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Pitch Letter Essentials

Learn how to craft a knockout query letter

Pitch Letter Essentials
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WHEN Wednesday, June 18, 7-10 pm

WHERE BCA, Stanford Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116

DIRECTIONS Click here

PRICE
$65 ($50 for )
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Course Details

For a freelance writer, pitches are everything. They're your personal introduction, writing sample, and article outline all in one. They're how you break into a magazine and how you keep the assignments coming in once you do. Write a compelling query and you're on your way to an assignment, or at least an ongoing relationship with the editor; write a lousy one and you'll disappear into the slush pile.

Whether you're pitching a celebrity profile or a travel feature, there are some key techniques and strategies you need to know to come up with a killer query. This seminar will walk you through the most important ones, from researching your target publication to structuring the pitch to selling yourself as the perfect writer for the job.

In this seminar, you will learn:

  • How to surprise editors with fresh ideas
  • Techniques to come up with salable story ideas
  • How to tailor your query letter to the publication you're pitching
  • What editors look for in a query and what turns them off
  • What makes an effective -- and not-so effective -- query letter
  • Online query letters vs. print query
  • How to package yourself as the ideal writer for your idea
  • How to turn a query into an ongoing editor-writer relationship

Related Courses

Tell me when courses like this are scheduled.
• Copywriting Essentials – Boston (Seminar on May 14)
• Boot Camp for Journalists – ONLINE (Class starts March 24)

Instructor Bio

Sam Baltrusis's Courses

Pitch Letter Essentials – Boston (Seminar on June 18)

Sam Baltrusis
Sam Baltrusis has worked for WHDH-TV, CW56, MTV, VH1, Seventeen, Newsweek, and as a regional stringer for The New York Times. He's currently a full-time freelance editor and writer based in Boston where he's a regional editor for EDGE Publications covering Boston, Provincetown, and Providence and a city editor for a new wiki-based urban guide called Povo.com.
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