How To Pitch An Essay

Before pitching an essay to an editor, the first thing you should do is check the outlet’s pitch guidelines. After that crucial step, here are some tips on how to craft a good pitch:

 

• Research your argument. It’s always a good idea to get a sense of whether or not someone else has made a similar argument. Especially if you’re pitching a trend piece, you will want to see if this has already been covered. 
• Find 2 – 3 examples. An essay (or op-ed) is fundamentally an opinion piece. That being said, your opinion should be grounded in facts (this is crucial when writing a political opinion piece). When pitching a trend piece, you should include some examples in your pitch. Link to these examples to make fact-checking for an editor easier, and also, showing that you’ve done the work.

• Stress the relevance of your pitch. Your pitch should follow a media moment. In other words, it needs to be relevant. This means you shouldn’t pitch an essay about a TV show from seven years ago (unless it’s just recently been added to a streamer). You can emphasize an anniversary angle, however, most pitches that get accepted are pegged to a news cycle. Personal essays are different, and chances are, the editor has put out a call for specific things they are looking for. 

• Include recent bylines. You don’t have to have a lot of experience with opinion writing to land an assignment. However, you should demonstrate that you have some experience with writing and research. You can link to 2 – 3 bylines which demonstrate your ability to research and write. 

• Keep it short and sweet. You don’t have to write the whole essay in the email. Two paragraphs introducing yourself, the topic, and relevant clips will suffice.

• Include word count. 
• Proofread. Read your pitch out loud, and check to see if there are any typos or clunky sentences.

• Wait. The editor may respond immediately. Or, you will need to follow up. Wait 7 – 10 business days before circling back, and only follow up once. Best of luck!