The Home Run Pitch 2.22.05
Today’s Home Run Pitch comes to us from Shel Zolkewich, a writer in Winnipeg. Her query nbbed her a story in the Saturday edition of the National Post, one of Canada’s two daily national newspapers.
I’m on the quest for the perfect pickerel dinner and what better place to go fishing than in my home town of Gimli, Canada where fish fries flourish?
There’s Steve’s Sauger Shack on the corner of Ist and Ist that serves up a plate with sweet caramelized onions on the side. Steve used to manage a Hooters Restaurant before coming home to fish with dad and open a restaurant. Down the street at The Beach Boy Restaurant, Savas and Lucy bring a Mediterranean touch to their pickerel platter that comes with lemon roasted potatoes and Greek salad.
Gimli is a town full of commercial fishers so walleye fillets are easy to come by. Most of the town’s dozen restaurants serve a version of this fish, from pickerel on a bun to (pickerel) cheeks in butter.
I propose a feature that compares a few of the dishes, delves into the background of their creators and offers a little Gimli flavour on the side. Are you interested in this story?
Why was this a successful pitch? Read on.
Shel sez:
“I think this pitch worked for a couple of reasons. It was very specific about who would be featured. It didn’t hurt that these folks had some colorful names (Steve’s Sauger Shack). The three points-compare a few of the dishes, delve into the background of their creators and offer a little Gimli flavor on the side-probably sealed the deal. The editors knew exactly what I would include in this story. In subsequent e-mails, I offered to get a recipe from one of the cooks and that was a big plus. I also took a few photos. I think providing these extras is one of the reasons I have snagged more work from this client: they know that I am capable of finding the extra bits that make a story that much fuller.
“I also make it a habit to actually ask the question “Are you interested in this story?” rather than letting the idea float out there.”
Thanks to Shel for sending this in. Do you have an old pitch letter laying around that got you the assignment? Email it to me along with an explanation of why you think it got you the gig. I’ll send you a special prize if you do. (Special prize is currently undetermined but quite real, I promise.)
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