✎ pitch 'n' submit
Timeliness matters. Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Tax Day, Arbor Day, they’re all valid pegs. If your subject spikes in search, conversation, or even just vibes during a particular month, say so. Evergreen stories are great, but evergreen-with-a-calendar-hook helps get pieces greenlit.
Catherine Baab • 11 Pitch Calls Paying $50→$1,000
plus an example (Wall Street Journal)
lots of good pitching advice — mention the readers, tell them your turnaround time, explain the style you’ll write in, more
Remember that your idea may evolve.
As I did my reporting, I realized that the story was going to be less about harmful character chatbots and more about how teenagers are using AI for mental health support and eating disorder recovery — and how clinicians are responding. I still included the report that I had initially framed my pitch around, but ... See more
As I did my reporting, I realized that the story was going to be less about harmful character chatbots and more about how teenagers are using AI for mental health support and eating disorder recovery — and how clinicians are responding. I still included the report that I had initially framed my pitch around, but ... See more
10 lessons learned from pitching, reporting, and writing my new Teen Vogue story
your pitch can change if your reporting changes it — communicate these with the editor in advance of submitting the draft
I'm pitching a timely personal essay that would delve into why, as a lifelong runner, I no longer run Turkey Trots. These trots have made Thanksgiving the most popular running day in the U.S., but they’re often touted as ways to “earn” a “guilt-free” Thanksgiving meal, as though one must repent for eating in excess. As someone who has spent my enti... See more
Skip the diet talk today (+3 writing-related tips)
example pitch (local newspaper opinion section)
How to Write a Strong, Compelling Book Hook
10 Agents Looking for Novels Like “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt
four common types of hooks:
setting or worldbuilding
plot
theme
character
How to Pitch
thewordling.com
pitching guidelines for 201 publications
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
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
How to Pitch the Cut
good pitch formatting guidelines for anywhere
Every time I read a query, the opening paragraph ends with a list of big, overarching themes. And I want to convince you, nay, challenge you, to lead with intrigue instead.
The theme sentence is usually some variation of:
The theme sentence is usually some variation of:
- A memoir of the complications of love.
- A generational saga of love, loss, and life at sea. (Okay, life at sea is intriguing.)
- A lit
12 Agents Looking for Your Coming-of-Age Books
query openings that lead with intrigue rather than theme/topic first sentences