Proven Tactics for Getting Editors’ Attention With Your Pitches

One of the first mentors I had when I started freelance writing gave me some excellent advice. Like most young freelancers, I wanted nothing more than to pen features for all the best magazines, but my mentor didn’t pitch to these idolized books, unlike many of her similarly-abled peers. According to her, editors at many of these popular publications wouldn’t respond to her pitches.

Of course, I was familiar with the process of months and months of following up on pitches by email and phone that probably borders on stalking. But my mentor knew that her hours spent working at her desk were highly valuable, and she wasn’t going to do the things that freelancers often do to try to up their chances of being published in the best books, like pitching to editors who don’t respond to pitches they’re not interested in, corresponding with editors who always want to see more research on ideas outlined in pitches but also don’t respond if they’re not intrigued by the pages of research you just turned in, or working with editors who routinely require that front-of-book pieces be rewritten three times.

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So many freelance writers, raised with the mantra of “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again,” keep pitching to editors at their favorite publications, even if it may be a waste of work hours. So, what’s a savvy freelancer to do?

Overcome freelancer frustrations

Stephanie Nolasco, a widely-published New York-based freelance writer, hasn’t seen success — or clips — come effortlessly. “There have been times where I’ve pitched some great ideas to well-known publications. Although I followed up via email… I didn’t receive a response. A few months later, my idea was featured in their magazine, but with a different twist. Recently, I composed an 800-word story and submitted it to a publication that was expecting it. After all that writing and research, nothing! It was such a frustrating situation to be in.”

Nolasco understands that editors have tons of responsibilities and that they are often strapped for free time at the office, “but writers should also get the same respect for discovering overlooked stories, researching, battling writers block, editing for hours, and finally submitting [the piece]. If editors want to build a solid relationship with a particular writer, they need to recognize the worth and value of their work.” Nolasco thinks that it’s important for editors to send freelancers a quick “no” on a pitch and write a simple email to explain why an on-spec story or an assignment was killed. “Writers are passionate and eager people who’re ready to collaborate with their editors, but this can only be done successfully if the chance is given.”

Make the most of your work hours

Michelle Goodman, the author of My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire, thinks it’s important for writers to understand what they want out of their careers so they can pitch accordingly. “If there’s a writing credit that you really want, a highly coveted publication — they know that they are that and if their editors have a reputation for putting freelancers through the ringer, there may not be that much you can do to combat that. You have to just keep pitching cold if you really want it. But there are so many credits out there!”

Goodman recommends that writers develop relationships with a number of editors who they can regularly work on stories with… and if freelancers feel so inclined, they can reserve a limited number of work hours working on cold pitches for vaunted publications that are much harder sells. “You can spend four hours doing the minimal amount of research for a pitch and nothing might happen. This is something I would only do every few weeks.” To Goodman, cold pitches are generally a “no” for writers who want to see major results coming from their work days. “I am not someone who does a lot of cold pitches. I know they work and I have done it before, but I am put off by the whole process. I would rather pitch an editor that I have a connection to — and I know there’s that conundrum.”

Stephanie Nolasco also sees that networking gives her a better chance of getting assignments. “I contact editors from all my favorite magazines, briefly introduce myself via email, and submit some clips that best reflect the magazine’s voice. I then begin pitching ideas to them in a week… I often set up informational meetings [with editors] over lunch (where I buy!) or in their offices, where I ask them questions about how they got started in journalism, and for advice on pitching for that magazine…” Nolasco senses that this proactive approach bumps up her chances of getting published.

Give overworked mag staffs some credit

“As frustrating as it is waiting to hear back from editors, I really can’t be upset with them,” says Rachel, a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer who has worked on staff at various regional and national magazines and newspapers. “Magazines are just so understaffed that there really is no way for editors to respond quickly to all queries. Rachel recalls that when she was on staff at one magazine, she would “feel so sick” when she looked at the huge stack of papers in the submissions basket. “There was nothing I could do. We were on deadline! I recommend that magazines just hire a batch of interns whose primary responsibility is to read and answer pitches.”

Brian Parks, the arts and culture editor at the Village Voice, receives between 20 and 25 pitches every week from new writers and tries his best to correspond with them: “I like to be as responsive as possible. But I honestly do not have the time to respond to all the pitches and other emails and calls I receive — I’d spend all my day emailing and not doing the rest of my editing job. In general, I’d say it’s fine to follow up if you have not heard back from an editor, but never to nag, which is counterproductive. If an editor has not replied to you after a couple emails, just accept that as a ‘no’ and move on,” he says. However, Parks is very sympathetic to writers trying to break into their favorite NYC-based publications: “Know that it’s hard to break in, not because the papers and sites are being snobby, but because we receive many more pitches than we could ever accommodate.” Parks recommends working as an intern or a fact-checker, as a gig like this is a “solid way to become familiar with both that publication and the general NYC scene, and is a good way to make contacts.”

But, there is an upside to the freelancer’s dilemma: Writers are continuously getting new clips at the best publications, and someone has to write for them. Perhaps the issue here is that it isn’t impossible to be a widely-published freelance writer, but no one ever said it was going to be easy.

Liz Funk is a Manhattan-based freelance writer who has written for USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, and CosmoGIRL!. Her first book, Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls, was published by Simon and Schuster’s Touchstone/Fireside imprint in March 2009.