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1/10 Here are a few tips for pitching/freelance journalism at the mo. When it comes to pitching an opinion piece, try and pitch at the weekend (an uncommonly known but great tip). A lot of national opinion desks still run and commission out a lot of opinion pieces at this time.
2/10 With opinion pitches, be decisive with your angle and don’t be afraid to be bold/controversial. Make sure you always tie your opinion piece to a strong news hook and pitch it within a day of that piece of news coming out - the sooner, the better.
3/10 Be creative and go big with your headline as you take a firm stance. Different is better when it comes to headlines/ideas/angles, just about anything so don’t just say what the rest of Twitter is saying when it comes to pitching an opinion piece, take a different viewpoint
4/10 When it comes to headlines in opinion pitches, as a general rule, aim for nine words or less. Don’t sit on the fench or play it safe. Keep it simple and direct - no fancy, fussy or long-winded language. Think SEO for the editor - can you get key, trending words in it?
5/10 Pick out the possible strongest angle from your pitch for the head, if the headline is flat, the editor often won’t want to read on. Don't forget about questions: interesting, shocking or funny questions can make great headlines.
6/10 If you want to learn more about how to land regular paid opinion commissions/columns with editors, grab a ticket here to our event coming up soon - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-land-an-opinion-column-and-get-paid-for-it-tickets-135313358899
7/10 If you want to generally ‘up’ your commissions in 2021, pitch far and wide to publications - not just in your patch/country. Go to US, Australia publications etc. Also, pitch to the same editors consistently - this builds relationships and trust.
8/10 Don’t dwell on the no’s from editors - this just wastes time. Always think, quality over quantity - one strong pitch over four weak ones any day. Batch pitch (just do it). Position and market yourself in the industry as exactly what you want to be known writing for.
9/10 If you want to get brownie points with editors when building relationships: Email them back to their rejections, (not just the commissions), to say thank you for getting back. Drop them a line about something they’ve recently wrote that you've enjoyed - not just a pitch.
10/10 Share your articles on your socials after it’s published to help the editor with their online circulation. After a commission is published, email them to say thank you for the commission. Be quick with your turnaround of article and edits. Connect with them on socials....
10/11 If you want to learn more about getting more commissions than ever before and be sending your article ideas/stories to exactly the right people at the right time, come along to this we're hosting: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-best-10-editors-in-the-industry-to-pitch-to-right-now-tickets-136422538485
11/12 A few other things to remember. Don’t end fully written pieces to editors. If you can write a first-person piece, you can easily write an opinion piece. You can always negotiate your rate. You don’t have to do panels, podcasts or newsletters to be a serious journalist.
12/12 Oh and you can absolutely be a journalist without…Moving to London, Doing an NCTJ, Never having worked in a staff job, Being posh or Having gone to university. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-land-your-dream-commission-tickets-136420331885
We're also hosting more of a personalised session on how you can turn your rejected pitches into commissions, so BRING YOUR REJECTED PITCHES TO THIS! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-turn-a-rejected-pitch-into-a-commission-tickets-136459807959
