The Easiest Way to Hook an Editor Into Your Pitch
if you play your cards right, you MIGHT even get a reply.
In last week’s Substack, I talked about the downside of using the ‘F’ word in your pitching formula (no, not that ‘F’ word). This week, I’m here to talk about the upside of using the ‘R’ word before you hit send. Hint: It’s a skill you learned in grade school, and it’s nowhere near exercised enough in 2024.
But before we get editors to salivate over the latest eye serum you’re schilling, I’m going to touch on something that stemmed from my previous post. In it, I pointed out my dismay over how some publicists disregard feedback that they requested, or they don’t reply to a thoughtful pitch rejection. As I always do, I used specific, real-life examples of situations that rubbed me the wrong way (without naming names). I ended up receiving a very respectful and apologetic reply from someone referenced in the post. It was something I genuinely appreciated, and I hope these instances help bridge the gap between publicists and journalists, and create a more cohesive correspondence.
I understand we all operate differently, so I can’t speak for everyone who works in media. And, in fact, there was a commenter who said she avoids the “thank you”s and feedback replies because she figures editors don’t need yet another email flooding their inbox. She essentially said she appreciated my take, and I told her I now see both sides, so we successfully opened each other up to a new perspective.
Now that we have that settled, let’s get into what you came here for: pitches.
The Different Types of Pitches
Every publicist has multiple options when they pitch. They can limit their pitches to standard newsy blasts (typically to announce a new client or new launch). They can send out a blast for everything under the sun (“this moisturizer with a green font on its packaging is so BRAT!,” “June 21st is National Selfie Day! Here are 25 makeup products for the perfect photo.”). Or, pitches can be selective and make an impact. It really just depends on what you’re going for.
Mass blasts can be useful if there’s something unique and searchable in them. Again, announcing a new client or new major launch seems totally fitting just to get the facts out. Or, in another instance, I recently did a search in my inbox for “kakadu plum.” I was working on an article and needed to speak to an expert who features this ingredient in one of their products. I’ve known about kakadu plum (an Australian fruit that contains an insanely high amount of Vitamin C) for quite some time, but for some reason I couldn’t find a match in my inbox to save my life. Then boom, a pitch from a rep I’d never worked with popped up in my search. My story ended up working out. Had that useful pitch not popped up, I would have hit a dead end. The pitch felt informative and timely, and the purposeful keywords were used to their benefit.
But then there’s the other side to sending blasts. The ~brat summerfication~ of it all (that’s what I’m calling it from here on out). If your goal is to put in minimal effort and throw spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks, then own that and be ok with it. If you want your blasts to coincide with every trend, every holiday, every pop culture moment, you do you. You may have someone searching for something specific that happens to pop up through one of these pitches—but you can’t expect editors to pay attention to them otherwise. They come across like white noise. Delete, delete, delete. I already know who’s sending them, what’s they’re going to say, and that it’s nothing I haven’t seen from this brand/rep before.
Taking Control of Your Pitches
Moving away from blasts, here’s where things start to get productive. And this is where you determine if you want to put in effort. Do you have an assistant? Is there someone you can hire on a project basis? This is where the ‘R’ word comes into play. It’s called research, people—and it will get you FAR.
There was a publicist I used to work with quite a bit who brilliantly hired someone for a mere eight hours to dig through the major beauty publications/sections with a fine-tooth comb and create a spreadsheet with detailed info. Alongside each journalist’s name would be a list of who they write for regularly, what they typically cover, and any fun facts/passions that are worth keeping in mind. Boom, done! Easy.
Once her list was in place and well-studied, she kept her pitches few and far between, but always with purpose. Her well-thought-out emails were tailored to each specific editor she wanted to target, even opening the note with a personal tidbit. If she knows the editor writes about injectables, she might lead with a reference to her latest article or a new reality show about plastic surgery. Now, obviously, you have to draw the line somewhere and avoid getting into creepy territory—but there’s no harm in proving you did your homework. And you don’t need to do this every time you pitch, but if it’s something important to you, make it count.
In fact, just be super straightforward in the subject line: Billboard // Charli XCX interview opp; Byrdie exclusive // Charli XCX new skincare launch announcement
You know what else always reels me in? The classic “INVITE,” or “opt-in.” Even if I don’t attend the event (though I do love my events) or opt in for a gifting, it’s for sure piquing my interest. Plus, it tells me there’s more to this pitch than generic info made for the masses. A subject line inviting me to an event or offering me a free product means I’m on some level of exclusivity, on some list. I’m definitely curious—I’m definitely opening that email.
If you’re somewhere in the middle (where you have a few small things to announce from various clients at once, but you don’t want to send a slew of individual mass blasts), consider weekly roundups. I have a couple friends who send a cumulative client catch-up each Friday. Obviously if something pressing occurs within the week, they’ll alert as necessary—but if one of their nail clients launches a limited-edition orange for fall, they recognize that can be recapped in an end-of-week client roundup. It doesn’t need a full-blown individualized press release. Now, on the flip side, if the nail client partnered with a major celebrity for an entirely new collection, that warrants its own press release.
The Not Caring of It All
I’m shocked over how careless some—not ALL—publicists are. And I’m not referring to the general mass blasts. We’ve already gone over that. It’s a choice, but ok. I’m referring to actual personalized pitches, and how lack of research is wasting your time more than mine.
There’ve been a few instances pertaining to this one specific level of lacking research, but one case in particular was really something… A rep reached out to me and began inviting me in for some pretty up-there opportunities. This was at a time when I was still building up my freelance clientele. Sometimes I’d land a biggie publication, and other times I’d be in limbo (#freelancelife). I was getting invited to some really nice stuff, but it definitely wasn’t all the time. So if someone new started inviting me to cool stuff seemingly out of nowhere, I always wondered why. Did they just think I was a cool, in-the-know beauty girl they wanted at their events? Did they just need more “beauty bodies” to fill a room? Like, what was the motive behind their sudden interaction?
But who am I to question a complimentary facial at my favorite spa, or a little retouch of Botox? Right?! So, anyway, as with any event, gifting, treatment, etc… there’s always the follow-up email with press materials and a plea to keep the brand/expert in mind for future fitting content. Totally fine and totally expected, seeing as—as much fun as we’re having here—it is business at the end of the day. So, the last thing this rep told me was to please keep a particular doctor in mind for any upcoming content. She sounded dead set on this doctor in particular—more so than other clients she connected me with.
So, being the thoughtful person I am, I reached out the minute I had a fitting opportunity. One of my publications needed an aesthetics expert for a dermal fillers 101 type of piece. Easy, breezy. Or so I thought. I relayed the opportunity to the publicist, and she replied with a swift, “Thanks for reaching out! She has a full patient schedule this week, but I know she is really into Well+Good and The Zoe Report in case you have upcoming opps there!”
All it would have taken is a few quick clicks to see up to that point, I’d written all of two articles for W+G, and one for TZR. And the timeline was super inconsistent. Like, you could see that I wasn’t an ongoing writer and these were just moments when I pitched something specific to these publications. Not to mention, these injectors (as great as they may be) are not celebrities. They’re medical experts. They’re not famous-adjacent makeup artists or hairstylists, etc… And the publication I had in mind wasn’t even bad! It was perfectly legitimate. So the rep’s lack of research not only wasted treatments on little ol’ me, but her client missed out on an easy press hit. After telling her I had no current opps in her realms of choice, I didn’t hear from her again. My Botox, however, lasted quite a while—so thank you random publicist lady!
Another facet of proper research is knowing when to hold off on pressing that send button—even if you’re working under someone else’s demands. I received a pitch a few months ago from a seemingly very nice lady, who also happened to lack critical thinking skills.
“Dahvi, I was so excited to see your name on my media list!” the friendly note began. “I worked with you years ago, and I always remember nice people. I have something unique for you.”
Ah, the ol’ ~unique~ descriptor. And you know what? To her point, it sure was.
“Pooping and relationships continue to be a hot and highly debated topic across social media,” she went on to say, followed by two screenshots of Instagram accounts that referenced poop and comfortability among couples. “How do you know when a relationship is serious? New research has shown us that ‘I have to poop’ might be more telling than ‘I love you!’ ”
She then cited an “Intestinal Intimacy Survey” (yes, really), conducted by a research company and an herbal supplement for abdominal comfort. Needless to say, I didn’t reply. Pooping aside, how did this overarching theme align with anything I’ve ever covered?
If you’re going to send that in a mass email, just do it and be done with it. But if you’re going for a personal moment within the context of that email, you’re doing yourself a disservice. She would have been much better off sending a “reconnecting” email, touching on her current clients and asking what I cover specifically. From there, she could say, “Ok, I know this is a total stretch, but would you have any interest in covering this topic I’ve been summoned to pitch?” Of course I still would have been like, uhhh, but the email certainly wouldn’t have caught me so off-guard—to the point that I’m referencing it in a Substack.
If you still feel stuck, start by ditching your outdated Cision account (it’s 2024, not 2014), and opt for Muck Rack—which automatically updates a journalist’s current bylines even if they aren’t updating their account themselves. Or, surprise! Just go on social media where editors divulge their life. Then, take a moment and ask yourself what you’re capable of within your means. Can you hire someone to do monthly research projects? Do you, yourself, have some extra time to write stronger pitches and deliver them with more intention? What are your goals? Are you experiencing success with your mass pitches? Is there anything that has been working for you? How can you recreate that?
And, most importantly, work on building relationships, the most imperative part of this whole industry. I’m pretty open to meeting with reps who reach out (whether IRL or over Zoom). I know it takes courage on their end to reach out coldly, but also it can’t hurt to meet another peer in my space—especially if we have shared interests. Now, of course, if you’re planning to reach out to an editor, ensure you have the clients and the backing to make a meeting worth everyone’s while. You only get one first impression, so only reach out when you feel like you genuinely have a reason to connect.
Is there anything I missed regarding pitches? Let me know in the comments or shoot me a note so I can elaborate further next week. In the meantime… if you’re a journalist reading this, I posted a TikTok about freelance rates last week, and how frustrating it is to never truly know your dollar-sign value. I also went on a brand trip with Cool Sculpting / Allergan Aesthetics (view my Austin, TX vlog HERE)—and I need to know your thoughts. Have you tried Cool Sculpting? Would you? It’s been a mixed bag of reactions to my educational posts from the trip.
As far as editorial needs are concerned, seeking an eczema expert for IPSY (ideally someone tied to a skincare line that targets eczema or chronic skin sensitivity). I also have opps for someone whose client simply wants more exposure/guaranteed social media coverage. Looking for anyone tied to an event photo booth, beer, wine or spirits brand that’s open to event donations, general product for media/influencer gift bags or raffle (can essentially be anything), anything whatsoever related to party decor. Will share more info upon interest.
Is there untapped media territory you’d like to dive into next? Shoot me a note and let’s chat!