshire College in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts in Scientific Journalism. Before university, she went to the United World College East Africa, where she regularly performed her poetry and learnt how to strengthen her communication to connect with multicultural and diverse peers. While studying, she worked in her university’s career center, curating social media posts, flyers, and their newsletter. She also gained experience at the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya, where she published blogs and learnt about their Communications Department. Writing is a passion, which is what drew her to Write the World’s platform, where she was inspired by the safe and nurturing community for young writers. As a Summer Intern, she enjoys being part of a writer’s community and hopes to empower and support young writers to enjoy and develop their passion!