I read an article online today in which a newspaper editor and reporter gave some insight and tips for how they like to receive story pitches. Some of their tips were no-brainers, such as “Make sure your emails are clear and direct to the point”. That makes sense. Reporters are busy people and don’t have time to mess around and dissect your email to the nuts and bolts of what they need.
Some other tips I found a little puzzling. Take this one—“Don’t be demanding, rude, ungrateful or act entitled.” Are you kidding? Really? Who are these publicists and why don’t they know better? The only place your rude pitch is going to go is in the trash.
The tip that really made me shake my head came from a business reporter from San Francisco. He stressed the importance of making sure that the contact you are pitching actually covers your topic. He says, “I get tons of pitches about hospitals in Florida, wineries in Vermont, insurance companies in Chicago, even though I write for the San Francisco Business Times.” Now this is just PR: 101. If you don’t get your story to the right person, how to you expect it to make it to print?
I am very proud that our team doesn’t make these amateur pitching blunders. We work hard to build and maintain solid relationships with reporters. After all, how well you work with the media is a critical part to the success of your company’s or client’s marketing goals.
