Having worked as a features editor for numerous magazines, head of copy for a content agency and MS/slush reader for various literary agents, I’ve looked at 1000s of pitches and submissions.

One of the things that always stands out is what I call ‘quiet confidence’. The opposite also stands out, but for the wrong reasons when a writer tries too hard to impress or puts themselves down unnecessarily.

Most of us may not feel very confident when we pitch; I know I don’t. But we don’t need to let editors see that – we can fake it till we make it. Here’s how.

Just cite a handful of references 

A confident submission doesn’t list every publication you’ve written for. Just mention two or three, with links to pieces the editor can look at for themselves.

Choose a title that the editor is likely to have heard of, and a piece of writing you’re proud of. But stay relevant – if you’re pitching to write an insurance industry report, there’s no point linking to your chicklit novel or your travel guide to Buenos Aires.

Respect the editor’s time

Keep your pitch short, crisp and to the point – a couple of hundred words max. The editor has thousands of things to read, and may simply turn off looking at anything that feels too much like hard work.

You could, for example, include a general intro about yourself and why you’re pitching, with a few links and a brief summary of the idea you want to pitch. You could then go into the idea in more detail under a separate heading or even below your email signoff.

Don’t beg it

A pitching message is a crisp business communication between professionals, not a piece of fan mail or a begging letter.

So there’s no need to pretend you know the editor more than you do: ‘I realise you must get 100s of emails like this but…’ And no need to butter them up: ‘I’m a massive fan of {your title] and love what you’ve done with the editorial direction…’ or ‘I read your piece on XYZ recently and was completely blown away by the way you…’

Make this about you, not them

Within reason, of course. But basically, your pitch is simply you saying: Hi there, we’re in the same business, I’ve got an idea that might work for you, here’s a few creds, what do you think? Don’t act as if you have to prove you are a writer worth considering – just show that in your tone and content.

Don’t overdo the chasing

Editors hate being chased, because they are very busy and have to prioritise all the time. If they decide they want your piece, you’ll know all about it soon enough.

Personally, I almost never chase, or only once after a very decent interval, and in a very low-key way. Sometimes the best way is not to mention the idea at all but nudge the editor in another way, for example by commenting on one of their social media posts or even pitching another idea.

It’s important, too, to make peace with the fact that you may never hear back on that particular idea from that title at all.

An example

Here’s the sort of template I might use to pitch an idea:

Hi Georgina 

I’m a journalist and copywriter with words in X, Y and Z. I’ve also created content for numerous brands, including A, B and C.

I saw your callout for ideas about writing and running, and I wanted to pitch one on how moving from shorter runs to marathons helped me move from writing short stories to completing full novels. See more details below. 

For reference, here’s a couple of links to recent pieces of mine: <links>

Do let me know if I can tell you more.

All the best 

Dan 

At all, just act as if you are a writer with an idea worth looking at, which of course you are, even if you don’t always feel it.

Dan Brotzel – Funny-sad author | www.danbrotzel.com
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