An editor's guide to reviewing your own pitches

Every pitch is different, but there are some common themes you should look for — both to include and to avoid

We all know every pitch has the same goal: sell a story. But dig one level deeper, and the real point of a pitch is to remove reasons for an editor to say no. You want your pitch to be so good, tight, comprehensive, and compelling that the only thought an editor should have after reading it is, I’d be an idiot not to commission this.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. But there are a handful of self-checks and edits you can do for any pitch, regardless of the topic or focus, to strengthen your pitch and give it the best shot at being sold.

After a decade of commissioning, reviewing, editing, and shaping pitches, I’ve landed on the following six concepts as the most common ones I work with freelancers on, and as the most common errors I see in submitted pitches. So before you send your next pitch — and every pitch after that — ask yourself these six questions. (And, as always, all pitching advice is just guidance, not a set of rules.)

Did I answer the question, ‘Who cares?’

If you’ve ever been to one of my pitching workshops this will sound familiar, as I always say that the “Who cares?” of it all is probably the most important and central idea you need to address in your pitch.