The perfect pitch

Almost eight years ago, as a newby freelance writer, I pitched a story to Men’s Health magazine and was... rejected!

“Shocking idea! Don’t give up your day job! You’ll never make it!” I yelled to myself as I stomped around my office. Positive self-talk was never my forte.

After attempting to repair my shredded self-esteem with a family-sized block of chocolate and a bucket of coffee, I sat back down at my computer to re-read the email considering I had began said stomping after reading only one word: Unfortunately...

“Put the thinking cap back on and let me know if you've got another option,” the editor, Bruce Ritchie, continued kindly in the second sentence. He then asked me to come into his office to chat about future stories.

Again, the stomping around my office began, this time with such overwhelming euphoria that I splattered my coffee over the keyboard, rendering it defunct and useless in facilitating a reply to the now-revered King Ritchie.

To render a short story even shorter, I did go in to meet Bruce armed with a spiral notebook full of story ideas and went on to write regularly for Men’s Health for the next six years.

There's more to a successful pitch than just the story idea

So, although my first story idea was rejected, my pitch was actually successful.

The same thing happened when I approached Reader's Digest a little while later – I was invited to meet with the features editor and discuss numerous story ideas and an ongoing professional relationship.

In planning this post, I waded through those successful earlier pitches to see if there was a common factor that had led to me being commissioned.

In some pitches, I sent a two-line introduction and the first five sentences of the story, followed by bullet points of who I intended to interview and the other issues I would cover in the story.

In other instances, I sent a line or two detailing the angle of the story and why I felt it was suitable for that particular publication.

Occasionally, I listed four or five story ideas as bullet points in the hope that if the editor didn’t like one, they might like another.

However, the key to my successful pitches, I believe, had less to do with the layout and structure of my emails, and more to do with my overall sales pitch. Basically, I sold them me, or more to the point, I sold them my reliability and professionalism.

Here are the three things that were consistent in every successful pitch:

1. The emails were brief, bite-sized grabs that editors could whisk their eyes over in the precious seconds they had between morning news conferences and lunchtime management meetings.

2. There wasn’t a single typo, misspelled name or displaced comma in the text.

3. I knew, for a fact, the story ideas would suit the publication’s readership and told the editor in the email why I thought so. You see, I didn’t come up with one yarn and then pitch it to 20 different publications. I had – and still do - a one-story, one-publication policy. Naturally, if my idea didn’t sell the first time, I would pitch it to other editors, but not before researching that publication thoroughly and coming up with a fresh pitch to suit them.

Meeting editors' needs

I also took on board any whisper of advice the editors offered in their email responses or during follow-up phone conversations and used it to refine my pitches.

I know, from my days as a former commissioning editor for feature sections on The Daily Telegraph and Medical Observer, that those story pitches where the writers exude confidence and a level of thoroughness, preparedness and professionalism are almost always successful.

One woman who knows what it takes to create a successful pitch is Valerie Khoo, director of the Sydney Writers' Centre and former Cleo features director.

Here, Valerie offers her expertise to give you the inside knowledge of what editors are looking for in story pitches.

What are the key ingredients of a perfect pitch?

“At the heart of the perfect pitch is knowing the target audience of the publication you are pitching to. The better you know your target audience, the more focused and relevant your pitch is going to be,” says Valerie.

“It's also useful to understand the kinds of feature articles that your target publication is likely to publish. Do they like case studies or expert opinions? Do they prefer experiential stories? The more you can shape your pitch to suit the target publication, the better.

“So, as you can see, there is no straight answer for what makes a perfect pitch because a perfect pitch is one that incorporates all the elements that are ideal for a feature article for your chosen target publication.”

Is writing on a speculative basis – or ‘on spec’ where you write the entire article for an editor to see before being commissioned - a waste of time?

“No. Some articles - such as travel stories - are often written on spec. When you are starting out, writing on spec can sometimes help you get your foot in the door.

“However, once you are an established feature writer, your need to write on spec diminishes greatly as editors get to know your writing, byline and reputation.”

How can I make an editor notice me above all the other freelancers?

“Be professional in all your dealings. Be timely in responding to their queries. Have an understanding of the pressures they’re under.

“Above all, deliver what you say you will, when you say you will."

The editor is not returning my calls. What do I do now?

“Find out if the editor is on leave - it could be a simple explanation like that. If not, follow up via email/phone without becoming a stalker.

“Also, it depends on what you are calling the editor about.

- If you’re chasing payment, perhaps the editor is not the right person to follow up with.
- If it's about getting feedback on a story, the editor will get back to you if they have queries.
- If it's about whether they like your story idea, give them time; they may need to take it to an editorial meeting first.

“Instead of fretting about it, channel your energies into other story ideas to other editors. Don't rely on one editor or one publication for your freelance income.”

How long will it take to make freelance writing a financially-viable career?

“How hard are you willing to work? I have students who have done courses at the Sydney Writers' Centre who have made a go of it straight away. They make a full-time income within the first six months of doing a course. Some have achieved this in three months.

“However, other people may take years to get to this stage. It depends on how much time you are willing to commit to this goal, how efficient you are at interviewing and writing, and how serious you are about this career.”

Any tips on dealing with constant rejection?

“Look at whether you have really studied the target market of the publication you wish to write for. If you are constantly getting rejected, your pitches may be a bit off-the-mark.

“I truly believe if you are clear about your target market - and you tailor your stories to suit that market - your chances of rejection drop dramatically.”

Who do I pitch to: deputy editor, features editor, editor?

“It varies from publication to publication, so your best bet is to call the publication and find out who the person is who deals with freelance contributions.”

In summary, the best advice I ever received was from an editor who said, 'A freelancer’s job is to solve editors' problems by filling their publications’ pages with quality content'.

So, if at the core of every pitch and every follow-up email/conversation you are thinking about how you can make the editor’s job that little bit easier - and you are professional and thorough - you will greatly increase your chances of being commissioned.

For more information about Pamela Wilson or WriteSmart, log on to http://www.writesmart.com.au/