
I’m a features editor, and part of my job is recruiting new writers. I receive a dozen pitches a week from prospective freelancers, and 90% of them end up in the recycling bin. And it’s not because I’m cruel-hearted, or I don’t care. It’s because people don’t use their initiative. So if you’re thinking of pitching to a magazine in the near future, take the following tips to heart. Because it could mean the difference between you receiving a fat commission, and your e-mail being slung on the arsepile.
1. Know exactly who you’re pitching to
I regularly receive ideas that are totally unsuitable for the magazine. The kind of feature we would never run, and never have. Why? Because the person sending them doesn’t read the magazine. They don’t care about the publication; they’re just trying to secure a commission from anyone who’ll entertain them.
If you’ve no specific desire to write for a magazine, an editor can tell instantly. And that’s not the kind of person I want as a contributor. There’s something decidedly half-arsed about shopping the same ideas around to several magazines at once, even though each one has its own distinct style and remit.
2. Ditch the formalities
Don’t start your e-mail with ‘dear sir’, or write about yourself like you’re filling out a CV. You’re not applying for a job. Just introduce yourself, provide some samples of your writing and get on with pitching your ideas. When I’m looking for a writer, personality is everything. If you come across like you’ve got a stick up your chute, I’m less likely to be interested in what you have to say.
3. Don’t make stupid mistakes
I’ve seen it all. Spelling errors in the first line. Bits left in from the last editor they sent their ideas to (‘Prior to our phone call earlier’… Wait, what phone call?). People getting the name of the magazine wrong. If you must copy and paste the same e-mail and send it to multiple people, at least add a personalised sentence or two. But even then, if you don’t really know who we are, or what we’re about, why bother?
If you can’t get an e-mail right, how are you going to be able to stick to a commission? I need my contributors to be dynamic and intuitive. To take my instructions, then turn in words that not only follow the initial plan, but excel it. I want fast-thinking, talented writers. Not someone who can’t spell ‘PlayStation’.
Remember: you’re writing for a magazine that’s translated into a dozen languages and circulated worldwide. not some two-bit blog. Your copy has to be solid.
4. Learn about magazines
A feature isn’t just a big chunk of body copy. This isn’t the internet, where text is slung into a characterless template with a few token screenshots. You have to think about structure and visuals. About boxouts and where everything’s going to fit on the page. You need to accompany your copy with directions for the art team, and have a clear vision of what you want the feature to be.
Read magazines. Look at how features are constructed. Think about how it’s going to open, and how it’s paced. And there’s more to features than having one idea, then writing 1,500 words about it from your own perspective. A feature is not an opinion column. You need to back your points up with evidence, or appropriate quotes. Contact developers, secure your own soundbites. Don’t just copy and paste them from Kotaku. Make your own content. You’re getting paid for this shit, remember?
5. Be a good writer
You’d be surprised how many people can’t even get this bit right.
AK
Disclaimer: I am not an expert. This is just my opinion.
I’m a features editor, and part of my job is recruiting new writers. I receive a dozen pitches a week from prospective freelancers, and 90% of them end up in the recycling bin. And it’s not because I’m cruel-hearted, or I don’t care. It’s because people don’t use their initiative. So if you’re thinking of pitching to a magazine in the near future, take the following tips to heart. Because it could mean the difference between you receiving a fat commission, and your e-mail being slung on the arsepile.
1. Know exactly who you’re pitching to
I regularly receive ideas that are totally unsuitable for the magazine. The kind of feature we would never run, and never have. Why? Because the person sending them doesn’t read the magazine. They don’t care about the publication; they’re just trying to secure a commission from anyone who’ll entertain them.
If you’ve no specific desire to write for a magazine, an editor can tell instantly. And that’s not the kind of person I want as a contributor. There’s something decidedly half-arsed about shopping the same ideas around to several magazines at once, even though each one has its own distinct style and remit.
2. Ditch the formalities
Don’t start your e-mail with ‘dear sir’, or write about yourself like you’re filling out a CV. You’re not applying for a job. Just introduce yourself, provide some samples of your writing and get on with pitching your ideas. When I’m looking for a writer, personality is everything. If you come across like you’ve got a stick up your chute, I’m less likely to be interested in what you have to say.
3. Don’t make stupid mistakes
I’ve seen it all. Spelling errors in the first line. Bits left in from the last editor they sent their ideas to (‘Prior to our phone call earlier’… Wait, what phone call?). People getting the name of the magazine wrong. If you must copy and paste the same e-mail and send it to multiple people, at least add a personalised sentence or two. But even then, if you don’t really know who we are, or what we’re about, why bother?
If you can’t get an e-mail right, how are you going to be able to stick to a commission? I need my contributors to be dynamic and intuitive. To take my instructions, then turn in words that not only follow the initial plan, but excel it. I want fast-thinking, talented writers. Not someone who can’t spell ‘PlayStation’.
Remember: you’re writing for a magazine that’s translated into a dozen languages and circulated worldwide. not some two-bit blog. Your copy has to be solid.
3. Learn about magazines
A feature isn’t just a big chunk of body copy. This isn’t the internet, where text is slung into a characterless template with a few token screenshots. You have to think about structure and visuals. About boxouts and where everything’s going to fit on the page. You need to accompany your copy with directions for the art team, and have a clear vision of what you want the feature to be.
Read magazines. Look at how features are constructed. Think about how it’s going to open, and how it’s paced. And there’s more to features than having one idea, then writing 1,500 words about it from your own perspective. A feature is not an opinion column. You need to back your points up with evidence, or appropriate quotes. Contact developers, secure your own soundbites. Don’t just copy and paste them from Kotaku. Make your own content.