31 August 2010 6 Comments By Sarah Shaw

Why do we often feel like a magazine editor holds our future in their hands?

Will we ever feel comfortable pitching ourselves?

Believe me, I am right there with ya!  Pitching ourselves is just about the hardest thing for most people – no matter what your business is.

I think the biggest tips I can give are to pitch on target, keep it short and concise, and really know who you are pitching to.  Be sure to take the time do the research and really be sure that editor is the right one for your product. There is nothing more embarrassing than pitching to the wrong person!

I reached out to my experts to contribute to this article as I think it will help us all out to see other ways to approach editors.  Let me know what you think and if you try any of the tips.

To view the entire list, visit: The Entreprenette Gazette: How to approach a magazine editor. Otherwise, Isha Edwards’ comment follows.

Don Tepper said:

There’s a lot of great advice above. (Not including mine at #37!) You’ll notice that most–as Sarah suggests–focus on keeping your pitch on target, keep it concise, know the publication, and know the editorial needs. And those are really the core elements. But there are some other good nuggets above. So don’t overlook:

#4: The Squeaky Wheel, #7: Reach Out and Follow Up. Don’t stalk the editor, but call periodically, especially if you’ve done any work for him/her. Here’s the script: “Hi. I’m sure you remember that I did the article for you on ____________. I’ve got an opening in my schedule right now, and I was wondering if you had any unassigned articles you’d like me to handle?” And, yes, editors do. Sometimes they’ve fallen behind on making assignments. Sometimes a topic was bumped and now it’s floating in limbo. Sometimes another assigned writer couldn’t handle it. Sometimes it’s a last-minute addition. Whatever the reason, editors do have unassigned articles. If you don’t ask, you won’t get. I’ve assigned several this year based on no more than a phone call from a writer at the right time.

Try, with caution, #52: Unique, Even Bizarre Titles, #40: Sell It Before You Write It. Here, the idea is to grab the editor’s attention with a strong title or strong lead. Yes, but make sure you understand what the editor is looking for and who the audience is. You don’t want to inadvertently insult or turn off either. Quick example: I post a lot on a real estate site–http://www.ActiveRain.com–because I’m also a real estate investor and Realtor. There’s an interesting thread going on right now about the title of a book: How to Cheat at Home Repair. See http://activerain.com/blogsview/1825145/sellers-this-may-not-be-the-book-for-you

It turns out that the writer’s done books for Rodale and Reader’s Digest, and a lot of other publishers, too. He’s picked up the “How to Cheat at” phrasing, just like some publishers have put out series on “_______________ for Dummies” or “___________ for Idiots.” Well, “cheating” at home organization or gardening is one thing. But “cheating” at home repairs is going to rub some folks–such as Realtors–the wrong way. So, just be careful.

Hope that helps.

Anna Brindley said:

A fellow entrepreneur, Carissa Rose http://carissarose.com/ told me about Mastheads –www.mastheads.org. I found it very helpful. Prior to that, I wasn’t sure where to get e-mail addresses from. Not all of the periodicals list the e-mails.

Sarah Shaw (author) said:

This is an interesting link as well.
http://www.publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/editorial_calendars.html

# 1 September 2010 at 7:40 am