How do editors actually commission stories?

Insider tips from three editors

One of the most common questions for any journalist, not just travel writers, is:

What makes a good pitch?

But I don’t believe anyone can answer that with any real certainty. I’ve had what most would consider to be terrible pitches commissioned, while other ideas that I’ve spent hours crafting and honing for the right editor have been rejected in an instant.

I actually don’t think pitching success is about how you write your pitch – a good pitch can come in many guises. I think it’s about knowing how the editor looks at your pitches, and understanding what boxes they need to tick to be able to commission it. Knowledge of this process can go a long way towards helping you pitch the right stories to the right people at the right time, so here a few incredibly kind, excellent editors explain how their commissioning process works, and what they really want from writers like you. 

Karam Filfilan, Editor at Horizon Guides

Horizon Guides is a relatively new start-up, so the way we work and the content we're after is constantly evolving, sometimes even week by week...

How does your commissioning process work?

Pre-pandemic, there were two types of pitch we accepted: guidebook style commissions, focusing on how to see/do a specific thing in a specific place (e.g. Wildlife watching in the Pantanal), and in-depth travel features, that could be as much about the story as about travel (this piece on finding redemption in a bar in Costa Rica).

We hold monthly editorial meetings to plan out the specific guide style commissions we want for the coming months based on gaps in our content, where we want to look for partners and timely events. From here, we have a target list of commissions. I'll then look to fill these – either from previous pitches that are similar or show expertise in the region/activity, through shout-outs (emails to our writer database/social media) or most often, by researching writers that I think will be a good fit and contacting them directly.

For features, these largely come from emailed pitches, although we might have a specific region or type of feature in mind.

I make the final decision on who takes a commission. How often varies depending on our needs, where the business is etc. Currently, it might only be 3-4 guide commissions per month.

What most influences your decision to commission a freelancer?

For feature pitches, it's all about the story, but some evidence of previously published work is useful.

For guides, the writer must show in-destination expertise (i.e. having been there recently or being a regional expert). As we're after guidebook level detail, we'd favour writers who can demonstrate previously published guide content with other publishers. We do consider (and commission) writers who only self-publish, but this is rare. Your portfolio is vital to us.

We are also keen to get local voices, as well as experts in a field. This might be someone who is a cycling writer but can provide guide information on cycling routes in the UK, or a wildlife expert who knows where and how to see orangutans in Borneo.

When it comes to pitches – and I know every editor says this – please look at our site and content. If you don't have much of a portfolio, I'd say choose a niche and show why you're an expert in that place/activity. Don't pitch something obvious.

What do you want to see in a pitch?

A good pitch explains why we should cover the story. It is different from what we already have on our site (or explains why we've missed something) and is short and concise. It should include information on the writer, with links to previously published work (ideally around the content of the pitch). My preference is for a bit of informality – I receive hundreds of pitches, so if you can include a line that shows you know something about me/Horizon, it can pique my interest, and show you've done some research.

Are you accepting pitches right now?

Yes we are, but they should be focused around domestic tourism options in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and America. We're hoping to go back to worldwide from the autumn.

Unless it's an exceptional pitch, we're unlikely to accept features currently (although pitches around the pandemic and how the travel industry is coping might be considered).

Jo Fletcher-Cross, Editorial Manager at APL Media

I’m editorial manager at APL Media, and we specialise in content marketing and contract publishing. We publish National Geographic Traveller, National Geographic Traveller Food, Postcards, Travel Trends, numerous newspaper lifestyle guides, directories, special reports and one-off guides; as well as managing events and producing events and awards, videos and commercials and digital campaigns.

I have specific commissioning responsibilities for Postcards and Travel Trends as well as a few other bits and pieces. Postcards is a B2C custom travel magazine which we publish four times a year for Travel Leaders in the US. It has a circulation of 1.8 million.

How does commissioning work for your titles?

For both the products that I commission for it’s an entirely solo effort – I decide on what’s commissioned, I look for writers, I deal with pitches etc. Travel Trends is on hold for now, but for Postcards I commission four times a year.

What influences your decision-making process the most when commissioning freelancers?

I tend to send out calls for pitches with specific instructions – i.e. send me some cuttings/a link to your portfolio, tell me what your story idea is, etc and if people don’t actually send me what I need then I just immediately bin the emails as it suggests they’re not going to follow my brief either. That might seem a bit harsh but I’ll often get more than 100 pitches if I send out a call so I see it as a good place to start narrowing down.

After that, a portfolio is very important – you might have a fabulous pitch but there are plenty of people who can write a good pitch but can’t follow it up with a decent feature.

What do you want to see in a pitch?

Specific info. I sent out a call for a feature on Maya culture in Mexico recently. It was amazing how many pitches I got which just said ‘I’ve been to Mexico, I’ll do it for you’ without specifying why they were right for the job.

I don’t need a huge long spiel, just a few lines. If it’s a pitch on spec, the same rules apply: tell me what the pitch is, why you should write it, and what/where you’ve written previously, with links or a website link.

Are you accepting pitches right now?

Usually I’m looking for really specific areas that we’ve outlined in our editorial plan for the year and I’ll put out a call for those. However that’s all up in the air – I won’t be commissioning again till late in the summer but I’m not sure where for.

I don’t mind receiving pitches on spec and I do file the good ones – usually not for the specific story but if I am looking for someone who has been to a certain destination I’ll check which writers I’ve filed away first before I do anything. I do get hundreds and hundreds though and as much as I’d like to reply to them all I simply can’t or I’d never get anything else done.

I don’t have any pitching guidelines to share, but I’m happy to hear from writers if they just want to get on my radar – letting me know what destinations you specialise in/have material on is particularly useful while everything is up in the air.

Ben Parker, Content Editor at Telegraph Travel

I commission all of the UK hotel reviews and lots of other countries around the world. Now, I’m also in charge of our cruise coverage. I work across print and online, and I’m generally very fluid with what I commission, so if a story is great and has legs, whatever the topic, I’ll take it to the commissioning meeting.

How does your commissioning process actually work?

If we’re just talking on the cruise side of things, the decision lies solely with me. When I get back to you depends on how busy I am and what time I have. For other features, I get the pitch and usually have to take that to a commissioning meeting with the team (currently held over Zoom).

What influences your decision-making process when commissioning a freelancer?

A good story goes a long way. But your email manner helps, too. If you’re trying to pitch something tongue-and-cheek or something lighter, come across that way. Obviously, do a good job on the pitch, but if you want to write something with a bit of personality, the personality is really important in your email.

The portfolio is really important, too. It’s all very well saying “I’ve written for X or Y”, but if you’ve only written for a publication once that’s not so great. If you're consistently commissioned by one publication, that shows me you're doing a good job.

I’d also say that one thing that does affect online commissioning is SEO. It’s so unromantic, but it’s also a natural way of pitching something. Looking at what people are searching for should be part of your pitching process.

What do you want to see in a pitch?

One thing that’s really frustrating is that when people pitch stuff we’ve already covered – this happens a lot with hotels. We have to fight for print space and we have to fight to get stuff high up on the homepage, so we need new stories.

There are two key things I want to see:

• This is why the story is important now

• This is why I should write it

Are you accepting pitches right now?

I’m always happy for people to pitch me anything – I will always pass things onto the right editor if it’s not my beat, too.

Josephine Price, Online Editor for National Geographic Traveller (UK), APL Media

I'm currently on maternity leave until spring 2021, but here's how it works when I'm at my desk and there isn't a pandemic... 

What's your commissioning protocol?

When you pitch an online article for National Geographic Traveller (UK) your email will come through to me (the online editor) in the first instance for an initial opinion but we’re a tight team so everyone gets involved at some point. We’ll run through shortlisted pitches for the website in weekly meetings with the wider online team, the print editors and our editorial director.

I’ll also forward pitches that might be a better fit for the magazine to the print team. Likewise, the print team will send me things that may work well for the website instead of the mag. It’s a collective effort. We’re always sharing pitches, ideas, writers and so on. And we’re constantly commissioning. We’ll work quite far ahead with some things, but with others we can work to quicker time frames, given the flexibility that the online world affords us.

What influences your decision most when commissioning freelancers?

A good email is where it all begins. Simplicity is often overlooked and underrated. Be clear and concise and show that you know the publication and our content.

When we’re commissioning the story is the most important thing. It always will be. But it can be hard and time-consuming to decipher this in a jumbled email. So, keep it succinct.

Good email manner is unforgettable, but bad email manner is even more memorable. Get the basics right. Check and check again before you hit send. And then once you’ve sent it, I’m happy for you to follow up. Be politely persistent. But, phone calls chasing responses to pitches usually don’t go down too well.

What do you want to see in a pitch?

There’s no template for a good pitch. And I think this is a good thing as the features we commission are as varied as the pitches we receive.

I want to be sure that you read the magazine online and in print. Tell me what you can offer and why we should commission you.

What kind of format will the piece you’re pitching take? Is it a photo story, a report, a city guide, or destination feature? You tell us. 

Is your idea different from what other magazines are publishing or is it a different take on the same story? Why are you the best writer for this piece? What can you bring to it? Is it urgent? Is it useful? Give me the angle and the hook. And if it’s not timely, why now and why is it important? What makes it a story worth telling?

Remember we’re looking for good, strong story ideas with authoritative background knowledge of the destination from curious and inquisitive writers. Aim to showcase a story well told with a clear sense of place in your pitch. We can work together on the rest.

Who is accepting pitches for the NGT website right now?

I’m currently on maternity leave until spring 2021. In my absence please contact the assistant online editor, Nora and the acting deputy editor, Amy with pitches. If your pitch isn’t right for the website but might fit elsewhere, they’ll circulate it around the team on your behalf.

---

Acronym of the day

ABTA — the Association of British Travel Agents, the UK's largest travel association, representing travel agents and tour operators. Useful for industry insights, spokespeople and finding media-friendly operators.

Cliche corner

Bustling market — An antiquated expression formerly used to imply that you WILL get shouted at by desperate vendors; in modern parlance, it may instil a fear of rapid coronavirus transmission in would-be travellers.

Industry must-reads

Last-minute curveball! We're not recommending an article this week, but if you read this newsletter before lunchtime then sign up for this Very Important Webinar. Meera Dattani, the author of last edition's Piece of the Week, is now chairing a panel all about decolonising travel writing.