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Article Pitching Tips for Freelance Writers // Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Hi
For a while, people have been asking me about how to pitch articles to a publication and land a commission for fun and profit. So, instead of repeating myself ad infinitum (I do enough of that already), I wrote a little guide, which I have called Jack's Bitchin' Pitchin' Hacks. So, think of them as a series of ingredients to use in your pitching recipe. No pitch could possibly include them all (what kind of crazy recipe would that be?) but you can pick and mix from them to make said pitch more palatable to your commissioning editor (hah...) Think of it as your cribsheet / cheatsheet. The document contains hyperlinks, which look like this. Caveat: These are what have worked for me as a writer. I have worked in journalism, copywriting and technical writing (etc), whereas I have no experience with other/specialist areas such as grant writing or medical writing. Nobody's an expert in everything! :) So, as with everything, Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense". Take what is usable from here and discard the rest. And as always, tweet me if I can be any help: @koukouvaya
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
The Fundamentals:
MINDSET: You are here to serve the editor and reach the
editorial goals. You are flexible. You are super open to feedback. You are a problem solver. You are meticulous. You are shit hot because there are thousands of other people who are perhaps equally as good and who could be doing what you do. You will earn this commission and you will make the editor come back to you for more! Phrasing: State why you 'feel' these ideas may be suitable (not that you 'know'). Politeness: Good. Assumptions: Usually not good. Ask questions. The pitch is not you telling the editor 'what's what', it's a means of opening a dialogue to find out what the editor wants, which can be uncovered by questions. And then finding how you can fix it with your wordsmithing.
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Structuring
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Shortform Example:
Title of piece (can be speculative) Angle and keywords youll address Target wordcount Piece In a nutshell Example of one of the main points youll address (works especially great if its a list article) Personal connection/experience/credibility, if any.
Longform Example:
Title of piece (can be speculative) Angle and keywords youll address Target wordcount Piece In a nutshell Main Topic/Angle Secondary Angle(s) Is there an alternative/opposing viewpoint? Who could you speak to? How would the story be illustrated/photographed? Example of one of the main points youll address Personal connection/experience/credibility, if any. What can the reader learn/take away from the story? Any similar stories you can reference/link to?
Real Pitch Example: Food Trends: The History of Coffee [Which I wrote for Yahoo] How it is made and prepared How it was discovered
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
How caffeine works on the body and why we enjoy it. How much
is too much? Defining different types - espresso, cappuccino etc. Difference in coffee preparation and how this affects taste Interview with an expert e.g. coffee connoisseur! - Most expensive coffee? How to tell 'what's good' etc. Main types of coffee beans - e.g. Arabica Historical significance of coffee. How it is enjoyed across the world - regional variety in coffee preparation (e.g. Greeks love of frappe etc.) Personal note: I'm a coffee fanatic and could bring a lot to this one!
Is there a celebrity tie in or statement from a celebrity's agent? Any interviews with subject matter experts? Any juicy quotes or soundbites you can include in selling the
pitch?
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
keyword combination trending, which you can address in your article (and especially in the article title!). You can use Google Trends to see what's happening. And you can address the keyword in your title. If pitching for web, do you have an online/social media following (can you quote follower counts, etc.) or another means to drive traffic to the article?
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Selling Yourself
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Timing
Mention if any part of the article is currently in the news. Or will be in the news at a predicted time of release? (Obviously best for a prolonged/slow moving story idea or a
one with a seasonal tie in - i.e. a Christmas story...) For some online properties (such as gossip/showbiz news) where stories move incredibly fast, even getting the story a few hours before everybody else is a major selling point. Can do you do that? Consider the editorial calendar - do you know what they're planning to write about? - and can you offer to help them out in advance?
Pitch Development:
Pitch Credibility: Can you get statistics to back up your story?
Are they from a *credible* source? (such as a government agency and not a study commissioned by a corporation ALWAYS CONSIDER ULTERIOR MOTIVES) And can you verify them, firsthand? Can you pitch for/refine your pitch for a specific subject area(s)? Can you consider adapting/repurposing an older pitch or outline for this publication? (This can save you time having to come up with and pitch new ideas and get you more bang for your buck out of some of your better ones)
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Why just do one piece? Can you pitch a series of articles? Or can you break a pitch with a large word count into a series of
articles? If the pitch isn't suitable, and development isn't an option, but the editor genuinely likes the idea, can you ask them for a recommendation on who else to take it to? This can get you a warm introduction to a possible new source of work and makes the editor look good for passing on something worthwhile (i.e. you and your story) to the other editor.
Deadlines
As a rule: Don't miss 'em. Consistency with hitting deadlines is one of the best ways to
demonstrate your (ongoing) professionalism as a writer. If it looks like you are going to miss your initial quoted deadline, contact your editor as well in advance as possible. Explain your reasons and apologise.
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Some deadlines are more fixed than others. It's not the end of
the world if you miss the very occasional one. But plenty of warning is important. As is a good reason.
Other Ideas
Can you offer a choice of topics and offer to be open on which
the editor picks? Can you offer examples of display copy or the text you could lead/introduce the piece with? The text by which you will 'hook' the reader. You can pitch multiple ideas in one paragraph per idea and offer to work with the editor to hone the ones he/she likes, to fit the publication needs. This way you can develop multiple story ideas (and commissions) in a single email thread. You can offer 'feature suggestions' (you do have awesome ideas, right!?)
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
In a bidding environment (such as a freelance marketplace like elance.com), many writers from countries where English is a second language will bid well below what is economically viable for Westerners to charge. If you are a Westerner, you may feel obliged to compete with them. Don't. This is almost like a trap. The vast majority of these writers can't provide the kind and quality of material that a native speaker can. There is a separate market in which clients will pay much more cheaply for a somewhat lower quality of written work. And this is probably not the market that someone living in the West can afford to work in. Here clients often care more about quantity of words, keeping costs down and passing copyscape tests.
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Here's some stuff to remember and expect for after you've 'landed' your gig...
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
rates for guidance. American freelancers may want to look at AmSAW's rates. You can state your rates in advance but you may find that your publication has their own. Is there an amicable overlap?
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
higher paying assignments if you work all hours on lower paying ones!! **
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
You can think of the process as either going wide or deep. In depth you cultivate a very specific niche and area of
expertise. An example of depth would be someone who was one of the only people in the world who knew about the subject (thus making it a specialist subject). They might for, example, hold a Ph.D. Depth is good because there is very little competition (almost nobody else can do what you do) but the subject can be hard to get into without some serious background study/credentials. Also some subjects can be so niched that theres not much work writing about them. In width, you might write for an area that is much more popular and thus more competitive. An example of a wide subject would be say, football journalism.
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Think about how water finds its course. It does what comes
naturally and easiest and then over time, wears out a course, which becomes the riverbed. Which becomes the river It can be the same for you. Its basically a positive feedback loop.
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
Jacks Bitchin Pitchin Hacks v1.0 // Jack Oughton http://jackoughtonwriter.info// https://www.facebook.com/jack.oughton.writer // 2013: CC BY-NC-SA // Wanna chat? Tweet @koukouvaya
Jack Oughton, AKA Koukouvaya AKA many other names, is a writer of many things (amongst many other things) from Croydon, UK. He maintains an esoteric blog of philosophy and acerbic poetry at xijindustries.com, more professional cuttings on Muckrack, and a portfolio of other things (mostly not writing related) at koukouvaya.co.uk. Jack can be found tweeting on as @koukouvaya and likes to say lots of words that nobody takes seriously.
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You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.~ Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing