Successful pitches (excerpts / samples)

These are short excerpts so you need to visit the linked articles to see the whole pitch. Always remember to end your pitch with a paragraph about yourself (i.e., a short bio highlighting your credentials and publication credits) and links to your portfolio or strongest work. Also, read these articles for guidance: (a) Ann Friedman's How to pitch your writing, (b) MasterClass's How to pitch an article to a magazine, and (c) Format's How to write a pitch that gets you published. If the samples below are not enough, head over to The Open Notebook Database and Successfulpitches.com for more inspiration. 

PITCH FOR VINEPAIR
A Wine Drinker’s Guide to Climate Change Winners and Losers by Jamie Cattanach

"I’d like to write a piece explaining how climate change could completely wreck winemaking as we know it, and even render certain varietals and blends impossible to create...I would briefly explain how varietal characteristics depend on terroir...Long story short: if we don’t take action, our children might not be drinking the same elegant, cool-weather pinots or slatey Chablis we enjoy today..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: 3 Real-World Examples of Freelance Writing Pitches That Sold by Lisa Rowan). Find more freelance writing tips by visiting The Write Life at https://thewritelife.com/

PITCH FOR CINCINNATI MAGAZINE
Not by bread alone by Grace Dobush

"A man trained as a kosher butcher emigrated from Lithuania in 1886 to serve an orthodox Jewish congregation in Cincinnati. Behr Manischewitz eventually became the patriarch of a mechanized matzo empire that led the world in matzo production...I’ve done extensive research on the family...and would love to tell the Manischewitz story for Cincinnati Magazine. There’s a wealth of interesting historical imagery and maps to go with the story, and I have a few ideas for interview subjects..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: A Magazine Pitch that Totally Worked by Grace Dobush).

PITCH FOR SLATE

It's Time to Make Postal Workers Heroes Again by Jennifer Wilson

"I write to see if you might be interested in an essay on a spate of adventure films that came out in the 1930s about airmail pilots: Air Mail (1932), Night Flight (1933), Ceiling  Zero (1936), Flight From Glory (1937), and Only Angels Have Wings (1939)...In the 1930s, capitalizing on  the fame of airmail pilot Charles Lindbergh, the industry released a  series of sexy thrillers about the dashing men who risked their lives to deliver mail. However, these movies glamorized the very conditions that actual airmail pilots were fighting against in the courts...the predatory mail delivery contracts that forced pilots to fly in unsafe conditions, a practice  known as “pilot pushing.” I think this essay could be, amongst other things, a timely warning against letting postal workers operate as deified tireless public servants (rather than workers) in our cultural  imagination."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: How to Pitch Slate).

PITCH FOR QUARTZ
America’s Obsession With Social Media Is Undermining The Democratic Process by Lisa Rabasca Roepe

"Voters today are embracing presidential candidates who appeal to their specific passions and ideals much like they only trust news sources that align with their ideological views...Our ability to self-select our newsfeed via Facebook, Twitter...is creating an echo chamber for voters...This piece would focus on how voters are no longer receiving balanced (and, in some cases, accurate) news about election candidates....This article would include interviews with Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of API...and Carroll Doherty, director of political research at Pew Research Center..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: 3 Real-World Examples of Freelance Writing Pitches That Sold by Lisa Rowan). Find more freelance writing tips by visiting The Write Life at https://thewritelife.com/

PITCH FOR INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

"The farm-to-table trend currently sweeping the culinary world is nothing new around the Midwest. Restaurant proprietors devoted to this down-home dining approach are proud to serve up local foodstuffs in innovative ways...Would a feature on farm-to-table dining in the Midwest be a good fit for your magazine? I envision this article would discuss the growing popularity of the dining concept and then detail half a dozen or so Midwestern restaurants within Airtran destinations..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: Inflight Magazine Query Letter Sample by Erik Episcopo). Find more freelance writing tips by visiting Freelance Writing at https://www.freelancewriting.com

PITCH FOR NEW YORK TIMES

Anna Goldfarb

"What about a story examining the struggles of being a people pleaser? As states re-open, people pleasers may feel pressured to attend gatherings and events before they're ready. I could go on into why people fall into this people-pleasing pattern and how to break free from this kind of thinking."

Read the whole pitch/article here.

PITCH FOR THE GUARDIAN

Lu-Hai Liang

"Would the Guardian be interested in a short article about the difficulty of Chinese exams, specifically the gaokao, the Chinese university entrance exam, which Chinese teenagers have just taken? The exams are the only thing considered by universities, so no interviews or recommendations, and ‘questions’ on the exams include obtuse prompts such as: Looking at the stars with your feet on the  ground." 

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: Great journalists and great journalism: How to make a name for yourself).

PITCH FOR SLATE

Lockdowns and Curfews are Nothing New on the West Bank by Barnaby Papadopulos

"Abdelfattah Abusrour, founder of a cultural centre inside Aida refugee camp, describes his daily situation: From within, Bethlehem is locked down due to the threat of COVID-19. From without, it is encircled by the checkpoints of the Israeli military. Yet to many of the men and women I’ve spoken to..life under lockdown feels remarkably normal. Restrictions on movement, restrictions on association, overshadowed by fear. This piece will not only shine a light on the potential devastation that COVID-19 could cause to an oppressed society, but will seek to show how our new reality, shocking as it is, has been a Palestinian reality for years."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: How to Pitch Slate).

PITCH FOR NEWSDAY
Alan Krawitz

"I’d like to write this story on how the NYPD is using computers to combat graffiti vandalism...In 700-800 words, I can fully develop this story tapping neighborhood activists like the Glendale Civilian Observation Patrol..., Tony Avella’s North Shore Anti-Graffiti Volunteers and key activists...Covered points can include the specifics of the d-base tracking system...My qualifications to write this story include several years of community journalism experience..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: Pitches that worked: Newsday by Rebecca L. Fox). Find more freelance writing tips by visiting Mediabistro at https://www.mediabistro.com

PITCH SAMPLE
Neelima Vallangi

"Rarely does Goa conjure images of pristine greenery, dense forests and hidden waterfalls. Goa has been always known for its beaches, parties and Portugese colonies. But my first foray into the beach paradise shattered this image as I cycled my way through the charming interiors of the tiny state. Over a week, we covered 250kms through the forests and hills discovering hidden gems...Until this ride happened, I had never imagined that Goa sheltered such dense and abundant forests...I propose to do a story describing the above incidents, the mountain biking experience...and the completely new facet of Goa that we discovered along the way." 

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: How to pitch to get published in a newspaper/magazine by Neelima Vallangi).

PITCH FOR FUTURE CITIES

Jordan Fraade

"I'm a NYC-based writers and editor who focuses on urbanism, general politics, and millenial-gneration issues...I wanted to get in touch with you to pitch an article, especially since I noticed that Future Cities' quick poll of the day is on bus transit. I just returned from Mexico City, and was impressed and pleasantly surprised by the city's bus rapid transit system. Obviously, the city has a reputation for never-ending traffic...I would love to profile the system—how it works, why it's so great, and what it can teach us about creating great transit opportunities in cities that are famous for their car culture. I've got a bunch of original photos that I could add to the piece...I also have a funny story to share about what happens to private vehicles who try to mess with the system."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: The Making of a Full-Time Freelancer by Jordan Fraade).

PITCH FOR BABBLE

What Happened When I Took My Spoiled Child To A Homeless Shelter by Audra Rogers

"I signed my 7 yr old son and I up to serve breakfast at a homeless shelter as an act of kindness to honor the memory of a friend's husband that passed away. My son has a really good heart, but we live in an affluent area and I've seen signs of "affluenza" and I really wanted him to learn that not everyone has the same advantages in life...I plan to explain how we went broke and lost our house in 2009 when the economy tanked. He was a toddler then and doesn't remember our struggles then...I also plan to talk about how proud I am that he is still innocent at heart and didn't see the homeless men as different or less than, he just saw people. Let me know if you are interested in this piece, I'd sure love to write it for you!"

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: How I pitched Babble by Audra Rogers).

PITCH FOR POPULAR SCIENCE
Hit Musical Hamilton Is Great — But Is It Addictive? by Nicole Dieker

"Just about everyone I know is obsessed with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new musical Hamilton...What makes music like this feel addictive...? I’d reach out to a musicologist and a psychologist for their thoughts on the nature of addictive music..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: How to Write a Pitch That Will Make Editors Say YES by Nicole Dieker). Find more freelance writing tips by visiting The Write Life at https://thewritelife.com/

PITCH FOR SMARTER LIVING
What I wish I’d known before moving in with my boyfriend by Anna Goldfarb

"I saw your call for pitches so I figured I’d toss my hat in the ring...I’d always pictured moving in with a guy like diving into a pool; a graceful, swift action. It turns out I was absolutely wrong. Instead of a dive, it was like doing the Macarena, in that there’s a series of steps that need to be executed in a certain order for it to be considered a success..."

Read the whole pitch/article here (title: How to successfully pitch The New York Times or, well, anyone else by Tim Herrera).