For “Freelancer Fridays,” this month we’re doing a 3-part series on pitching solutions journalism stories. This is Part I.

Part II. What Editors Are Looking For in Solutions Pitches.

Part III. 5 Pitches That Became Solutions Stories.

You’re sitting there at your computer screen with a great solutions lead — you’ve spotted the positive deviant, captured a big new idea, followed an experiment in progress, or witnessed a location transformation. Now, you’re ready to produce and publish that story, except you’re stuck on one crucial step: how do you pitch it?

We’ve given you a list of outlets accepting SJ pitches. We’ve provided you with an introduction to crafting a solutions pitch in our Basic Toolkit. And we’ve even learned insiders’ secrets on a FB Live with Christian Science Monitor editor, Ryan Lenora Brown (BTW, freelancers, they’re accepting solutions pitches from you!).

But for this three-part series, we thought we’d ask you — the Hub’s reporter members who have successfully pitched solutions stories — ‘how did you do it?’

Part II will ask editors to reflect on what they’re looking for, and Part III will reveal the pitch emails that ended up as stories in top publications. But to kick us off, hear it straight from the horse’s mouth — ten tips from reporters who’ve successfully pitched solutions stories.

1. Conduct research as if you’ve already been commissioned for the piece.

That’s key for Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Elizabeth McGowan, who makes a point to highlight her on-the-ground research in her pitches:

“Show you’ve done your homework on your topic! Be ready to briefly explain
which sources you’ve already interviewed and will be contacting, and what kind of on-the-ground research you’ve done and are prepared to do. Editors need to know you have a firm grasp on the topic and that you’re willing to stretch to cover it in a nuanced fashion that goes beyond the five W’s and the H.”

Johnny Magdaleno, one of the most prolific journalists in our Tracker — with 21 stories to date, echoes this point. He says his best pitches begin by investing time and resources in the community he’s covering:

“The best stories [come] by speaking with people on-the-ground. Local news can provide you with necessary context or threads to follow but local news shouldn’t be the basis for your pitch. Make phone calls and start conducting research as if you’ve already been commissioned for the piece. Consider investing the time and resources to visit where the potential story is taking place. If you already have a relationship with the editor you’ll be pitching, let them know you’re planning that research trip.”

2. Read what’s been written on the subject so far.

When Arthur Nazaryan pitched this PRI story on a nonprofit teaching software skills to sex trafficking survivors, he made sure to first read up on the subject, then to gain (and highlight) close access and a unique angle:

“Usually before I send the pitch, I read what’s been written on the subject so far and call the people I’d be following for the story. The idea is to find out as much as I can in order to better answer that question about how I can uniquely cover the story. It’s also to gauge how good the access is, because I think if you can, it’s great to highlight in the pitch that you’ve got especially close access and can therefor tell the story more in-depth than has previously been done (if it has been covered before at all).”

Emily McCarty — a seasoned freelancer, whose VICE story on sex work healing trauma landed a spot in our #MeToo #SolutionsToo series — seconds the importance of reading up and keeping it fresh:

Make sure the publication hasn’t already written about it! If they have, you can still try a fresh perspective or new point of view.

3. Ensure the news outlet is a good fit for your story.

Elizabeth McGowan has published her environmental reporting in a wide variety of publications. But with each one, she ‘thinks’ before hitting send:

“Don’t expect editors at Bon Appetit to be thrilled by your brilliant idea about plastics polluting our oceans — unless you can specifically talk about the impact it’s having on edible fish or if chefs around the world are uniting to clean the seas. Think it through before you hit the send button, and always be asking yourself this: Is my topic suited for a general audience or do I need to pursue a publication that caters to a niche or more specialized audience? This saves many headaches for all involved.

That point was reinforced by seasoned long-form feature writer Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin, who reminded freelancers especially to match their pitch to its intended audience:

“Look for magazines with dedicated sections and a clear focus on what you’re writing about. The big whales are tempting, but they appeal to a much broader market, and won’t take as many freelancers.”

4. Reflect the language of the news outlet in your pitch.

Chloe then explained how she’ll match a magazine’s literary quality in the text of her pitch email:

“In magazine pieces especially, the literary quality of your writing really matters; if you know you can write vivid scenes or beautiful metaphors, or you have strong characters, definitely use them in your pitch. I often send what ends up being the opening scene or climax of the published story, even if nothing else is written yet.”

Celeste Hamilton Dennis, freelance writer and editor at OF NOTE Magazine, also follows this advice, ‘tailoring her pitch’ to match a publication’s tone:

Find out as best you can what the editors are looking for and then reflect their language. Sometimes you have to dig (Twitter is a good place to find threads from editors about what they want). Sometimes it’s all laid out there for you, as in the case with YES!, when they put out their call for submissions for their issue devoted to mental health. When you do find it, try to weave your pitch with their language/tone as best you can. For me, this is what I hear when people say “tailor your pitch.”

5. Ensure the pitch answers, ‘Why should readers care?’ and, ‘How is my angle unique?’

After introducing himself, Arthur Nazaryan views the ‘why’ and ‘how’ as the pitch’s two essentials:

‘If I’m pitching an editor for the first time I usually introduce myself and list off a few of the outlets I’ve done work for. Then I say I’ve got a “story that I think would be a great fit for [name of outlet].” The rest of the email is the actual pitch describing the story.

The two main questions I try to answer with the pitch are: “Why should people care about this story?” and “How am I going to tell it in a way that is unique compared to what’s been done on the general subject or even that specific story in the past?”

Elizabeth McGowan also underscores the importance of answering the ‘why’ question — following the cardinal writers’ rule to ‘show, not tell’:

Generally, journalists know to beware of jargon, but we all need reminders.
Over-explaining can be a hazard. Just use your pitch to explain what you’re reporting on and what it matters. If it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea and it will fly because an editor will be thinking, “Wow, that’s an interesting topic where people are trying something different (or some such thing!).”

6. Show depth of knowledge and a feasible plan.

…is the verbatim advice of Janice Cantieri — Fulbright-winner, and writer of this insightful National Geographic piece on innovative greenhouses in India.

Celeste Hamilton Dennis echoes Janice, reminding reporters “not to shy away from talking about the details of how the solution is implemented”:

“ Outline what you’ve already done, and are planning on doing, to show the editor that you’re serious.”

7. Don’t write the whole article in the pitch.

In general, don’t make it too lengthy, reminds Emily McCarty, who keeps her pitches short and sweet (with the longer pitch attached):

I’ve heard varying advice on lengths for cold pitches but I personally found that shorter is better. If it’s a cold pitch, I write a short pitch (a few sentences for VICE; a few short paragraphs for places like The Walrus) but I always include a longer pitch as an attachment. If their interest is piqued, it saves them a step of sending an email asking for more information. Any time you can make an editor happy, do it!

Elizabeth McGowan agrees, emphasizing the value of an engaging headline:

“Be succinct. Yes, our words are nothing less than spun gold, but remember, you’re not writing your article in the pitch. You need to give it a pithy headline that makes an editor say, “Hey, I want to read more about that.” At the top of your proposal, be prepared to write your elevator speech about your pitch — meaning fitting the nut graf into 100–200 words.

It’s OK to lead off with a question or two and briefly explain why you’re
delving in to find answers and why those answers matter. Some publications will want nothing more than your nut graf, but be prepared to offer
more, especially if it’s your first time working with a publication.

8. Show editors common courtesy by following instructions.

Speaking of the editor’s best interests, Elizabeth adds that it’s crucial to learn everything you can about what a publication is looking for, and to follow the available guidelines:

Read a publication’s website and follow “pitch guidelines” carefully. Editors are busy people and there’s a reason they have the rules they do. Some publications are so short-staffed they don’t have such guidelines posted. If that’s the case send a query to the general mailbox listed about where to send a pitch. If you already have the name of an editor, by all means use it. Read, read, read published articles and learn what topics are covered by the publication you’ve chosen to make sure you’re proposing something new and different and to make sure your writing style is an appropriate fit. “Pitchers” really frustrate editors when they don’t follow this common courtesy.

Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin agrees, and includes word count and turn-around time to make the job even easier for editors:

Don’t give the editor (or intern) any easy excuse to trash your email without opening it (like ignoring specific subject-line formatting). Include your word-count and your turn-around time. Be generous with yourself. It’s better to be early than late. If you have clips, send links (choose the best and most relevant, even if they’re old).

9. Follow up — politely.

Chloe adds that, unless instructions say otherwise, following up is essential for growing as a writer:

Wait a week and follow up. I promise: there’s nothing rude about doing this unless their instructions ask you not to. Following up after a respectful amount of time tells the editor that you take yourself seriously, and that you’re keen on their publication.

Emily McCarty adds that she never pitches to multiple publications at once, but that following (politely!) up is essential to ensuring the story gets published:

I was taught in j-school to never pitch to multiple publications at once, unless you let them know (and still not recommended). Wait a week, then follow-up. For places like The New York Times, my partner and I waited several months, but I usually only wait a week or two before moving on to the next publication. I always let the past publication know that unless I hear back by a certain date (politely!), I will be taking the story to my next choice, as it’s important for me to have my piece published.

10. Invest long-term effort in the stories you care most about.

Beyond any specificities, Johnny Magdaleno thinks the key ingredient in a successful pitch is love for the subject:

In the long-term, invest time in stories that you love or feel need to be told. The more time you spend researching and pitching stories that remind you of why you became a journalist, the higher the chance is that you’ll eventually see your work balance shift towards those types of stories in the future.”

Elizabeth McGowan echoes Johnny’s point, noting how most editors appreciate your passion:

No matter how brief your pitch, remember that it’s OK to exhibit some passion for your topic. This will not compromise your objectivity in the eyes of any editor with a clue. Most of them want to know you care about what you’re pursuing.”