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Topic: reaching a live person at the local daily?
| Author | Message |
| aspiringwriterinsf | Posted – 7/12/2007 2:42:53 AM | show profile | email poster I called a business editor to pitch a story idea but i keep getting the voicemail. i emailed him my story pitch but i haven't gotten a response. i've tried calling the general section line and it's an automated voicemail. what should i do? the story idea is sort of time sensitive but i could write it without the time sensitivity factor. is it common to get voicemails for newspaper editors? i pitched other dailies and have reached a live person typically. thanks aspiringwriter |
| reporterwriter | Posted – 7/12/2007 9:49:47 AM | show profile First, call the paper's main switchboard after 10 a.m. and ask to be put through to the newsroom (or newsroom receptionist, if it's a big paper), where you can reach a live person whom you can ask whether the business editor is ill or on vacation. Second, if the editor's not sick or on vacation, assume he got your messages and is either (a) busy putting out the paper or (b) not interested. As to your question about voice mail, yes, voice mail is common among newspaper editors, who these days seldom have downtime anymore. |
| aoscruggs | Posted – 7/12/2007 12:04:16 PM | show profile Try email Have you tried to pitch by email? I'm finding folks are responding to email more quickly than to telephone calls. |
| aspiringwriterinsf | Posted – 7/12/2007 8:44:54 PM | show profile | email poster tried the email route I emailed him my pitch which I had a mentor critique before I sent it off. I guess he's not interested. |
| Neo | Posted – 7/12/2007 10:23:50 PM | show profile Hi! aoscruggs, I'm sure you don't remember me, but I worked as an associate editor on your kids' book with Scholastic many moons ago. Hope you are well! |
| candylilacs | Posted – 7/12/2007 10:44:36 PM | show profile Call between 11:30 a.m and 2 p.m. If you want to be hardcore, call at 12:05 p.m. Call the newsroom and ask for X. Sometimes they are told not to give calls to editors, so you may have to e-mail instead. Follow up. ------ http://www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com |
| aoscruggs | Posted – 7/12/2007 11:49:43 PM | show profile | email poster Neo You just justified my membership. Now I know that I can live in Cleveland and connect with the NY publishing community. Please email off the board. |
