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Topic: How to Pitch from outside the US
| Author | Message |
| EuroWriter | Posted – 10/31/2007 5:56:33 PM | show profile | email poster I love reading the "how to pitch" pieces, but every time I am frustrated that you fail to ask: What's your appetite for foreign copy? What kind of stories should freelancers living and working outside the US pitch to your publication? It doesn't take creating a new forum or new feature, just using those interview oppotunities to pose an additional question that would be a great service to MB members who work abroad. |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 11/10/2007 10:11:29 PM | show profile | email poster co-signed |
| arewrites | Posted – 11/13/2007 2:28:03 AM | show profile Why? The HTPs clearly describe the kinds of articles the editors are looking for. It doesn't matter where the writer is when he writes it. And if the magazine does take stories about subjects outside America, that will be clear from looking at the magazine itself (or its web site), which, of course, any seasoned freelancer does *anyway before sending a pitch. And yes, I write this from experience, having lived in Europe since the '80s. |
| arewrites | Posted – 11/13/2007 2:28:34 AM | show profile Why? The HTPs clearly describe the kinds of articles the editors are looking for. It doesn't matter where the writer is when he writes it. And if the magazine does take stories about subjects outside America, that will be clear from looking at the magazine itself (or its web site), which, of course, any seasoned freelancer does *anyway before sending a pitch. And yes, I write this from experience, having lived in Europe since the '80s. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 11/20/2007 3:34:35 PM | show profile Moi aussi I know the audience is smaller but how 'bout How To Pitch some Cdn pubs: Chatelaine, Canadian Living, Canadian Family, Today's Parent, More (Canada), etc. Thanks! |
| Canadiana | Posted – 11/22/2007 6:01:39 PM | show profile test |
| EuroWriter | Posted – 12/7/2007 8:01:54 PM | show profile arewrites: why not? what does it hurt to ask the editor a question or two about foreign coverage? obviously, we all look at a pub before pitching. if that's all it takes, then why bother with the HTPs at all? I'd find the comments about foreign coverage of interest. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 12/7/2007 8:59:08 PM | show profile It probably depends on two things: whether the answer is interesting and what percentage of the readership is based outside the U.S. After all, this is a zero-sum game: Every minute in the interview you take for one question, and devoting space to the answer, means there is another question you can't ask. If 99.9% of the readership for these are based in the US, there are probably more pertinent questions. --arewrites: why not? what does it hurt to ask the editor a question or two about foreign coverage? obviously, we all look at a pub before pitching. if that's all it takes, then why bother with the HTPs at all? I'd find the comments about foreign coverage of interest.-- |
| arewrites | Posted – 12/10/2007 1:38:41 AM | show profile No harm in asking, but it's a stupid question. The answer is evident in the rest of the information there. People who live outside the US will be expected to do exactly what people who live in the US do. |
| info55 | Posted – 5/29/2008 4:17:07 PM | show profile | email poster foreign outlets and structure overall for how to pitch I agree with EuroWriter. It would be very helpful to have a foreign perspective and we could use more foreign pub listings here. Also, I haven't found a section that is simply a "How To Pitch" section. I'm not that skilled at navigating this site but think it would be helpful to have the additional option of simply clicking on a "How to Pitch" tab and seeing all the publications you can choose from sorted either alphabetically or by genre. In some cases, there are publications we miss out on because we simply aren't aware they exist so we don't search for them individually. If there is such a spot on the site, would someone please direct me to it? Thanks! |
| mb_greg | Posted – 5/29/2008 6:52:30 PM | show profile | email poster Here you go -- alphabetically, by category and by most recently added: http://www.mediabistro.com/content/archives/howtopitch.asp ------ Greg Membership Director mediabistro.com |
| arewrites | Posted – 6/7/2008 6:50:36 AM | show profile >>I agree with EuroWriter. It would be very helpful to have a foreign perspective and we could use more foreign pub listings here.>> Actually, that wasn't what EuroWriter said at all. |
| arewrites | Posted – 6/7/2008 6:52:32 AM | show profile >>Here you go -- alphabetically, by category and by most recently added: http://www.mediabistro.com/content/archives/howtopitch.asp>> Kind of you, but utterly useless. Why not add a link to the menu, up there with all the stuff that earns you money, like "courses" and "events"? |
| mb_greg | Posted – 6/8/2008 11:00:53 PM | show profile | email poster It's there as well, under Content --> How to Pitch ------ Greg Membership Director mediabistro.com |
| arewrites | Posted – 6/9/2008 6:38:36 AM | show profile >>It's there as well, under Content --> How to Pitch<< I'm sorry. You seem not to have understood. Yes, it's under "Content -->" but that is hardly the same thing. Moreover, that does not take you to -- or alert you to the posting of -- the latest HTP. I'm talking about a direct link. There is no reason on earth why that can't be placed in the margins or menu bar, just like all the moneymaking and overpriced classes. |
| mb_greg | Posted – 6/9/2008 4:34:03 PM | show profile | email poster arewrites: I guess I don't understand. That link does include the most recently updated HTP guide. In addition, whenever we release a new or updated guide, we almost always feature it on the homepage, both in the center of the page and in a fixed position on the right side (Recent Features). More broadly, if you're implying that we're conspiring to hide How to Pitch in favor of "money-making" services, all I can say is that HTP drives more AvantGuild sign-ups than any other service we offer, which means a) it's as much of a money maker as our classes, and b) the last thing we want to do is make it hard for people to find. If you have ideas as to how you think we should promote it around the site, I'd be glad to hear them. We generally haven't used salesboxes (which are those boxes on the right of the screen) for HTPs because they are updated so frequently that by the time we created a new box, there'd be another article to promote. But maybe we should consider using them for some of our most popular evergreens. Anyway, this is an ongoing process, and as always, your input is welcome. Thanks. ------ Greg Membership Director mediabistro.com |
| arewrites | Posted – 6/11/2008 7:13:46 AM | show profile >>arewrites: I guess I don't understand. That link does include the most recently updated HTP guide. << I'm not sure what there is not to understand. In order to know whether HTP has been updated, or what the new HTP is, you have to go on a hunting expedition. Moreover, many of us don't bother with the home page. We go to the bulletin boards, where there is absolutely no direct mention of the latest HTP, or announcement that there is a new one to read, or any indication, in fact, that HTP exists. I also don't understand your explanation about the box. Are you saying that you don't know what the next HTP will be in advance? You can't prepare the announcement before the article posts? Is it really not possible to make changes on this site from one day to the next? I find that hard to believe. Here's another option: AG members receive Revolving Door e-mails all the time. Why not send HTP the same way? |
