How to pitch multiple outlets the same idea at the same time
Plus: More Zoom workshops this month
Hello friends! This week we’re talking about simultaneous submissions, or pitching multiple editors the same idea at once. It’s a tricky dance — the goal is to minimize the amount of time you sit around waiting for responses, but not find yourself in the unenviable position of accidentally having sold the same idea to multiple outlets.
To shed some light on the practice, I’ve invited longtime friend of FWT Rae Witte, a veteran freelancer and coach, to share her wisdom. Have at it, Rae!
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A while back, a travel writer lamented the expected “etiquette” of pitching one editor at a time and waiting for them to respond. While this may have been expected — and even feasible — in the past, for many writers it can be totally unsustainable.
Until you are working with a crew of editors who consistently return edits in a timely manner, pay you upon completion, and respond to every single pitch, many freelancers can’t survive operating with this “etiquette.”
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I am always pitching editors at the same time, because journalism isn’t a hobby. It’s my livelihood and part of my income, and because of that, I approach it as part of my small business. Without a contract in place with some sort of non-compete language (which is not legal), the notion of loyalty to an editor or pub is unnecessary. Full-time roles exist today and are gone tomorrow, verticals and entire outlets fold overnight (and some even disappear from the internet), and budgets regularly disappear for weeks or months at a time. You’re not doing yourself any favors waiting on that email that may never come.
In the order from most important to least, here are the four things I consider most when choosing where to pitch:
Rate and payment terms
I’m looking for the best rate for the amount of work I put into a draft and editing, as well as the best payment terms. I’ll often pitch to a brand’s content site or business blog before a major media outlet because they typically pay more, and they pay faster.
Working relationship with the editor
This is based on how we work together through the editing (or even pitching and negotiation) process and their timeliness and transparency.
Upcoming May Zoom workshops! All registrants will get a full playback of the workshops whether or not they attend live, and paid subscribers get 50% off tickets!
• This Thursday @ 4:30 p.m. Eastern: How to start and grow a newsletter. Join me and Parker Molloy of The Present Age for a workshop on how to launch and grow a successful newsletter. We’ll cover the best platforms for publishing your newsletter, how to find your target audience, how to promote your work, the ins and outs of developing a niche, and much more!
• May 21 @ 4:30 p.m. Eastern: The art of structuring a longform narrative. Join me for a workshop on how to structure and organize a longform narrative feature. I’ll lead a deconstruction exercise of a published longform narrative story and give you tips and advice on how to use those tools in your writing. It’ll be structured like a grad school-level class, with participation encouraged (but, of course, not required)!
How much autonomy I assume I’ll have with the story
This is mainly for editors I’ve worked with in their current roles or at past pubs, but ultimately, I’m looking for someone who doesn’t impart their own tone or shift the perspective of the story. Of course, I expect (and want) edits, but there are simply some editors you’ll work better with than others.
Byline
This is a nice-to-have more than anything for me. It could be because I have years in the game, but the ease of the process and the pay are substantially more important than legacy bylines for me. I’ll always pitch some big names, but I am never waiting on or holding my breath for their response.
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I weigh these four categories and start pitching from there. Depending on the story, I pitch the highest-priority outlet(s)/editor(s) and let it breathe for a day or two. From there, I send the pitch to the second round of outlet(s)/editor(s). After I follow up on the first set (which is never in less than three to four business days, but usually closer to a week), I send the final round. These are usually editors I know who are familiar with my work, but the story may not be a total fit for their section. I’ve been surprised by placing stories with these editors in the past. And, after I’ve followed up on all of them, if there is a pub I know will pick it up, I send that one last. The idea is to attempt to diversify my bylines and continue to pick up new editors, but ultimately, I need to get a paycheck. Doing this with multiple ideas at once lessens that feeling of killing time or email-refresh desperation.
In terms of what to include in a pitch that I may be sending to multiple editors, my controversial take is that there is no reason to include anything about what I’m doing with the pitch until it’s responded to and/or commissioned. I don’t want to volunteer information that is completely unnecessary to the story that may sway their organic response. All they need to worry about is whether we’re moving forward. If it’s not available when they respond, it is what it is. I do not want to normalize editors being entitled to how freelancers manage their time or business.
The exact text of a pitch sold to Slate for $600
Hello friends! Today we have another entry in our ongoing series of #pitchesthatsold, in which we examine a successful, well-thought-out pitch that resulted in a great clip and a paycheck.
Should two editors both show interest in commissioning your pitch at the same time, you simply let one of them know it’s been commissioned elsewhere already. I’ve done this multiple times, and it never burns the bridge. (Ya snooze, ya lose.) You have a living to make, and you’re bringing ideas to them that their staff isn’t.
Additionally, if multiple editors do show interest, you can also use this opportunity to shift the angle and maybe write something else in the same vein, or ask what else they’re currently most interested in commissioning. Continue the conversation whenever possible. This can look like another angle regarding the same or similar topic or sending a couple of new pitches right away, but with both options, I’ll also ask what they’re looking for and let them know I’m open to taking assignments. It can be good for relationship-building and becoming more aligned with what this editor is looking for. No one is ever going to know you’re pitching multiple editors at once, and frankly, if you aren’t on staff, it’s none of their business.
Oh, a few other things …
Got a question about freelancing or the wider world of journalism? Let’s hear it, and I may feature it in a future Q&A post! Fill out this form with your question. Can’t wait to hear what you’ve got!
Sell a pitch recently? I want to see it! If you had a story picked up not long ago, I’d love to feature you and your story in our ongoing series highlighting pitches that sold. Email me at tim@freelancingwithtim.com and put “Pitches that sold” in the subject line. Can’t wait to see ’em!
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