100+ pitching guides for NYT, Vox, NatGeo, Wired, Vulture, Politico, WaPo, Wirecutter, Slate, and more
Get those bylines!
(Illustration by Matt Lubchansky)
Hello and welcome to Freelancing With Tim! This newsletter is a weekly resource for journalists full of tips, advice, and guidance about making it in the industry. It covers everything from writing the perfect pitch and building a freelance business to crafting a longform narrative feature and generating story ideas.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider subscribing to the free or paid version. Paid subs get access to all past and future paid-only posts, the full archive of recorded Zoom workshops and panels, a guide on how and when to follow up with editors, an exclusive workshop on selling and writing a book, tips for diversifying your freelance income, 50% off all Zoom workshops, and more.
Now let’s get to the goods: all those excellent pitching guides. Good luck!
(Updated 7/8/25)
The Atlantic (General advice), contacts here
The Boston Globe, Ideas section
The Guardian (Jessica Reed, Head of Narrative)
The New York Times Styles section
The Washington Post, Inspired Life
Deadspin (R.I.P., but it’s an excellent guide)
The Outline (also R.I.P., but another useful guide)
Oh, a few other things …
• I offer one-on-one coaching! Need help developing an idea or sharpening one you already have? Or want to talk about careers and building your freelance business? Just want an edit on a story you’re working on? I’ve got you covered! Click here to book a one-on-one coaching session to talk about pitch reviews, story development, editing, and anything else you might need help with.
• If you like what you’re reading, please consider subscribing to the paid version of this newsletter. Paid subs get access to all past and future paid-only posts, including the archive of recorded Zoom panels, an expert panel on launching and growing a newsletter, a post about the 10 best things I did for my freelance career, the exact text of a pitch I sold to The Atlantic, practical tips for diversifying your freelance income, 50% off all Zoom workshops, and much more.
• Got a question about freelancing or the wider world of journalism? Let’s hear it! Once or twice a month I’ll be doing Q&A posts in the newsletter to answer all of your questions, comments, and thoughts about freelancing and journalism in general. Drop any and all questions in the comments section below this post or email me at tim@freelancingwithtim.com, and I may feature it in a future newsletter.
Okay bye ily!
-Tim ❤️