How to Pitch an Editor Successfully
Discover more from Ashley’s Newsletter for Writers HAS MOVED
How to Pitch an Editor Successfully
Plus approved pitches, pitch calls, jobs, encouragement, and more.
Hi and happy February!
How to Pitch an Editor Successfully
Learning what to include in a pitch and how to format it can be a big hurdle — and a vital one. Then, there’s the obstacle of ensuring your pitch is looked at in an editor’s flooded inbox. What’s the secret sauce?
To help, I wanted to share some tips — straight from editors and successful writers — that I saw on Twitter. Some are more general, some are for certain editors. Click the hyperlinks below to read the whole thread!
Kelsey E. Thomas on Twitter: "Brief 🧵/ PSA for freelance writers! Whenever I put out a call for writers I get a minimum of 40-50 messages, more if it's a popular topic, even as someone without many followers. I do my best to respond to everyone, but here's one editor's opinion on how to get noticed!"
dr. nicole froio on Twitter: "OK, so here are my tips on how to write a pitch. I'm not an expert but I have been freelancing for almost 10 years!" / Twitter
Jake Tucker on Twitter: "Hey, I'm NME's video games editor! You can read our stuff here: https://t.co/yesoivbQHl Here is how to pitch me: https://t.co/3DbuZ51i20 Email is in my bio for anything else, I don't read work DMs, so best ot email if you want anything!" / Twitter
Another tip: See if the publication has a pitching guide! Well+Good has a great one that shares editors’ emails, what kind of stories they publish, what to include in your pitch, etc. Remember, editors need writers and pitches. They know people are at different stages in their writing journeys, and a good story is about more than just a correctly formatted pitch.
Approved Pitches Master Document, Volume 1
Lastly! Not to bury the lede, but…I finally launched Approved Pitches Master Document, Volume 1. It’s a list of 35 freelance writing pitches that were accepted by editors at Apartment Therapy, Autostraddle, BuzzFeed, Diem, HelloGiggles, HuffPost, and Yoga Journal! (More pitches and publications to come in volume 2!)
Along with each pitch, you'll find a link to the final article, the publication's submission guidelines, and the publication's specific rate. (These publications pay anywhere from $80 to $400 per article.) I've also included sections in the beginning that detail a general pitch format, how to get the most out of the document, and my email in case you have further questions!
I'm playing with the price a bit, as I want it to be fairly affordable, but also respectful to all the time I spent creating it and how much value it can bring you! The cost right now is $50 (though you can make a whole lot more after using it!). Here’s the link again. Thank you!
Writing/Freelancing Tips
Potential write-offs for tax deductions (check with your accountant though if you can!)
Prep your page first (I’ve started doing this and find it helpful!
Pitch Calls
GENERAL NOTES FOR THE PITCH CALLS BELOW:
If the story is about a marginalized community, you probably need to be in that community to write the piece.
Mentioning my name in your pitch won’t help, unfortunately!
Who Pays Writers can be a helpful site to get an idea of how much publications pay.
Pitch calls:
Jake Tucker on Twitter: "Hey, I'm NME's video games editor! You can read our stuff here: https://t.co/yesoivbQHl Here is how to pitch me: https://t.co/3DbuZ51i20 Email is in my bio for anything else, I don't read work DMs, so best ot email if you want anything!" / Twitter
allegra frank on Twitter: "as all these brutal, frustrating layoffs are happening, a reminder to all that @beastobsessed is open for pitches — please read our pitch guide to get a sense of what specifically we are looking for, or DM me <3 https://t.co/HV7aMCcH5j" / Twitter
Elizabeth Kiefer on Twitter: "WANTED: Feature pitches for @Cosmopolitan's upcoming PRIDE issue, deadline 2/6. Profiles about complex figures who reflect something bigger in our culture; plot-driven narratives; thoughtful criticism. Very open interpretations of "pride" encouraged. Email in bio, No DMs pls." / Twitter
Want a bunch of these weekly? Purchase a paid subscription to my writing opportunities newsletter! Here’s an example of what it’ll look like.
Writer Jobs
Want a bunch of these weekly, all spelled out? Purchase a paid subscription to my writing opportunities newsletter! Here’s an example of what it’ll look like.
Writing/Freelancing Resources
My article “14 Free Resources That Helped Me Become a Successful Freelance Writer”
Toggl for tracking time spent
Encouragement
My Articles + Updates
I received a really kind review on my weekly writing opps newsletter! Caroline Tuohy said: “Fantastic resource for writers looking for new opportunities to pitch, all the hard work has been done for you. The value is off the charts.”
I found a happy medium of working enough but not too much (for the most part) and some helpful motivators, such as telling myself I only have to work during commercials (then I get on a roll and want to keep working), knocking out easier things first to get in the groove of working, etc!
Want More? Here Are Other Ways I Can Help
Don’t forget about my Medium guide and coaching/editing services and Writing Checklist Set!
More of my content: (1) my writing Twitter // (2) my portfolio // (3) my resource set // (4) my newsletter with tons of writing jobs and pitch calls
Feedback from you: (1) For the newsletter // (2) For the resource set
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like to donate, my Venmo is @AshleyBroadwater, my PayPal is paypal.me/aebroad, and my CashApp is $ashleybroadwater3 :) A huge thanks to donors!
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading this month’s newsletter. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions :)