1. Can your idea stand on its own merits? It doesn't matter how well written your pitch letter is if your idea is not engaging. Obvious as this may seem you really need to take a step back and make sure your idea is strong. Pare your idea down to one sentence. Is your focus interesting, insightful, original, or innovative? Be honest, but don't be too harsh on yourself. Besides, further scrutiny could lead you in a direction you never considered.
2. If the editor directs several sections of a publication you should consider stating your focus in the early part of the letter so your reader has a clear idea of where you are going.
Either way, make sure you grab their attention with a good introduction first!
3. Tell a story, be interesting. If the editors snooze you lose! Treat your pitch like an abstract for your future piece. Grab the reader right away with a great introduction, build momentum throughout your letter and present your facts in an engaging and clear way. Remember that even in a query you are trying to tell a story.
4. Keep it short. Your letter should be one page or less with a nice amount of white space. According to Maria Schneider, who blogs at The Writer's Perspective, most people are not willing to read more than 2.5 screens and they read text 25% slower on a computer monitor than on the printed page. This advice applies specifically to blogs, but it is also a great way to think about pitches. If your letter is too long, or the screen is filled to the brim with text, it may end up in the trash bin.
· Publicity Insider's "How to Write A Great Pitch Letter": written with PR people in mind, but there are still some great tips in here for writers.
· Get A Freelance Life: An excellent book on all things freelance from Mediabistro.com.
Great take on pitch letters, Ian.
When I first started out, I was writing the most boring emails to editors. It took me a few months to realize my emails weren’t standing out not because of what I was saying, but how I was saying it. Now I know that a fantastic query email can go farther than credentials!
Interesting post. I wasn’t even thinking about my query e-mail being important. I always thought the article attached to it was the only thing I needed to be concerned about. Thanks for the tips.
Question: Do you attach your article to your query e-mail or just give a brief summary of what it is about?
@Patty: I think you’re talking about submitting an article on spec, which is different from sending a pitch (or query) letter.
Either way, I wouldn’t send any attachments to a new-to-you editor in case it gets caught in her spam filter or if the network has strict policies to protect against viruses. When I submit an essay or reprint article on spec, I generally copy into the body of the email so I know there won’t be any compatibility issues.