So you have something interesting to tell everyone and you are hoping to get your well-crafted article ‘taken-up’ or published. Here at Mo Works, we have found these tips useful when pitching an article out for publishing.
1. Pick a Catchy Headline
The title should be engaging and punchy, addressing the main topic of your article. Keep it short and sweet!
2. Know Your Tone and the Type of Story the Media Outlet Covers
Get to know who you are pitching to and get a feel for their articles and how they are written. Craft your article based on their style.
3. Spell Check and PROOFREAD
One of the biggest grievances an editor will face is opening an interesting pitch to find spelling errors, typos, and grammar or language choices that don’t make sense. Make it a habit to triple-check your work and ensure that the format is up to industry standards.
4. Send It Off with a Compelling Email
Compose an email explaining the basic purpose of the article with the most important part of the pitch at the top of the email. Be sure to include your article as part of the email with at least an image as most editors and journalists won't be bothered reading it as an attachment. Remember, your job is to catch their attention. Opening an attachment would mean one extra step for them before they read your well-crafted article.
5. Personalise your email
Try to avoid starting your email with “Dear editor”. Find out the name of the person you are contacting. You can include “ ... and team” if you are pitching to a group of journalists or an editorial team.
6. Follow up
An infographic published by Frac.tl has shown that most writers and editors receive up to 500 pitches a week for only 5 story spots! Meaning there is a high chance editors may miss your email in the sea of others. Always send a follow up email to check if your article has been picked up and remember to be open to feedback.
Once you have taken the tips above into consideration, you will be on you way to getting your article published! Be sure to set a Google Alert to notify you once your article is published. Don’t forget to thank and establish a relationship with the editor or journalist as a good rapport would go a long way.
Keep an eye on Mo Works' recent articles by visiting our blog or following us on Twitter, and if you would like to pitch an article to be published on our site, please contact us on connect@moworks.com.au
About Mo Works:
Mo Works Creative Agency specialises in tech marketing and product launches. With full-stack in house capabilities across design, development, marketing and community management, you can trust Mo Works to fuel the success of your ICO.