Read back issues of the publication to get a feel for the type of articles they publish or already have published. It\u2019s embarrassing to pitch an article that\u2019s been done before. Reading the publication also clues you in on what \u201cgenre\u201d of articles the publication publishes and the overall tone. Reading the letter from the editor can also give you clues to what kind of articles they are looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe quickest way to kill a relationship with a journalist is to have not done your research,\u201d said Cheryl Reed, assistant professor of English at Northern Michigan University. Reed is a veteran journalist, having been a former editorial page editor, columnist, book critic and investigative reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the most important things to know prior to pitching is who you\u2019re pitching to. Knowing the editor\u2019s name that you\u2019re emailing is essential. This information is almost always readily available, even if you\u2019re pitching to a special section of a publication. Knowing who to submit to specifically as well as how each publication prefers submissions to come in is an important factor to consider.<\/span><\/p>\n Timeliness is a huge factor in publications as well. Knowing the lead time of a publication is important because you may need to pitch a fall themed article in the summer to offer the editor enough time to plan for publishing.<\/span><\/p>\n Be Prepared to Answer Questions<\/b><\/p>\n Don\u2019t pitch empty ideas. Be prepared to answer questions: who will you interview, what media can accompany it, how long will it be? It\u2019s also a plus if you have multi-media ideas on hand or have already taken some photos to accompany your article. This means less work for the already busy editor, which always works in your favor.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPitching is like applying for a job and you need to have a good thorough process, a strategy and have done some research,\u201d Reed said.<\/span><\/p>\n Have a Unique Story Angle in Mind<\/b><\/p>\n Before you pitch an idea to a writer or an editor, ask yourself, \u201cIs this a unique topic idea?\u201d And if your topic isn\u2019t entirely original, ask yourself, \u201cWhat unique angle do I have on this topic?\u201d Make sure to think about the readership of a publication as well to be sure your topic matches the audience.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPitching is good practice to think about your topic, audience and where to pitch before you start your piece,\u201d Reed said.<\/span><\/p>\n For example, anyone can write about their summer internship but if you focus in on a specific part of internships, like the application and interview process, it makes your idea unique.<\/span><\/p>\n Craft a Flawless Email<\/b><\/p>\n Craft the most intriguing, professional (and yet concise) email of your life. It shouldn\u2019t be more than three brief paragraphs with a very specific intent. Intrigue them with a descriptive summary of your story. Tell the editor exactly what you want to write about and why. And finally, let them know why you\u2019re the best person to write about the topic and explain your qualifications.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPitching is hard work. It\u2019s mental exercise and a lot of research that you condense into five or six sentences,\u201d Reed said. \u201cYou could spend several days researching and then hours crafting an email.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Before sending your email, have a friend, professor or co-worker review it as well.<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t Get Discouraged<\/b><\/p>\n Rejection is a reality. Not every story idea you pitch will become a published masterpiece. But don\u2019t let this fact discourage you. The research and preparation done to send a pitch should be apparent to an editor regardless of if they accept your article.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSometimes the pitch isn\u2019t right but it opens the door for a relationship with that editor for a time they will take something you offer them,\u201d Reed said. <\/span><\/p>\n At the end of the day, having good media pitching skills and understanding how to prepare to pitch an article to a journalist is an invaluable skill for a public relations professional.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re interested in public relations and you can\u2019t as a student figure out what publication you\u2019re pitching to or what you want to write then how are you going to pitch someone to write about what your client is doing?\u201d Reed said. \u201cThe skills that you\u2019re learning pitching a piece to a publication are the same ones that you need as a public relations professional.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n For information on how to pitch to Progressions, follow this link<\/a>\u00a0and let’s get you published.<\/p>\n \u2014 Whether you\u2019re pitching the media on a story about your client\u2019s next big campaign or trying to publish your masterful 3,000-word feature story, there are a few things you should know before you hit send on that email. Do Your Research This step is of the utmost importance. Don\u2019t pitch to a publication you know nothing about. Learn about the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2897],"tags":[1617,92,91,2252,647,2248,74,121],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6290"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6294,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6290\/revisions\/6294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"This](\"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Letter.jpg\")
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\nEmma Finkbeiner is the PRSSA 2015\u20132016 publications editor in chief. She attends Northern Michigan University and was a former editor in chief of the student newspaper The North Wind. Connect with her on Twitter <\/span><\/i>@efink101<\/span><\/i><\/a> or <\/span><\/i>LinkedIn.<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"