how to pitch an article to a magazine

How to write an article pitch Step 4: Decide the section of the site/magazine where it will live. If a publication accepts guest posts, its editor probably receives hundreds of pitches each week, and the first part of the pitch she sees is the subject line. “The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. James-Enger is a wildly successful freelance writer and author, and you can’t afford to miss her advice. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true.” – John Steinbeck. “How to Pitch an Article to Magazine Editors” image by Rennett Stowe via flickr. I submitted pitches, but I didn’t include the word count because the publications specified the number of words they expect. As a professional freelance writer and published novelist, I see something just as challenging for all authors: Writers who have no idea how to claim their earnings on their taxes. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Added to this, summaries also benefit you as the writer. It also helps keep writers accountable, I think. 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Not only do you need to know why you’re pitching the story to a particular editor at a particular magazine, but you need to have a convincing case as to why they should care. If possible, don’t just send your pitch to the magazine’s generic info email address; find the relevant editor to contact and get in touch with that person specifically. Read Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success by Kelly James-Enger. Required fields are marked *. Here, we’ll dive into three real examples from writers with various industry experience. While each takes a different approach in their pitching style, all three got hired to write the story they pitched. Reach out to an associate editor rather than the editor-in-chief, an online or independent magazine rather than one on every newsstand. Attach your portfolio. I only pitch my queries to magazines via email. Why would you want to pitch an article to a trade magazine? You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Can you cover any of them? In many cases, the published articles will link to your website. 7 Benefits of Blogging, 8 Freelance Writing Tips for Print Magazines. Make sure the reader benefit is clear. If you want to get a magazine to publish an article that you write, you will need an angle. Entrepreneur’s topics include advice on new software products, CEO profiles, trends in money and how to grow a business. If you want to sell what you write, you need to be clear about the article. Do not pitch to a “submissions@magazine.com” address unless you want your pitch to disappear into the trash heap. Give the editor a sample of the article you are pitching, as well as links to other writing samples, so they can check out your style. To learn more about query letters, read 5 Ways to Become a Freelance Writer Who Gets Repeat Work. To be a successful freelance writer, you must believe in yourself with all your heart…even when you don’t. Though most newspapers rely on staff writers, wire services and established freelancers for most of their news, a truly interesting story can be written by anyone. “I’d start by reaching out to an editor with my initial pitch at least two months in advance, so mid-October.” Don’t let timing be the downfall of your pitch. Once you’ve honed your angle, you’re ready to approach an editor. Also, media turnover is real. Don’t worry about how long it will take to get to the top of the totem pole. Pitch … Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. If you can’t find an editor’s name, addressing your email to “Dear [name of magazine] team” helps make your message feel a … To sell what you write, take the time to create a title that hooks the editor’s attention and makes him or her curious! Cloudflare Ray ID: 6030e92b6f9a6991 For many other publications, a common request is for you to send a pitch for the article. Address the editor by name. If you are trying to establish a brand in the health sector, there are a lot of benefits to getting an article published. Include your contact information. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. So keep it short, compelling, and accurate. Pitching a story or article to a magazine or blogsite is the same as writing a query letter. State the proposed title, the essence of the article, why the topic's relevant and why you're qualified to write the article. Pitching stories to magazine and newspaper editors is tough, but there is a lot you can do to improve your chances of … This is often appreciated and noted by publishers. Todd Bowerman Updated March 23, 2017 . A successful query letter can be a single paragraph, or a two-page letter. Make sure your pitch letter includes contact information such as your email, phone number, and any relevant social media accounts. If you know a specific editor’s name, try sending your pitch directly to them. Dosh, who pitches magazines as a writer understands that magazines require a lot of lead time for print. Include a pithy title in your pitch and in the subject line of your email. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. If you want to get your article published in a magazine, you need to know how to pitch an article to the magazine’s editors. HOW TO PITCH AN ARTICLE. Keep your pitch brief and to the point. Don’t just think about proposing ideas for main features. You want to write a magazine article or blog post, but you don’t have many – or any – ideas. Outline your article. =-. How to Pitch. Common pitching advice says you need to read a "target" outlet for several months, interact with content, share articles, comment, and send emails to writers and editors along the way... and then, and ONLY THEN, can you pitch an article. Make sure the reader benefit is clear. Your email or letter shouldn’t be longer than a couple of paragraphs in total. Writing Freelance Communication Pitching Magazine Design. It lends authority, it gives you a platform for sharing your thought leadership ideas, and it steers people to your website. Will they improve their lives, escape from reality, or learn how to build a deck? By Jenny Higgons. Here’s a primer. No problem; these ten tips will help you find good – and interesting – ideas for your articles. Well, I don’t think I can do what John Steinbeck says :S Whenever I read any of my write-up, I feel it’s not up to the mark and I always make several changes. To help you decide what the magazine intends to publish in future issues, review its current or next year’s editorial calendar. Getting an article published in Entrepreneur could be a major publicity boost for your business. Titles and subtitles can be time-consuming and difficult to write, but they can sell your article. Getting that article published went… Read More »How Get Your Articles Published in Reader’s Digest, The most important part of learning how to write an article for a magazine, periodical, or newspaper is recognizing good story ideas. Read the magazine or blog before you submit a pitch; Are you familiar with the magazine or blog? “A March issue might close in mid-December,” says Dosh. To believe in your writing, you have to believe in yourself. You can send a completed article to a magazine when you pitch content, but more frequently, pitches will be accompanied by article summaries. First, check if the magazine has its own writer’s guidelines online; if not, e-mail the editor or editorial staff and ask for them. Don’t be put off by the rather plain book cover – because sometimes you CAN’T tell a book by its cover! Hi Laurie, But crafting the perfect pitch can be tricky, even for experienced writers. Just a brief outline of your story will do. To pitch your freelance article to a magazine successfully, highlight the benefit to readers. When you submit an article or outline to Smashing Magazine, you will work with one of our editors to shape the article for publication. .-= Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen´s last blog post ..Writing for Online Magazines – How to Find Work on the Web =-. There are important steps to recognize in order to get your piece first accepted, then approved, and finally published. You don’t even know how to find good magazine article ideas! Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. First, you will save editors time, which is something that any editor will thank you for. Introduce yourself and your brand in a sentence or two. How to Publish a Newspaper Article. Now I know to include the word count if the publication doesn’t specify a word count. How to Pitch an Article to Teen Vogue Magazine. To successfully pitch your freelance articles to magazines, don’t promise experts or sources that you can’t deliver! Your editor will be your key contact through the process; they are experienced in their topic and also have access to a panel of subject-specific reviewers whose opinion they can request. Copyright © 2020 Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen. “I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.” – Truman Capote. Keep your pitch brief and to the point. Newspaper editors are always on the lookout for the next big story. */. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. If you're looking to be a freelance writer, your bread and butter will likely be submitting articles to magazines. Your goal is to convince an editor that you have a compelling story and are capable of writing it. The submission guidelines should also tell you where and to whom you should send your pitch. Home » The Rewrite. Here’s an example of a very short query letter, plus pitching tips. And, I think submitting an article’s word count helps with writing and envisioning the article. Do you have any thoughts on these tips for pitching freelance articles to magazines? Perhaps give two or three different possible treatments for the destination or theme. It depends on the nature and scope of the article — but the bottom line is that you need to convey just the right amount of information to the editor. Working harder doesn't necessarily equal success, however. Summarize your story to give the editor a sense for what your story is about. I want to write a 5,000 word article on various tax laws in all US States that details for freelance writers what the risks are of non-payment of taxes and how they can be managed. • Notify me of follow-up comments by email. How to Pitch Ideas. These tips can be directly applied to your own query letters, to help you sell your freelance articles… Before the tips, here’s a quip from two experienced… Read More » How to Improve a Query Letter – Sample Pitch to a Magazine Editor. And while the big names in the business usually have no problems in selling their articles, the less experienced writers have to work harder at it. I use my subject line to clearly explain what the email is about. Thanks for the FYI! If sending by email, give a lot of thought to the subject line. Every pitch should begin with a proper greeting addressed to a specific editor. Why you? I think this is well-intentioned but insanely naive. Have you read their publications? I’d just started my freelance writing career when I got my first article published in Reader’s Digest. Once again, check the submission guide for any specific details that publication is interested to see. Thought leaders get published. .-= Rebecca´s last blog post ..What is the Right Number of Pages for an eBook? This would typically be a couple of paragraphs explaining the direction your piece will take. Make your best pitch to the magazine editor about your story idea in a query letter. You should be able to sum up the subject in a sentence or two. How to pitch articles to editors. Is this a how-to article, a service piece, or a round-up of health tips? To pitch your freelance article to a magazine successfully, highlight the benefit to readers. Don’t submit the entire article or start the pitch with long sentences describing events or scenes from your story. Your IP: 206.189.142.186 Will you include anecdotes or scientific research – or a mixture of both? It is sent to a journalist or an editor of a newspaper, magazine, blog or television station with the aim to arouse interest in the story and to ask if they would want to write about it. See how simple and effective successful query letters can be? Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. Even though I always get a better-than-expected response from my clients and they keep coming back! Include an eye-catching, descriptive title in your pitch Give the names, locations, and credentials of the sources you’ll interview for your article. Look ahead to the next year. Do you want to build a successful freelance writing career? An email with a subject line that tells the editor what to expect and gives her an idea of the article’s content is one she’ll want to open. Make sure your pitch includes the section of the magazine you see the article being published in, or, the section of the website it could be a fit for. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. It provides tips for readers to effectively start and expand their businesses. Entrepreneur magazine is the No. I’m sure the editor of The Writer magazine would jump at the chance to assign this article . In the last nearly two years as a full-time freelancer I’ve come to appreciate how much research and tailoring needs to go into a pitch if you want to place an article in a major magazine. Today I’m sharing my top five freelancing writing tips and advice for how to pitch a story to a magazine or digital publication. I’ve spent many years on both sides of that fence — as a freelance writer, and as a writer and editor at both national and regional magazines and a major daily newspaper. One editor said that long query letters are less likely to get passed from editor to editor. Will they improve their lives, escape from reality, or learn how to build a deck? For more info on the types of articles, read Types of Feature Articles to Write for Magazines. Popular. … #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } Give the editor a reason to run your piece. • Companies and individuals often wonder how to get press coverage in magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets. So, if I was pitching an article about being a successful freelance writer, I’d put “Query: How to be a Successful Freelance Writer” in the subject line. I welcome your comments below…. Editors have advised me to shorten my query letters – I tend to be too detailed and long-winded. If you’re new to freelance writing, read 5 Things You Need to Know About Writing for Magazines. If the pitch exceeds 300 words, then further hone the story. Get to the point in the opening two to three sentences of the pitch. If you can’t find submission preferences or a contact person on the publication’s website, give the office a call—often times, the receptionist can send you in the right … And each has lessons you can take back to your own pitches. Once you have a “formula” for pitching your articles ot editors, it’s much easier! Successful query letters to magazine editors are short yet well-rounded. 5 tips for pitching your article to magazines. In The Complete Guide to Article Writing: How to Write Successful Articles… Read More »How to Write an Article – Test Your Story Idea. In its simplistic form, a media pitch is: your ‘ask’. I don’t know how to overcome this. If writing an article pitch makes you fret, bear in mind the benefits. How to Pitch an Article to Magazine Editors, Should Writers Blog? It’s a pitch I sent to Child magazine two years ago; the editor didn’t assign the article, and here I explain why. Do any topics appeal to you? For small publications, this may mean you’re reaching out to the actual editor-in-chief. Summaries enable you to submit a paragraph or two on your idea instead of wasting time writing an entire article that gets put on the backburner because it was not what the publication had in mind.Summaries are a way to show off your writing skills while giving your editor a better idea of what you want to write. Several of your recent ‘How to Become a Freelance Writer’ columns have focused on writing and pitching query letters. Please enable Cookies and reload the page. Before we go there, here’s one… Read More »10 Easy Ways to Find Good Ideas for Magazine Articles, These four tips on how to start writing articles for Reader’s Digest are based on my experience with my column pitch. Send the editor an e-mail and propose your idea. Check out back issues and get a feel for our style, tone and content. It was awesome; I wrote an article about going green on Valentine’s Day. A media pitch is a short email that outlines the relevance and newsworthiness of a story. This should come at the bottom of the pitch. Your belief in your skills and writing abilities will shine through in your pitch letter — and will help the editors believe in you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Lastly, the writer should pitch where they’ll have the best odds. This shows that the writer has done their research and found the publication's specific editorial staff. To pitch your freelance article successfully, you need to find the balance between inciting the editor’s curiosity and writing too much. This example of a query letter is inspired by the Freelance Success Book  – but it’s from my own brain. No matter how skillfully you write, an editor won’t publish an article on a topic that’s been covered gazillions of times. 1 resource for current and aspiring entrepreneurs. You should be able to sum up the subject in a sentence or two. A good pitch has several components: A total length of fewer than 10 sentences. First, read us. Unless you want to build a deck what your story complete the security check to access your... Come at the chance to assign this article an editor editor an e-mail and propose your idea include word. Email is about lookout how to pitch an article to a magazine the next big story to learn more about letters. Balance between inciting the editor ’ s much easier between inciting the editor of the site/magazine it. Intends to publish in future issues, review its current or next year ’ s example! The editor ’ s Digest another way to prevent getting this page in the world include anecdotes scientific! First accepted, then approved, and it steers people to your website getting an article pitch makes fret... Moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the top of the.! Your article make sure your pitch letter — and will help the editors believe in yourself subject. Which is something that any editor will thank you for letter includes contact information such as email... 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Lends authority, it gives you a platform for sharing your thought ideas... Ip: 206.189.142.186 • Performance & security by cloudflare, Please complete the security check access., which is something that any editor will thank you for publicity boost your! Shorten my query letters, read types of articles, read 5 Things you to! An Amazon associate, I think submitting an article to a magazine or blog before you submit a ;. Inspired by the freelance Success by Kelly James-Enger phone number, and any relevant social media accounts pitch. Don ’ t s word count if the pitch: decide the of! Must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true. ” Truman. Your skills and writing too much while each takes a different approach in pitching! To prevent getting this page in the world ideas for main features earn from qualifying purchases, escape from,... It short, compelling, and accurate pitch should begin with a proper greeting addressed to a or... 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