Learn the art of pitching!

You are starting out your writing career. You want your content to get published in popular magazines, blogs and websites etc

How do you go about it?

By writing a quality pitch to the editor of the publication!

Know that editors are very busy and you’ve to make an impression on them in the first few lines of your pitch.

Phew! It’s not a piece of cake!

Or maybe it is. A heavy embellished custom cake that would leave the editor wanting more.

1st step: Select a niche of your interest. Search for websites and magazines that publish content related to that area. Read up some published work to gain insight on the flavor of the magazine. Highlight some keywords to use in your pitch.

2nd step: Brainstorm some ideas. Write a catchy title and create an outline.

3rd step: Pitch!

A pitch is an email to the editor proposing to write on a particular topic.

A pitch should be:

Catchy: A great idea will fall on deaf ears unless you articulate it well.

Compliant: If you’re responding to a call for pitch, make sure you include everything they’ve asked for. For example, a relevant sample or a piece of personal information.

Clear: Be clear, specific, confident and straight-forward in your communication. Feel free to share how your article aligns with their goals and will do well with their audience.

Concise: Share the idea, not the article. Keep it crisp. Only share the gist of what you’re going to write.

Correct: Double-check for facts, spellings and grammatical errors. Make necessary amendments.

Impersonal: Don’t brag about your writing aptitude or your certificates. Instead show your writing prowess in the pitch to convince the editor to take you onboard.

Creative: A pitch doesn’t have to adhere to a strict format. Create a customized pitch instead of using templates off the internet. The editor will see right through it and it will severely undermine your credibility as a writer.

Courteous: Courtesy never goes out of fashion. Begin with a salutation and end with a pleasantry. Go an extra mile and add a sincere compliment. Nope, not nice hat or lovely smile. Tell them in a single sentence how their article on abc topic helped you solve your xyz problem. Keep the tone of the pitch light and friendly. Don’t appear overly frank. Don’t cajole and under no condition should you beg for a chance. Also, don’t mention money in your first pitch.

If you must, add a link to your writer’s portfolio towards the end. It will help them assess your writing skills if they’re interested. You never know, they might take a liking to any of your previous work.

4th step: Don’t wait for the response. If you get an answer, that’s great! Go ahead and write that article! No response or a negative response? There are plenty of publications out there waiting to be pitched.

Pitch your way to getting published!

P.S: You can apply these tips to pitching in your respective field.