Pitch perfect: is that even a thing? | Tips from the pros
Pitching's no art form. Here's how to do it better
Did you ever get taught how to pitch? We didn’t. I (Lottie) did a journalism degree and an NCTJ Diploma, and during my entire three years of study not once did I have to pitch a story. I was never even told about how pitching to editors works.
Pitching, it seems, is a mystery to many – and often it’s a mystery to us, even after years in the industry. Each editor has their own quirks and preferences, and each publication has different sections freelancers can contribute to. Simply put, pitching is a minefield.
Then there’s the psychological side of pitching. For many of us (Steph most definitely included), carefully crafting and pouring your very best ideas and thoughts into a pitch, and then having it rejected, can feel profoundly personal. Never receiving a response from an editor can also seem like a comment on you, your ideas and your writing. I (Steph) know of many writers who’ve avoided repitching a publication because editors didn’t respond to their previous email.
As we’ve written before, there’s no concrete answer to the question: what makes a good pitch? The thing is, it’s rarely personal. More often than not, there are a specific set of circumstances that have to align in order for your pitch to land, and it’s often not even about whether or not yours is a good idea. I (Lottie) think it’s all about timing. You’ve got to reach the editor at the right time (when they’re ready to receive and commission new ideas), and you’ve got to pitch the story at the right time (before anyone else does and at the time it’s most relevant).
I also believe a lot of it is about tone. You’ve got to sound confident in your story and your ability to write it but not so cocky that you put an editors’ back up. You need to sound like you understand the publication and its audience but also try not to come across as arrogant and know-it-all.
There’s a fine balance to strike, and it’s a real challenge.
It’s something I learned during my Rough Guides days, when I got to sit on the other side of the desk and receive hundreds of pitches each week from eager freelancers like I am now.
I learned how to judge and pick apart pitches so that I could tease the best possible story out of a writer. I learned how to question an idea and how to recognise the potential in an angle or the person pitching it.
I also learned how not to pitch, thanks to the countless terrible emails I was sent. I could write you 1,500 words on pitching don’ts, but I’m not entirely sure that’s helpful. Instead, we need to focus on the pitching dos, and who better to offer those tips than our network of highly successful travel writers?
Read for pitching inspiration from our favourite travel writers on Twitter…
This is the free version of Talking Travel Writing. The rest of November’s emails are for paid subscribers only, and it’s going to be a cracking month. Coming up for this series, we’ve got:
An inside look at actual pitches we’ve sent and had commissioned or rejected
Tips from three commissioning editors
An exclusive call-for-pitches from the Independent’s Qin Xie
Don’t miss it – become a paid subscriber now.
Pitching tips from pro writers
In the coming weeks, we’re going to be bringing our paid subscribers top pitching tips from a series of travel editors, plus an exclusive in-depth call for pitches from one national newspaper website. Don’t miss out
In the meantime, we asked our network of brilliant writers what their game-changing tips for pitching are…
Pitch call-outs
(Thanks to The Freelancer Feed for spotting this one)
We’ll have an exclusive call-for-pitches courtesy of the Independent’s Qin Xie in November’s final edition of Talking Travel Writing. Become a paid subscriber to get access to this and future exclusive opportunities.
Cliché corner
Vibrant nightlife — Don’t fall for this expression. We all know it’s a lazy euphemism for “the writer got sozzled and can’t remember much beyond their first pisco sour”.
Acronym of the day
WTM — World Travel Market, which starts next week online. Sign up and put all those great networking tips we gave you last month into action. Get a refresher on networking in the travel industry in our archive here.
Industry must-reads
We’re really excited for this Wednesday’s launch of The First Mile, a brand new podcast from Ash Bhardwaj and Pip Stewart, two adventurers (and award-winning journalists) in their own right. They’ve got ten episodes lined up for this season, in what will be an immersive travel podcast, bringing you untold stories from the world of adventure. It’s an inclusive show, with diverse perspectives and dynamic production, that’ll transport you around the world.
As we head into a second lockdown and the realities of COVID-19 on the travel industry continue to dawn, Stanfords — any travel journalist’s favourite bookshop — needs your help. After 167 years in business, they face the terrible prospect of shutting up shop for good and have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the £20,000 per month they need to stay afloat until March 2021. Please consider donating; we need to help keep our independent bookshops alive.
Speaking of which, rather than Amazon, consider using Bookshop.org for future orders of guidebooks, travelogues or the like. This socially-conscious alternative allows you to buy from independent bookstores across the country, with the stores receiving the full profit margin — 30% of the cover price — from each sale.
This is the free version of Talking Travel Writing. The rest of November’s emails are for paid subscribers only, and it’s going to be a cracking month. Coming up for this series, we’ve got:
An inside look at actual pitches we’ve sent and had commissioned or rejected
Tips from three commissioning editors
An exclusive call-for-pitches from the Independent’s Qin Xie
Don’t miss it – become a paid subscriber now.