The Writing Coach Blog

The Pitch Letter: How to Sell a Freelance Story

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by Maya Payne Smart

Editors glean story ideas from myriad sources. Make yourself one of them by sending out appropriate, well-crafted pitch letters. For the uninitiated, a pitch letter (or story pitch) is basically an e-mail that clearly states what you'd like to write about and how — and when you aim to deliver the article in question. Here are a few pointers.

Be Specific and Succinct

Editors typically have dozens of e-mails — queries, story proposals, press releases and more — cramming their in-boxes at any given moment. They rarely have time to pore over every word. So, first and foremost, your pitch letter needs to answer two burning questions: "What is this about?" and "Why should I care?"

Grab editors' attention with the most interesting aspect of the story you want to tell. In other words, lead with a startling statistic, a quirky insight, or a controversial statement. Name-dropping works, too.  Note a mutual connection to a colleague or another shared affiliation (a friend, your alma mater, a professional organization, etc.) to get a foot in the door.

Next, briefly state your story idea and your angle on it. Be clear and concise. If you can't sell your idea in a few sentences, editors probably won't buy it. Don't make them guess: Explain how you plan to report the story, including which sources you'll consult, any special access you have, and what information you'll compile to make the piece compelling and informative. Note any sort of ancillary material you can include (sidebar, photos, audio) to add value to readers.

Target the Publication

Once you've pitched your idea, tell editors why you believe the story is a perfect fit for their publication — or even where and how you see it presented in its pages. Don't assume that they'll see its merits in the same way that you do.

The takeaway: It's better to let editors know what your idea is — and where it fits into their publication - right off the bat. Make it a standard part of every pitch you write.

Provide a Time Peg

Familiarizing yourself with a publication and its readers before you pitch is what separates the amateurs from the pros. Your story idea needs to be not only relevant, but also timely. Pitch letters should tell editors why they should run your story — and why they should run it now.  You don't want your idea to go into their file of evergreen ideas that they may run "someday." Explain why it's better to assign you the story sooner, rather than later.

For example, if you see a certain question being posed repeatedly to your target publication's Web site, pitch a story that answers that question. Your pitch will have a greater sense of urgency because you've already demonstrated that readers are interested in the topic.

You may also want to note how your idea relates to a publication's previous coverage. Is yours a topic the publication hasn't covered, but should? Is this an update or the next logical step to other stories it has published? Will it help a publication beat its closest competitor to the latest punch?

Tout Your Talents

Lastly, make a case for you as the story's writer. Editors need a reason to assign you this story, as opposed to having someone in-house tackle the assignment or, even worse, another freelancer. You may not yet think of yourself as a unique service provider, but you are. Document the ways in which you're the best prepared to tell a particular story.

Maybe you're the best writer for a given piece because you have access to the sources. You have the home phone number of the elusive executive whose interview is crucial to the story. Or maybe you're a good fit because you're a less-expensive option. Why pay someone else to travel from New York to Idaho, when you're based in Boise?

Anticipate editors needs — and questions — and your pitch letter is sure to grab their attention. More importantly, it just might win you an assignment, too.