Does cold pitching make you groan? Ugh! Join the club.
It's not exactly fun to reach out to an editor you don't know, especially if you're unsure what to say.
But, here's the thing.
If you want to write for a particular publication and you don't know the editor, cold pitching is how you get your foot in the door.
How do you write a good cold pitch?
I asked fellow successful freelance writers what they do, and the answers had one thing in common.
DO YOUR RESEARCH!
The amount of research that goes into a cold pitch may be one reason it makes you groan. It's not an easy task.
Every editor is different. All publication guidelines vary. What you need to include changes from one publication to another.
While you need to do your research and find out how to craft a pitch, there is some good news.
There are some standard guidelines for writing a good cold pitch.
Here are some valuable insights from the editor, Jessica Johnson, on what she likes to see in a cold pitch.
How do you write a good cold pitch?
Good advice, right?
While I don't encourage the copy/paste use of a cold pitch template, a template can help as a jumping-off point. It can help you formulate your ideas and ensure you don't miss any critical points in your pitch.
Here is the cold pitching template I use
Dear [EDITOR'S NAME],
[START WITH A HOOK, SHORT INTRODUCTION OF YOUR IDEA, AND HOW YOUR IDEA BRINGS UNIQUE VALUE TO THE CONVERSATION].
I'd like to write a [XXXX]-word article titled, "[NAME OF POST]", focusing on [SHORT SUMMARY OF POST].
[QUICK EXPLANATION OF WHY YOU'RE THE PERSON TO WRITE THIS POST AND YOUR WRITING BACKGROUND].
Here s a link to some of my writing samples for your reference:
[LINK TO WRITING SAMPLE]
[LINK TO WRITING SAMPLE]
[LINK TO WRITING SAMPLE]
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Again, make sure you learn as much as you can about your editor and the publication before submitting a pitch, and CUSTOMIZE, CUSTOMIZE, CUSTOMIZE.
Good luck with your next pitch.