What's stopping you from pitching The New York Times?
Reach for the stars...
My Dad loves quotes. Just been dumped? He’ll have some wisdom from Florence Nightingale for you. Missed out on a dream job opportunity? Have this aphorism from Oscar Wilde. Feeling a bit down in the dumps? Here’s a Steve Jobs quote that’ll sort you right out. He’s the type of man who inscribed ‘carpe diem’ into the cement foundations of our garden shed (don’t ask). As a kid I rolled my eyes every time he recited one of these quotes but as I’ve got older I’ve actually started to find a lot of comfort in these neat little parcels of wisdom.
I smiled as I started writing this newsletter, knowing full well that my Dad would love the fact that I plan on quoting the American minister Norman Vincent Peale, renowned for popularizing positive thinking. He coined the expression “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars,” and that’s what I want to talk about this week with regard to journalism.
There’s a tendency when you’re just starting out to only pitch the publications that are renowned for being great places to secure your first byline. I think a lot of us hold off from sending our ideas to bigger publications until we’re more ‘experienced’, until we have a more impressive portfolio. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pitching these places at first but don’t hold yourself back. As great and responsive as the editors at Metro are, they also pay considerably less than other outlets and so you could be missing out on a significant chunk of money over time if you only pitch your ideas to ‘safe’ publications. A reminder that Journo Resources has a great rates database that shows you how much you could be earning.
Yes, sending pitches that don’t get a response is demoralising, and it is easy to fear that if you send one off-the-mark pitch that you’ll be blacklisted and never be able to write for that publication. I have yet to meet an editor that has actually done that, though. There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting in at a big-name publication that you’ve always dreamed of working for, though. Firstly, you can respond to a pitch callout from an editor at that publication. Every freelance journalist I know has a higher success rate when they respond to pitch callouts rather than cold pitching editors who may or may not have a commissioning budget at that time. You can find these callouts in weekly newsletters such as Sian Meades-Williams’ Freelance Writing Jobs, or Sonia Weiser’s Opportunities of the Week. Or you can use Tweetdeck to monitor keywords/phrases e.g. ‘calls for pitches’ ‘looking for pitches’ ‘pitch me’ in real time.
Secondly, you can send an introductory email and ask what sort of pieces the editor is looking to commission. Obviously, if this information is already publicly accessible make sure you have read that first — lots of publications have pitching guidelines, including The Guardian, which has a great guide to pitching music pieces. But if it’s a publication that doesn’t have that sort of resource in the public domain, there’s absolutely no harm in asking an editor what sort of topics they like to be pitched on, or perhaps asking for examples of some recent pieces they commissioned from freelancers that they enjoyed working on. Introduce yourself, perhaps reference something they wrote or edited and tell them how much you enjoyed it. Be friendly, be personable and you might just get a reply — just don’t chase up too soon as editors inboxes are absolutely rammed.
The sooner you start pitching to your dream publications, the more chance you have of a pitch being commissioned by them. It sounds really bleeding obvious when I put it like that, but if you want to write for The New York Times then you have to pitch them! Even if you aren’t immediately successful, an editor will notice your name repeatedly cropping up and eventually one day one of your ideas will appeal. But if you don’t send that first email, you’ll never know. In the immortal words of S Club 7, reach for the stars…
My week
… in editing
I edited Samm Anga’s review of ‘Only Man’ by Fifi Rong. I also spent an enormous amount of time in the post office this week because The Indiependent’s latest print edition is now out! You can buy a print copy here, or the digital issue here.
… in writing
Pitches: 8 (5 new, 3 repitches)
Commissions: 0
I got one ‘no budget, sorry’, one ‘interesting but I think you should pitch this to X desk instead’ and one out-of-office.
Articles written: 0
Articles published: 1
I wrote a piece for Babbel about ‘How I Learned Teeline Shorthand’. It was a fun piece to write, reflecting on the struggle that was trying to pass my 100-words-per-minute exam with the help of the lovely folk at News Associates.
… in listening/watching
I finally watched Gavin & Stacey, a whole ten years after everyone else!
Loved the latest episode of Indiependent Thinking, the cracking podcast by the site’s Opinion editors — Jacob, Tara and Olly. Do give it a listen.
… in reading
I started reading Joshua Foer’s Moonwalking With Einstein: the art and science of remembering everything which is absolutely fascinating
Rose Stokes’ piece on the St Ives Mermaid, Laura Evans, for Glorious was so cool
Neil McCormick’s The Telegraph piece on Bob Dylan at 80 was an interesting read
More incredibly powerful reporting from Sirin Kale and Lucy Osborne hot on the heels of last week’s explosive stories about Noel Clarke — here’s a piece on how the actor is accused of sexual harrasssment while working on Doctor Who
I liked Amelia Tait’s iNews opinion piece ‘Easing lockdown rules have reawakened a forgotten pleasure: the joy of coming home’
Cracking interview here with Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley from Teenage Fanclub by Ed Nash for The Line of Best Fit
Beth Ashley’s feature on ‘Young landlord TikTok’ for i-D was pretty bleak
If you need a giggle, check out this list of terrible pitch ideas over on The Fence
I thought Asyia Iftikhar’s gal-dem piece on ‘Western ideas of romance vs. Pakistani expectations’ was really interesting
Loved this Pitchfork piece by Simon Reynolds on ‘The rise of conceptronica’
Important Glamour article here by Chloe Laws: ‘This is why we must stop fetishing girls' transitioning to adulthood in the public eye and end the sexist ‘girl to woman’ narrative for good’
Events
Unfortunately I can’t make this because I’m involved in a journalism workshop with York Nouse, but this event ‘How to start your own newsletter’ with Jem Collins (from Journo Resources) on Wednesday 12 May 5.30 - 7.00 pm looks great.
This week I’m hosting an ‘Indiependent Journey-lism’ Q&A with Indy Voices senior commissioning editor, Victoria Richards on Thursday 13 May at 6.30 pm - this will be a great event for anyone looking to learn more about what commissioning editors are looking for from freelancers so do join us if you’re free!
Opportunities
Anywhere (remote): Press Association is looking for a junior sports journalist; a betting journalist; a creative niche life writer and a wider niche commercial content writer
Anywhere (remote): Reach PLC is looking for a night owl digital publishing editor
Anywhere (remote): The Royal National Institute of Blind People is looking for an out-of-hours social media manager
Belfast: The Financial Times is looking for a research assistant for fDi Markets
Belfast: The BBC is looking for freelance assistant sport producers
Birmingham: Global Radio is looking for a broadcast journalist
Birmingham: Reach PLC is in need of a community reporter for BirminghamLive
Bristol: Immedia Media is looking for an art editor for maternity cover
Cambridge: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy reporter for HertsLive
Cardiff: Admiral is looking for a content writer on a 9-month basis
Coventry: Reach PLC is looking for a reporter for CoventryLive
Coventry: Reach PLC is looking for a Northants editor covering Coventry/Leicester
Dundee: DC Thomson Media is on the lookout for a crime and courts reporter
Dundee: The University of Dundee is looking for a digital marketing officer
Edinburgh: There’s a digital marketing assistant role here with Edinburgh Leisure
Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh is looking for a communications officer
Glasgow: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy reporter for GlasgowLive
Glasgow: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy content editor
Glasgow: Reach PLC is on the lookout for a newsletters lead at The Daily Record
Glasgow: Glasgow Caledonian University is looking for an alumni communications and engagement officer
Lancashire: Reach PLC is looking for a reporter for LancsLive and also a local democracy reporter
Leeds: The BBC is on the lookout for a social media producer (digital journalist)
Leeds: UNISON is looking for a temporary press and media organiser for the Yorkshire and Humberside region
Leeds: There’s a marketing assistant gig here with the University of Leeds
Leeds: JPI Media is on the hunt for a search and trends writer
Leicester: Poundstretcher is looking for a website executive copywriter
Leicestershire: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy reporter for LeicestershireLive
Lincoln: Reach PLC is looking for a local democracy reporter to work on GrimsbyLive
Luton: TUI is looking for a marketing & lifestyle copywriter
Manchester: There’s still a trainee Manchester Life and SEO writer role available with Manchester Evening News
Manchester: Reach PLC is looking for a Northern agenda editor on a 12-month contract
Manchester: There’s a digital marketing assistant role here with Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester: McCann is looking for a junior copywriter
Middlesbrough: Reach PLC is looking for an audiene editor for Teesside Live
Newcastle: Reach PLC is looking for a breaking news/TV reporter for ChronicleLive
Newcastle: There’s a marketing and communications assistant role here with Newcastle University
Nottingham: The BBC is looking for a social media producer (digital journalist) for BBC Radio Nottingham
Ormskirk: West Lancashire Borough Council is looking for a digital & social media editor
Oxford: Oxford University Press is looking for a marketing campaign coordinator
Sheffield: The SEO Works is looking for a digital marketing executive
Southampton: The BBC is looking for a broadcast journalist (newsreader) for BBC Radio Solent
Wolverhampton: Reach PLC is recruiting for a local democracy reporter for StaffordshireLive
York: If you’re a marketing specialist then this role with the University of York could be for you
