A Mini-Guide on Pitching and Learning to Always Aim for the Goal
A few bits of advice for incoming, and potentially fellow, freelance writers on pitching and dealing with rejection.
Although my newsletter is mainly about film reviews, Oscar season, and general thoughts on what’s happening in the filmmaking world, for my last 2023 post, I wanted to do something different: A mini-guide for those looking to make their way into the freelance film journalism world or potentially those within that realm already. As someone with plenty of experience in this field, I wanted to share my guide on pitching as a way to ease one’s way into the freelancing hustle.
Remember the “Who,” “What,” and “Why?”
The key to a successful pitch is remembering three things: Saying who you are, what your idea is, and why it should be published now. When conjuring up your pitch, always start with a mini-intro saying who you are if you’re contacting an editor for the first time and where you’ve been published. Then, roughly 1-2 paragraphs outlining your idea and why it’s the right time to publish it. For example, if you’re proposing a listicle of an actor’s best work to tie into the release of their newest film, be sure to include that last part.
Some might still ask, “What if I didn’t write enough of what an editor is looking for?” As long as your pitch doesn’t only consist of you saying, “I would love to write about X” or “It’s the good time to do a write-up on Y,” you should be fine. Admittedly, I sometimes wonder whether I wrote enough before sending my pitch. But as long as you get more detailed as you say what you want to write about, try not to overthink it.
After writing up your pitch, next is the scariest part:
Hitting the “Send” button.
It is nerve-wracking because you don’t know how editors will react to your idea or how they’ll respond. But the more you hit “Send,” the easier it’ll get. Also, whatever you fear editors are saying is probably just your mind telling you these things. Like the great Alexis Rose once said, “People aren’t thinking about you the way you’re thinking about you.”
Playing the Waiting Game
So, you got the hard part of hitting the “Send” button out of the way. Now, you might have to play the waiting game. While you may occasionally get a quick response, you’ll have to do plenty of follow-up because even the best ideas can get lost in the shuffle. I personally always wait around a week to send a follow-up e-mail. If you want to hear feedback sooner, you could wait 3-4 business days. Either way, don’t e-mail them every hour or day until you get a response because editors are busy people and have other duties besides commissioning articles.
You might ask, “What happens if I send a follow-up e-mail and still don’t get feedback?” Don’t fret. As I said, even the best ideas can get lost in an editor’s inbox. Also, on a side note, if you try to e-mail one editor again after not getting a response the last time you pitched them, don’t forget to reintroduce yourself in the opening paragraph because they might not have gotten to your previous e-mail.
While waiting for a response, keep throwing your ideas around to other editors because if you finally get feedback, it might not be the outcome we writers always hope for.
That brings me to my next and final point….
Dealing With That Dreaded “R” Word
Rejection.
All of us writers hate that word, and when it happens to us. But nine times out of ten, it does happen, and it sucks. If you craft a good, timely idea and wait a week to follow up yet still get told “No,” remember there are always other forces at play. Whether it’s due to budgeting or the outlet running an article similar to your pitch, there are various reasons unrelated to your idea and the quality of your idea as to why an editor passed on it.
Of course, that might not make the sting go away. Even if you get told why they’re passing on your pitch, it’s normal to feel sad about it. Whether it’s crying or watching an episode of Bob’s Burgers, do whatever you can to make yourself feel better. However, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, give editors lip when told “No.”
I know rejection isn’t fun, and it can be frustrating having to get through a handful of “No’s” to get to a “Yes.” But remember that editors are only one person having to choose between your great idea and other great ideas. If you give so much as a passive-aggressive response to an editor who took a little time out of their busy schedule to reply, the chances of you working with that editor become slimmer.
If you’re hit with the word “No,” you’re free to feel sad about it. Sadness is a common human emotion. But all you can do is dust yourself off and move right to the next outlet. Also, think of it this way. The editor who passed on your idea at least knows who you are. You can say you crossed off the “Who” part of pitching and are one step closer to getting commissioned. It might take a handful of tries to get that coveted byline on an outlet you’ve been e-mailing. There are some outlets where it took me months, or even years, to get a byline. But if you still keep getting responses despite them being rejections, take that as a sign that the editor is interested in working with you. If you keep trying, you will get there.
Some might still ask, “If most of my pitches will be rejected, why bother doing this?” Well, it’s always best to balance both pragmatism and self-confidence. Always go in knowing the likelihood that your idea might not be commissioned while still sending it anyway to take the risk and because you believe in the pitch.
It’s a lot like playing a game of ice hockey. You won’t score a goal unless you keep shooting your shot. If one rejection stings worse than another, it’ll feel like falling pretty hard on the ice, but then you get back on your feet and keep skating. You skate faster than before and keep shooting that puck at the goal.
Keep skating, writers!! Hopefully, my advice was helpful enough, and best of luck in the new year!!! Happy 2024!