On Pitching

I think I get this question more often than just about any other:

How do you pitch stories?

Believe it or not, I actually do have a system. (Anyone who knows me, or at least who has seen the cluttered collection of rubbish I call a desk, will probably answer “believe it not.”)

But I do! For me pitching is a two step process:

The Elevator Pitch

My first pitch e-mail is an elevator pitch, always.* If the editor wants a specific story, I’ll send that over. If they’re looking for ideas, I’ll send over a few; anywhere from two to five, depending on circumstances.

An elevator pitch is short. One or two sentences max, something like this:

Why Puppies Make Good Reality TV Stars

In an age where fragmented audiences have sunk ratings across the board, puppy-based shows are crushing it in every demographic. What are they doing right, and why they’re the future of television.

Do three of those, add nothing else,** then hit send.

The Follow Up

If the editor likes any of the initial pitches they might ask you to just write the piece, especially if you have a relationship. Or they might ask for a follow up.

A follow up pitch generally consists of three things:

Elaboration on the original elevator pitch. Make it a short paragraph that tells the story.

Your anticipated sources and leads. Prove that you have the story.

Timeline, technical issues and anything else you anticipate will come up in the writing of the piece.

ONLY include the pitch(es) they asked for follow up on. They do not want the others.

A follow up might look like:

Why Puppies Make Good Reality TV Stars

For years scripted and reality TV alike have watched their ratings collapse, except in one key area: puppies. Shows featuring small dogs have consistently beaten every expectation, pulling down numbers and money in amounts not seen since Friends or Seinfeld. Experts say they offer the kind of drama and relatability that human actors just can’t provide in an always-on era. As a result, an increasing number of network executives are looking to Internet celebrity pups to rescue broadcast television, dedicating their fall schedule to all things small and wiggly. Whether audiences will stick with this new model or whether it’s a fad, who can know; what’s for sure is that puppies are coming to a screen near you this fall.

Based on interviews with NBC content administrators, celebrity dogs and their owners, TV critics and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Will also include research on the data demonstrating profitability and viewership.

Anticipated reporting time: three days. Will rely on the services of Madam Paws, Pet Psychic to translate for Popeye the Foodie Dog.

This gives the editor the critical information. She now knows the story, knows how you intend to report it, on what timeline you’ll do so and (if relevant) any other important details.

Why do it this way?

Because most of my work is beat writing.

Look, if you’re pitching a magazine or a big feature, this system probably isn’t for you. Those often need bigger pitches off the bat, but with daily copy editors need you to get in and tell your story fast. They’re handling way too much material to deal with a 500 word initial pitch. Just imagine getting 40 of those per day from hungry writers; reading pitches is all you’d do.

Keep it short, keep it simple. If your editor is interested she can ask for more, but don’t use any more words than you must. If she opens up a wall of text to pitch a 1,200-w0rd daily story, she’s deleting that thing unread.

Which is ultimately the whole point of the elevator pitch system: as a writer it’s your job to make your editor’s job easier (a big part of the job anyway). This helps.

* “Always” meaning, as always, unless the editor asks for something different.

** You may say hello or include a cover letter as necessary.