Pitching a story or article to a magazine or blog site is the same as writing a query letter. There are necessary steps to recognize in order to get your piece first accepted, then approved, and finally published.
1. Read the magazine or blog before you submit a pitch
Are you familiar with the magazine or blog? Have you read their publications? Familiarize yourself with the magazine, and then read its guidelines explicitly. Follow them to the letter. You wouldn’t send an informational article on how to raise garlic to a girl’s magazine, nor would you send an animal story to a sports blog. Know who you are pitching to.
2. Research: Has the story been done recently?
Google your idea for a story. Has the same idea been published elsewhere in the same magazine or one close to it? Choose a different focus or angle and rewrite it with a fresh look.
3. Send point of view
Editors want to know what you’re going to write about when you pitch a story. What is your point of view on this topic? Be careful of querying in generalizations, i.e., “I want to write an article about gardening.” You want to have a narrative with a well-developed idea. Tell instead an interesting point about gardening and why people would be interested.
4. Be specific
Be very specific in your pitch. If your article is about gardening, point out where you live and your personal experience. Pick a subtopic, such as unique gardening tools or exotic flowers and how it relates to you. Magazines like the personal touch; it helps the reader relate and understand.
5. Tell why you are qualified to write this piece
Do you have educational background on the topic, or is it something you have experience with? Have you written for other magazines or blogs? If so, link to your website or put in a link to clips of stories or articles. These are your credits and proof of your qualifications. (Read the guidelines. Some want attachments, others only want links).
6. If submitting recipes…
If you are submitting a recipe, is it your own creation? Have you published original recipes for publications before, or are you a working chef or cookbook writer? Tell them. Recipes must be credible — tested and re-tested. Make sure all the ingredients are correct.
7. Direct your pitch to the right place
Many magazines have a general submission email. However, if the magazine has specialty columns or pages, pitch directly to them. If an editor is mentioned, include their name in the email. Again, know the magazine you are pitching to. It will help in the long run.
8. Submit and Forget
Magazines get a lot of pitches, and sometimes, emails get lost or buried. The best policy is to submit and then forget about it. It may take several months before you are notified – and that’s if they like your pitch. If they decide to offer you an assignment of the article or story, you may hear sooner. I have heard from a magazine in the same day (unusual and unique). Others have taken up to a year to respond (if they do at all). If you don’t hear from them within three months, it’s safe to assume you can send your article to a different magazine. Keep submitting and forgetting, and don’t give up. You will find your niche and learn more as you keep on pitching your work.
See Sample Query Letter
Do you have a few abandoned manuscripts sitting on your computer? Are you lured away by new ideas, or do you find that getting started is easy, but continuing to write until the end of a first draft is the hardest thing in the world? You are not alone!