Query Series: What to Pitch
You’ve read your magazine backward, looked at the ads, read the submission guidelines and now you’re… stuck. What to pitch? These tips will help you develop a story idea to pitch in your query.
- Start small. If you’re pitching to a magazine for the first time, don’t start by pitching a full-length feature article. Start by pitching a smaller piece. Look for regular columns that accept shorter newsy or “editor’s finds” items. Expect these pieces to run between 200 and 500 words.
- Find the angle. Many of the things you could write about for any magazine are “evergreen.” In other words, they keep forever. Look for a way to make your pitch timely. If writing about cheese is a year-long option, find an important festival, competition or maker to write about. This bumps your story from the “maybe someday” pile to the “April issue” pile.
- Think ahead. Editors plan issues at least six months before they hit the newsstand. So if you have a great idea for the holidays, pitch it April through June. Also note when the magazine does annual issues such as “best of” coverage. If your story idea could be tied to one of the magazine’s annual features, pitch it six months before the next one is due out.
- Leverage your strengths. Whether you relax by turning wrenches on your 1965 Chevelle or doing asanas on the yoga mat, you’ve developed some expertise. So write about your hobby or area of special interest. If you’re not an expert yourself, interview someone who is. (This goes for your work, too, whether you’re a hairdresser, accountant or customer service rep.)
- Walk around the block. Tip O’Neill, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 1977 to 1987, once said, “All politics is local.” I won’t say all writing is local, but local can be a good place to start. Find a new or out-of-the-way restaurant, attraction, artist or issue particular to a place you know well. Chances are, yours will be the first (or most compelling) pitch on that subject.
So. You’ve gotten to know the magazine and its requirements, and you’ve narrowed down your story idea. Next time, I’ll cover the anatomy of a query letter.
This post is part 2 of a series on querying for magazines. Part 1 covers getting to know the magazine.