A Beginner’s Guide to Communicating With Editors

Here's how to take the first step in your freelance writing journey.

Last year I decided to branch out from my day job and pitch a few quick story ideas on my own time, hoping to file something within a week. I’ve been a staff reporter at a trade publication since my undergraduate years, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around how demanding freelancing is in comparison. Developing a voice takes time and—with the added challenges of independently pitching stories, sourcing interviews, and negotiating contracts—getting published as a newbie can feel like a tall task. Freelance journalists have no choice but to be resourceful and willing to dig deep for exceptional story angles.

The majority of my pitches weren’t responded to and turnaround times were slow at best. I’ve since learned that having multiple irons in the fire makes a real difference; if you start out like I did, sending one meticulously-crafted pitch to an editor at a time, you’re probably in for disappointment. 

But there is an antidote to the unpredictability that often comes with freelancing: building community. Finding solidarity with writers from similar backgrounds, learning from the pros, and sharing resources (like on Study Hall!) can set you up for success in ways that going it alone might not. 

After those first few dead-end pitches, I decided to reach out to some writers with more experience and see what I could do differently the next time around. Their advice offered a much clearer vision of the road ahead.

YES, YOU CAN!

When I first started pitching LGBTQ+ topics, I was worried about detailing my personal life to new editors. 

What if they’re biased against queer writers? I wondered. How am I supposed to balance my perspective with the constraints of “objectivity”?

For advice on pitching stories about personal identity, I asked Them staff writer and former freelancer James Factora how they overcame their discomfort. Factora said that a lot of trial and error was necessary for getting past the initial impostor syndrome that so many writers—and particularly those of marginalized identities—feel. Only after a solid dose of rejection did Factora place stories about being Filipino, his queer identity, and living with an attention disorder. 

“As disheartening as it can be, there will always be another editor out there who will understand, even if that editor is not somebody you share identities with,” Factora said. 

While freelancing from 2018 through September 2022, Factora discovered that although a personal essay may seem like an easy, authentic way to get a foot in the door, it can have unintended consequences.

“At the beginning of my career, I didn’t really have a sense of boundaries or the permanence that accompanies stuff you publish on the internet,” they recalled. “As a baby freelancer, I was so willing to be a diversity hire…I thought that I had to have a personal angle into everything.” 

I was still worried that outing myself to an editor might lead them to shunt my pitch straight to the reject pile. What if they think I can’t be objective? Factora offered a word of advice to writers with the same fears as me: “You’re never going to be seen as objective anyway, so you might as well lean in.” 

MAKING THE FIRST IMPRESSION

After speaking with Factora about finding the confidence to pitch, my next thought was, How the hell do I actually talk to editors?

Two pros offered some sage wisdom for making a splash in a stranger’s inbox.  

Hannah Docter-Loeb, a “jack of all trades” freelancer whose topics of interest range from science and DC politics, to social issues and internet culture, said that she learned the ropes of freelancing on Twitter during the pandemic. She was also a student at the time and hadn’t worked in a professional newsroom. 

“The first thing I got commissioned I wrote as a joke!” She said that she didn’t know the editor personally, nor did her first pitch require a big time commitment to draft and send.

Telling the editor upfront that she was a student involved in a college newspaper gave Docter-Loeb extra mileage to start the conversation and introduce her work. For anyone still in school or not far past it, college course essays make great clips, she said. 

Docter-Loeb offered these tips for making a strong first impression:

1. Spell the editor’s name and publication right. Proofread!
2. Start emails with warmth and give an elevator pitch about yourself.
3. Offer to chat more and end with a thank-you.
4. Show that you’re willing to workshop the pitch; it’s not set in stone yet.
5. Always say thank you for a response, even if it’s a no.

Griff Wynne, a staff writer at Huffington Post and former freelancer, added that an idea doesn’t even have to be fully-formed to be worth an editor’s time. 

“Every place takes pitches all the time, even if they say they don’t,” Wynne said. “If you need to get your footing in this industry, there’s not a graceful way to wait your turn. You kind of need to bust down doors.” Wynne suggested emailing everyone and doing so “often.” But don’t use the submissions email, they said—no one actually checks that. 

Editors who have their email in their Twitter bio and make it easy to reach them are usually looking for freelancers to hire, Wynne said. 

Wynne also suggested sending out a “flurry of ideas” — which, in their experience, tend to get bigger and more engaged responses — instead of one sterling, well-crafted pitch.  These flurries are lists of up to ten brief pitches tailored to the individual recipient.

“Speak as you normally speak,” they said, adding that a lively and engaging voice over email tends to grab attention in ways that the standard “Dear So-and-so” can’t.

Wynne also explained that there’s no secret society of media people who spend their free time laughing at freelancers’ emails. “You don’t have to stress over every word, wonder if you’re going to cancel yourself forever, or [worry] that everyone is going to think that you’re stupid.”

For those starting out and working through initial fears of cold-emailing, Wynne recommended jumping into the deep end: copy and paste the same email to ten different people from all sorts of publications, and see what happens. The worst response will probably be nothing. “Writing is rejection,” they said. “You need to get very comfortable with being rejected and not be afraid of it.”

Pitch with some key attributes of your writing style and your interests on display. Don’t lean into your status as a newbie too much, either. “We’re sunsetting the term ‘aspiring.’ You’re not aspiring, you are a writer,” Wynne said.

NAVIGATING THE UNKNOWN

With so many editors out there, a negative interaction is inevitable and par for the course. Fortunately, there are some solid indications as to whether an editor will treat you with respect or mine you for clicks. 

Early-career writers should watch out for editors looking for personal essays that get a little too personal. Or, in other words, an editor who doesn’t respect your boundaries. Green writers often feel as if they have to lean into certain aspects of their personal lives in order to get published. As a fresh voice, you need to trust your gut: if you feel pressured to share something that you wouldn’t want a wide audience seeing, speak up.

Here are a few other red flags to look out for:

1. You get the sense that there is a preconceived narrative for you to fulfill, not to discover in the researching and interviewing process.
2. The publication is inflexible on style guidelines or declines suggestions to improve their guides.
3. No matter how politely you ask, the editor won’t share professional connections or sources.

Even though you should always stand firm with your personal boundaries, a general rule of thumb is that editorial decisions are made in good faith—even if they aren’t particularly encouraging (e.g. pitch rejections and story killings). Once an outlet greenlights a piece, stay open to their feedback. “Editors are there to help you make your piece better. I don’t think they try to screw you over or attack your work,” Docter-Loeb said. 

FINDING COMMUNITY

It’s crucial for beginner freelance writers to make friends with other writers, and to really get to know how the industry operates from the inside. 

“People outside of media have no idea how media actually works,” Factora said. “It can be really frustrating if you don’t have people around you who understand those experiences and frustrations.”

Factora advised Study Hall members to get to know their peers within the network and reach out to writers they admire on Twitter (while it lasts). 

For journalists hoping to link up with other professionals who share their identities, Factora recommended the Trans Journalists Association, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). The Freelance Solidarity Project, facilitated by the National Writers Union (NWU), and the Industrial Workers of the World Freelance Journalists Union (IWW FJU) are always worth looking into, as well. 

Personally, although I’m still trying to land my first piece in a major outlet, I no longer feel discouraged when a pitch doesn’t work out. Even a rejection instead of silence is invigorating at this point. 

To those also figuring out the basics and looking to hop aboard the freelance train, don’t be ashamed of being a newbie. Freelancing is challenging but rewarding to those who stick it out, Docter-Loeb said. “It’s such a raw industry…but you can make it work.”