Author: Vidya Prabhakar
Making the perfect pitch: How to land that coveted writing assignment
It is the start of a new financial year and you want to drum up some freelance writing work. You have called your favorite magazine or local newspaper suggesting that you can contribute an article. But it seems like almost every time you call, they are too busy to hear you out. Do you worry that your idea will not take off?
Don’t let it happen again. It is time to send out a pitch letter that grabs the editor’s attention and lands you that coveted writing assignment.
What is a pitch letter and how do you draft that attention-grabbing letter?
Simply put, a pitch letter or a query letter is a sales latter. The basic aim is to attract the attention of the editor. It needs to outline what you plan to write, why the topic is relevant and why “you” should be chosen to cover it. You do not have to tell the whole story here but just enough to pique the interest of the editor.
Editors typically expect to see a 1-page query letter – so how do you pack your information within this space? Help is at hand; Think of it as a 3-part letter – here is how you can present it to your benefit:
The first part: An editor wants to hear your tone, style and voice. It is best to start your letter like the lead of your book or article. A intriguing , attention grabbing sentence or “hook” is the way to go.
The second part: Here you outline the way you plan to present your article or book. If it is a book, you may want to present a brief section of the book. If you are pitching an article, mention if you are interviewing experts, researching facts or presenting personal insights.
The third part: This is where you sell yourself and explain the “why me” factor. This is where your credentials and platform come in handy to convince the editor that you are best suited to write the article Always remember to give complete contact information – make it easy for the editor to contact you.
Sample pitch letter
Keeping this structure in mind, let us work through a sample query letter. So, I decide to pitch an article on “10 tips to raising the perfect kid” to a parenting magazine. Here is what I can do:
My opening sentence can be as dramatic as – “5 year old Rohan is in the middle of an uncontrollable tantrum in the candy aisle of the local store – does this scene sound familiar? Are we letting kids rule the world?” A couple more sentences written as if it is the lead of the article may be added here, for effect.
The second part of the letter can give a sneak peek into a few of the tips that will be part of the article. In addition, I can highlight that I plan to present expert opinions from pediatricians, child psychologists, advice from parents and personal anecdotes. This will give the dimension of the article and the editor will know what to expect.
Finally, I use the last section of the letter to reassure the editor why I am qualified to present this article. Present your platform and sum up your experience. You can say, “I have contributed to” or “My published work includes” or “I have written for” or “I hold a degree in child Psychology”. This important part of the query letter will determine if your work will sell.
Remember, irrespective of how good your pitch letter is, it may be rejected if the timing is not right or if the idea does not appeal to the editor or if you are knocking at the wrong doors to sell your genre of writing. Simply move on; research the market better, understand the needs of the publication and their target audience. Armed with the right information, draft that killer pitch letter to land that writing assignment.
About the author:
Full Name: Vidya Prabhakar – Vidya is a Chartered Accountant and a Psychology postgraduate. She has worked in finance, banking and the content development industry. Reading, writing, baking and needle crafting are among her many pursuits.
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- Five Steps Towards An Attention Grabbing Query Letter
- How to Pitch Articles to Indian Magazines and Publications
- Basics of Children’s Writing and Publishing
- Tips to Write a Killer Cover Letter
- How to Write and Sell a Feature Article
Comments:
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I like the way you have divided the pitching letter in 3 parts and explained each part. Nice writeup