9 Things Editors Wish You Knew about Pitching

If you're a new follower and don't follow my freelance writing blog you might not know that I?worked as a staff editor for over 10 years in NYC at publications that include?Weight Watchers, Prevention, Natural Health, FitPregnancy, and Muscle &?Fitness Hers magazines.

In most of those roles, I?was an assigning editor for the publication, which means either I came up with ideas to assign out to freelance writers or, I?responded to freelance writers' article pitches and gave them article assignments.

I know what it feels like to be in that editorial role, receiving tons of pitches from writers and publicists and honestly, not having a lot of time to respond to them.

I also know what it's like to be a freelancer, sending out an email and wondering if the editor read it, if they hated it, and if I?should pitch it somewhere else.

That's why I?wanted to share....

9 Things Editors Wish Freelancers Knew about Pitching

Yes, a lot of these can apply to public relations professionals as well. (Check out a podcast interview I did with Britt Klontz for We Earn Media to get more advice on how to pitch editors and writers as a publicist.)

Here's what's happening behind the scenes and how to write better pitches:

1. Read the website and/or?publication before sending your pitch.

You should be familiar with the magazine or website before sending a pitch. Read the headlines so you understand the format. Read a media kit if it's available, and see if there is a content calendar available on the site.

Search online to see if there?is a document on the site that shares the editorial department's preferred pitching process. You'll increase your chances of selling an article pitch if you follow their protocol.

2. Follow the publication or brand on social media.

In addition to getting to know the brand online?and the print version if it's available, make sure you know what's happening on the outlet's social feeds. Sometimes, this dictates the content that's going to appear on the website as well.?

Know what's happening on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter /X, Facebook, Snapchat, and the company page on LinkedIn. Don't just look at what the brand is posting, but read some of the comments and get to know the audience from that perspective. This can help inform some of the direction of your pitches. If the publication covers TikTok trends then pitch relevant ones they haven't covered yet.

3. Understand that the editor is?receiving hundreds of emails a day

Some of them are from freelance writers like yourself who are also pitching ideas. Some are from publicists pitching their clients who want editors to write about them, their products and services.

Some of those emails are from journals, studies, and industry news.?

Quite a few of them are internal emails from coworkers, bosses, and people in the company whom the editor is?collaborating with for different projects.

In all likelihood, your article pitch is probably not the editor's?first priority.

4.? Know that they are also?getting pinged on Slack

Or another messaging platform. In addition to all of those emails, the editor is also probably responding to tons of?messages on Slack or a similar program each day with their coworkers. Heck, they might even be getting texts from some of them as well.

5.??In between all of that, editors also attend meetings.

Many editors are subject to quite a few meetings throughout the week. Some of them are scheduled, weekly status types of meetings, and others pop up last minute. All of that takes time away from the time the editor?would spend reading your pitch or thinking about your pitch and responding to your pitch. (BTW, here are 9 tips on how to write an article pitch.)

6.? The editor is probably?attending events, too.

If the editor is in any large city, they probably are also checking out industry events, meeting up with brands and potential advertisers with the sales team, and trying to stay on top of the latest products and innovations in their space so they know what they can inform their readers about the latest trends.

I connected with an editor/client at an event this week who was trying to catch up on work emails, chatting with a coworker over a meal, and answering work calls while we were talking. They are busy!

This is part of the editor's job and takes hours away from their desk/computer time. Then they need to go back to the office or their remote workplace and finish their work for the day.

Give them some grace when it comes to taking their time to get back to you.

(How many hours DO freelancers work each week?)

7.??Don't be afraid to follow up.

If any of the above is any indication, know that the editor is?very busy and probably doing the job that three editors used to do 10 years ago. If your pitch is good, they will?want to respond to you and assign it if they have the budget, but all of the above factors are siphoning their time, energy, and brainpower. So...they might have forgotten about your email.?

Forward it to the editor?again within two weeks and include the pitch at the bottom. If it's a timely pitch and you plan to send it to a competitive outlet, let the editor know the date you need a response by in that follow-up email.

8. They?may not have a freelance budget.

Oftentimes, editors wish they could give out more freelance assignments and have freelance writers shoulder some of the writing work that they have to do, but they don't have a freelance budget right now, or it's a really small budget.

Hopefully, the editor will?respond to your email quickly when you send a pitch and let you know this right away so you can send that pitch to another potential outlet. But, they might not have remembered to do that, so again, feel free to follow up.

9.??Your pitch might have been missing something.

Sometimes, when a pitch comes in and it's not exactly right for the brand or outlet or the editor has some questions and needs to think about how the pitch could be better, it takes some time, effort, and thought from the editor.

While they are trying to figure out the best course of action to take, they might seem like they are ignoring your pitch. Sometimes, if it's a maybe and not a definite yes, it could take longer to get a response or reply from an editor. That doesn't mean it was a bad pitch; it just means it needs some work.?

If you're thinking of reaching out to an editor on LinkedIn as a follow-up after sending a pitch, here are some message templates for how to effectively reach out on this platform.

__________________

Hi! I’m Diana.

I’m a New York-based freelance journalist, copywriter, editor, content marketing writer, and freelance coach.

I’m also a wife and a mom to two toddlers, a large dog, and an exercise enthusiast who loves baking desserts.

I enjoy covering topics that help people and their loved ones live healthier, happier, fuller lives, whether it’s through health, wellness, personal finance or pet topics.

I also want to help others learn how to become freelancers, improve productivity, and run their small businesses. I cover these topics and more on my?blog?and in my?weekly newsletter.

You can learn more about me, my publishing background, and my nearly 20-year freelancing journey at?DianaKelly.com.

You can also follow me on?Twitter?and?Instagram.

Get in touch here if you'd like help with content for your brand, website, or publication. Or, reach out if you want a quote for a publication or a podcast interview.

(Here's more info if you'd like to?sponsor this newsletter?that goes out to over 4,800 engaged subscribers every other week.)