Pitching best practices for freelancers

existed thus far, and why I would be able to pull it off. The most important pitch isn’t a polished one, it’s a casual one. Remember, you’re ideally not going through a deck. You’re setting up casual meet-and-greets with investors. At some point in the conversation, they’ll ask you what you do (that’s their job!). Here, you have to absolutely knock

... See more

The amount of work it takes to actually get something published vastly outstrips that of writing it. This iron law of freelance writing is indubitable and unchangeable. You don’t just have to write a piece, you also have to pitch it. This involves all sorts of contortions and self-promotion and nudging and mildly stalkerish behavior. I had the most... See more

One year since the best "job pitch" I've ever received. Lesson: Shoot your shot.

What’s the best way to format a pitch?

Optimize the subject line. For example:

Personal Essay Pitch / ‘I Didn’t Want a C-Section, But My Doctor Gave Me One Anyway’

Investigative Reporting Pitch / She Says She Was Raped at Work. Her Boss Says It’s Blackmail. Who’s Telling the Truth?

Tell us who you are and why you’re the right person for this piece.

... See more

A good pitch answers the questions: What will readers take away from the piece? Why is this important and timely? Why are you in a unique position to tell this story?