Rebecca’s 13 Super-secret ways to grab an editor’s attention
“Every time they told me no, I just got stronger.” —Lady Gaga
Last week, I shared my 20-minute rule for finding pitch-worthy story ideas. In case you missed it, you can read it here!
But—and there’s always a stupid “but”!—even if you have the most awesome story idea ever, you still need to hustle just a little further in order to capture the attention of the editor at whatever publication you’re pitching to—an editor, mind you, who receives dozens upon dozens of pitches daily, so potentially hundreds of pitches each week!
So how do you stand out and get the editor to actually open your email, read your story idea or pitch, get excited about it and, most importantly, respond? I mean, if a story pitch lands in an editor’s inbox but it’s never read, did it really happen?
As a writer, aspiring or otherwise, you should want and aspire to be more than just an unread message in an editor’s inbox. (That certainly couldn’t have been your childhood dream, right?)
As someone who both receives a ton of pitches for story ideas and has pitched hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches to editors at newspapers, magazines and websites, I’m coming at this from two angles.
And, yes, I am going to share with you my secrets on how to pitch—and how not to pitch—and how to get an editor to open your email and respond so you can get your byline out there and gain an audience and portfolio, which is important for many publishers/book agents, in case you eventually want to write an entire book (or so you can show your family, who may not be all that supportive of you chasing your dream to be a writer or author)!
I’ve always loved this Thomas Edison quote: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I feel the same way about pitching ideas! Over the years, I have learned what works, or certainly helps. If an editor doesn’t accept a pitch? Meh. I never take it personally. I certainly don’t feel like I’ve failed if an editor doesn’t take an idea I’ve pitched. I just move it right along. As Maya Angelou once said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have!”
I’m not saying how I pitch my ideas always works. But for the most part? It does. So I really can't see any reason it wouldn’t work for you too—to the point where you may no longer need to introduce yourself to certain editors and they will open any email and they will look at any pitch you send!
There is both an art and a science to pitching. Candidly, there’s some psychology to it as well! (Can I call myself “Dr. Eckler” now?)
I’m also going to share why—wearing my editor’s hat—I turn down pitches and, though it pains me to admit this, why I sometimes don’t respond to pitches, even when I mean to! I have, like, 285 flagged text messages I’ve been meaning to respond to! And I don’t want to give all you super-organized, type-A readers a heart attack, but I really do have more than 90,000 unread emails in my inbox, some of which are me sending emails to myself to remind myself about emails I need to respond to! I also have flagged a lot of emails like, “Did you get my email asking whether you got my first two emails?” I’m like a hoarder of emails. Send help!
Below are my tips, sharing exactly how I pitch, with my own personal style, to capture an editor’s attention and get them to say yes to the dress—I mean, yes to the pitch! (And also, after an editor accepts my idea and I’ve filed my piece, I can then email, “Where should I send my invoice?”)
Rebecca’s 13 Super-Secret Ways to Grab an Editor’s Attention!
(But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt One: I’m not going to spend a lot of time here—because this is basic pitching 101 s**t—but please do your research on the publication. Look to see if your idea fits their vibe and what they usually publish. Look to see if the story you’re pitching has been done already. That being said, if a story has been written about before, find a unique twist. Maybe you disagree with a piece they’ve published and want to take an opposite or different angle. An example? I once got incensed at a mother who felt she was going to injure herself after getting out of the shower by racing to wrap herself up with a towel because she was trying to hide her body from her very young children. So I wrote a piece pretty much saying, “WTF? I’m not going to injure myself by hiding my body immediately after getting out of a shower! If my kids do not want to see me naked, they can leave the room!” (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Two: As an editor, I’m pretty ruthless. If a pitch starts with “Dear Rachel,” well, it could be the most awesome idea in the entire universe. I, however, wouldn’t know! Why? If a pitch email starts with “Dear Rachel”—which has happened more times than I’d like to admit—I delete it immediately. What can I say? It bugs me. My name is Rebecca! If you can’t even get my name right in a pitch, it leads me to wonder, “What else would you be inaccurate about?” (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Three: If I’m pitching a publication, I always pitch three ideas at the same time in one email. Why? Because the chances are much higher that the editor will take at least one of your ideas. Also, again, editors get a ton of email pitches. This way, you’re also not clogging up their inboxes even more with three separate emails. So always, always, always pitch more than one idea, keeping your pitches short and succinct. (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Four: My pitches are always short but very conversational. Like, I’ll write, “Hey, [fill in correct name]. I hope you are staying safe and healthy. So, I was talking about this [fill in idea] for a long time with a bunch of people [my 20-minute rule!]. I think the idea is not only entertaining but would be interesting to your readers. Maybe they’ll also learn something too, and it’s definitely a conversation-starter.” I think the mixture of the words “entertaining” and “interesting” plus the words “learn” and “conversation-starter” convinces many editors the story has “legs” AND is entertaining, interesting and a conversation-starter, because, um, you told them so! Believe it or not, sometimes editors do need to be told what’s a good idea, so use convincing words in your pitch. (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Five: In the subject line? I always write, “Story pitch/idea,” along with adding some sort of emoji as well, because it does make your email stick out from hundreds of others. Sorry, editors, if you start getting an insane number of subject lines with cookies, wine glasses or cat paw emojis! (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Six: I always, always add at the end of my pitches, “Yay? Nay?” Why? So many writers complain, and rightly so, that editors do not get back to them, leaving them in a state of wonderment, sometimes for months, not knowing if they should wait longer for a response or to pitch their ideas to another publication. Again, editors get hundreds of pitches a week. Adding “Yay? Nay?” to the end of your pitch kind of nudges editors to give you an answer either way. It’s easy for editors to respond with a yay or nay. I mean, it’s one word! And because you’ve told them that all you need is a yay or nay, editors won’t feel an obligation to give you reasons they may reject your idea, which can be time-consuming for editors—editors who also don’t like making writers feel bad by rejecting their ideas or pitches. But really? You don’t need to know anything more than if they want the idea or not. If it’s a yay? Wonderful! If it’s a nay? Well, at least you’ll know almost immediately that you should pitch elsewhere. (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Seven: There’s another reason I always end my pitches with “Yay? Nay?” and it’s not only because it may nudge an editor to respond. It’s also so that you don’t sound desperate. I try to never sound desperate in pitches, because maybe I’m not desperate, and who likes to hear desperation? I always add, “No worries if you don’t want it! I’ll pitch elsewhere.” This is sort of a psychology trick. I think. Adding this will force an editor to think and rethink, “Hmmm. If I don’t take this idea, will I regret seeing it published somewhere else?” If I think this way with my editor’s hat on, so do other editors! I don’t think there’s an editor in the world who hasn’t turned down or ignored a pitch or book idea and regretted it! (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Eight: So, so many people reach out to me asking where and to whom to pitch their ideas. I’m always happy to help! If I know the editor, I will not only share their email but also tell whoever reached out to me to also use my name, meaning they are to write in the subject line, “Our mutual friend Rebecca Eckler suggested I reach out…” By doing so, the editor will feel some sort of obligation—in a good way!—to read your email! So if you have a friend, or even an acquaintance, who has written for publications you’re pitching to, ask them if you can use their name in your pitch. I don’t see why it should be a problem! If your friend has a problem with it? Um, maybe you should ask yourself if they are truly a friend. This doesn’t necessarily mean your pitch will be accepted, but it definitely helps in getting an editor to open your email and read your pitch! (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Nine: I’ve been doing this in the last couple of years, and it helps! It certainly doesn’t hurt! If I don’t know the editor at a publication, I will find out who they are, search for them—usually on LinkedIn—ask to “connect” and send them a short message, like, “Hey! Love reading [insert name of publication]! Just wanted to connect here and let you know that I’m going to be sending you a few ideas in a couple of days. Hope you enjoy them! In any case, nice to connect.” You’re introducing yourself and making a connection, and they may remember and recognize your name when you pop up in their inbox with your pitches a few days later. I have even taken it a step further! After I pitch, I will then go back to whatever platform I originally reached out to the editor on, writing something like, “Heads up! I just sent some pitches to your email address. Thanks again for taking the time to read them!” This shows that you really have done your research and you really are excited at the prospect of writing for them. (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Ten: Guess what? Editors, in my experience, do not usually get annoyed if you follow up if they didn’t respond to your first pitch! Really, they—we—don’t! I certainly don’t get annoyed. Unless you’re following up five hours later...then maybe! Again, because editors get so many emails, sometimes they (or I) really do need a reminder. Sometimes twice! Again, we do not get annoyed. If anything, we actually feel bad that we haven’t responded, because we do mean to. I get around 85 emails every single day, and that does not include messages I get by other forms of communication, like text, messenger, LinkedIn, etc. Not only are we looking at pitches, but we are actually working on a number of other things, like getting the publication out, editing, working social media, dealing with advertisers or sponsors, or making sure our kids haven’t logged out of school for the 85th time! So always, always follow up if you don’t get a response the first time. I say, generally, wait a week to 10 days! (Some publications need longer times because they will bring up your idea in their next editorial meeting, where other editors will chime in on whether they think your pitch is worthy of publication. Sometimes it’s not just one editor looking over your pitch(es) but a number of them! The larger the publication, the more editors!). I usually don’t bother an editor more than two times before giving up on them, moving on to pitching new ideas or pitching them elsewhere—going back to my “Don’t sound desperate” advice above! (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Eleven: Please do not take a lack of response personally! Do not take rejection of your pitches personally. Because it’s not personal. It’s really, really not! Maybe an editor didn’t like your idea this time. Maybe they didn’t think it was a good fit for their publication. Maybe they had just published a similar piece. Maybe they are thinking about it. Maybe they meant to respond but totally forgot. Maybe they are, indeed, ignoring you! Maybe you addressed your pitch to “Sarah” when the editor’s name is Samantha. If I took every rejection or lack of response personally...well, I wouldn’t be a published writer, or an author, that’s for damn sure! You need to develop a thick skin. (But keep drinking water to keep that thick skin looking good!) You’ve got to keep moving forward, not just when you pitch, but in life. And in life, generally, you have two options, which are to give up or to not give up! If you really, really want to be a published writer or author, then you simply won’t give up, no matter how many rejections, or acceptances, for that matter, you get. (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecRET Twelve: When somebody does something nice for you or does something to make you happy, do you say thank you? (Please tell me you do!) A thank you, as you should know, goes a loooonng way and takes, like, 12 seconds out of your day! I always write a short thank-you to an editor who publishes my pieces after they’re published, writing something simple, like, “Thank you, it looks great! Loved your edits!” (even if sometimes, which is rare, I’m really thinking, “You’ve totally butchered my piece!”). My point? Publishing is all about making connections and, more importantly, keeping connections. Once an editor takes that first pitch from you? You have an “in” with that editor. So don’t f**k it up! Don’t chance it! Another piece of psychological advice? Praise, just like a thank-you, can go a long way! Don’t ever forget that editors are human, so thanking them after they publish your piece and praising them for their edits (even if you hate them!) goes a long way. They will remember getting a thank-you because not many writers follow up this way, and, to me, it’s just a nice thing to do! (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
SecREt Thirteen: After a pitch is accepted and I’m filing my piece to the editor, I always add, “Please let me know when it’s published so I can also share it on my own social channels.” This way, you’re showing the editor that you have a following, that you’re helping spread the word about their publication and that you’re happy to! Sometimes I do write for publications that have a much smaller reach than my own platforms or social media channels simply because I think my idea is a good idea for their publication. I’m only too happy to help spread the word and post whatever I’ve written on my social channels, where my audience may not have been aware of the publication before and may go even further and share whatever I’ve written—if it resonates with them—on their social channels. It’s a win for you. It’s a win for the publication, no matter how big or small. It’s a win for the editor. It’s win-win-win! (But don’t tell anybody I do this, okay?)
Hopefully, your chances of getting published will be a lot higher now. You’ve come this far!
Until next time, flip your hair and flip the page! (And be like Lady Gaga! Use those rejections as fuel to make you stronger!)
xo Rebecca