By Bob Decker
If you want your contributed article idea to actually land in an editor's inbox and get a yes, how you pitch it matters just as much as the idea itself.
In my last blog post, 5 Ways to Come Up With Contributed Article Topics (That Editors Actually Want), I walked you through where to find strong topics your customers want to read and publishers want to print.
So presumably, now you've got a solid idea or two. You know it solves a real problem, and it fits the "problem → why it matters → how to approach it" framework. But here's where a lot of good ideas stall out: the pitch. You send an email, you hear nothing back, and you're left wondering if your idea wasn't good enough. Or did something else go wrong?
Chances are, it's the pitch. Pitches can be tricky. Let's take a look at how to write one that gets read, gets a response, and gets you published.
Let’s start by thinking from the editor's point of view. They get dozens of pitches a week, most from people who've never read their publication. So the fastest way to stand out is to show them you have.
Your pitch should sound like you already know what fits their audience. Reference a recent article they've run, or a topic area they cover frequently. In just one sentence, you’re telling them you're not blasting the same pitch to 20 publications. You're talking to them specifically and offering them an exclusive story.
Keep it shorter than you think.
Editors are scanning, not reading. Your pitch should feel like a quick, useful conversation, not a proposal. Aim for 3 or 4 short paragraphs at most that cover:
● What the article is about, in one sentence
● Why it matters to their readers right now
● A quick line on your credibility to write it (your role, your company's relevant experience)
● Word count and when you will send the article to them
That's it. If they want more, they'll ask. Don't attach the full article yet. A strong pitch earns you the chance to submit. It isn't the submission itself.
Lead with the reader's problem, not your company.
This is the single biggest mistake you can make in a pitch. Editors are looking for editorial value, not brand exposure.
If your first line talks about your company, your product, or an announcement, you've likely already lost them. Instead, open with the engineering challenge your article solves. For example, "Engineers designing for thermal management in compact enclosures keep running into the same wall. Here's a piece that walks through what’s going wrong, and what actually works." That sounds like something an editor wants to publish.
Give them a reason to say yes today.
Editors have deadlines and content calendars just like you do. If there's a natural hook – an upcoming trade show, a shift in the industry, a relevant anniversary or milestone – remind them. It gives your pitch a timely reason to move up the queue instead of sitting in their inbox for weeks.
You don't need to manufacture urgency. Just point out what's already true and let it do the work.
Skip these reasons for your pitch to be ignored entirely.
● Attaching a press release instead of describing an article idea
● Pitching multiple publications the exact same idea at the same time
● Following up more than once or twice – after that, it's a no, and that's okay
● Overselling your company instead of the article's value to their readers
Before you hit send, ask yourself: if a stranger who's never heard of your company read this pitch, would it sound like a useful article idea, or a sales pitch in disguise? If it feels like the former, you're in good shape. If it feels like the latter, go back and cut anything that talks about you instead of your reader.
That one gut check will save you a lot of ignored emails.
Getting a pitch right takes practice, and even strong writers get turned down more than they'd like. But when you lead with the reader's problem, keep it short, and show the editor you understand their audience, you dramatically improve your odds of getting a yes. You’re also building the kind of relationship that gets your next pitch opened even faster.
Pitching editors doesn't have to feel like guesswork.
At Redpines, helping you craft pitches editors actually respond to is part of the PR strategy we develop for our clients. Because we've built long-standing relationships across the core technology trade press, we know what catches an editor's eye and how to position your story so it fits.
If you'd like to talk through how to get your next pitch in front of the right editor, give me a call at 415-409-0233.