Cold Pitching 101 for Freelance Writers and Copywriters
Let’s keep it 100: Getting ghosted by an editor sucks — especially when you know your story idea is solid. Here’s how to write a pitch perfect cold email that lands gigs.
You spent hours brainstorming the perfect idea, found the right editor and publication, wrote out your email and finally mustered the courage to click “send.” Days turn into weeks. No response. Weeks turn into months — and still, no one is replying. Eventually, you give up on your story. You start questioning whether your writing sucks or if your story even matters.
Sound familiar?
I’ve been there too as a freelance writer.
Or maybe, you’ve never hit ‘send’ because you’re scared of rejection. Perhaps, you don’t know how to write a persuasive cold pitch email.
If that’s you, keep reading. This blog will teach you everything you need to know about cold pitching, including:
What a cold pitch is (and how it can set you apart from other freelancers)
How to create confident, concise cold pitches that land you gigs
Tips to stand out from the crowd
One of my most successful pitches
Plus, stick around for a FREE 30+ page pitching guide that breaks it all down to the nitty-gritty. Let’s dive in and craft your pitch-perfect cold email.
What is a cold pitch?
A cold pitch is a proposal you send to an editor or prospective client sharing your story idea. The goal of a pitch is to persuade an editor that you are the best person to write this story (and they should pay you for it.)
What are the benefits of cold pitching as a freelancer?
Sending cold emails — no matter how scary or intimidating it may feel in the beginning — increases your visibility. Pitching as a freelance writer to a publication grants you the opportunity to share your stories on a bigger platform with a wider audience. Editors can help you amplify your voice and place your work in front of readers who are eager to hear your perspective.
Contributing to a publication (or even writing for brands as a copywriter) can help you:
Build your credibility and clientele as a freelance writer
Grow your professional network
Develop your writing portfolio
Drive traffic back to your website
Grow your following on social media
Attract even more opportunities and clients
Cold pitching allows you to take the initiative and write for the publications you love — instead of just waiting and hoping for an opportunity to pop up.
What makes an effective cold pitch as a freelance writer?
As a freelance writer who’s successfully pitched to publications like The Cut and Refinery 29, I’ve reviewed my past pitches and found similar patterns.
A successful cold pitch email comes down to 4 components: Brevity, Research, Relevance and Confidence.
Brevity: An effective cold pitch is short, simple and straightforward.
One of the most common mistakes I see freelance writers make with their pitches is that they talk waaaaay too much. There’s no other way to say it. They take forever to get to the point. I understand wanting to send the editor as much information as possible to showcase your work, but you can achieve that in a shorter, concise and considerate manner.
Considerate? Yeah, think about it. Editors receive dozens, hundreds and even thousands of pitches a day, depending on how big their publication is. If they open your email and see the Declaration of Independence with links that don’t work.
If you need a reminder: One of my favorite journalism professors gave me a K.I.S.S. (Hold on, not that kind of KISS — stop clutching your pearls!) K.I.S.S. stands for “Keep it simple, silly” (The original version is “Keep it simple, stupid,” but I loathed it.).
Keep your pitch simple. (Sorry, KYPS doesn’t sound as cool as KISS — but you get the point).
Research: Whether you graduated from college 6 months ago or 6 years ago, it’s important to do your homework as a freelance writer. When you come up with your story idea, think of the topic, niche and potential audience who would best receive your article. Once you’ve established that, find publications that fit that. Would you send your beauty pitch on how to get rid of cystic acne to ESPN? No.
Take time to understand the publication, the type of articles they publish and the audience they’re reaching. A successful pitch is tailored to meet the publication’s preferences and aligns with the publication’s vision and mission.
Confidence: Mindset is everything. If you don’t believe that your story is worth telling, you’re going to be shaking and sweating when you try to hit ‘send.’ If you don’t believe it in your story, then the editor won’t either. Present your pitch with assurance. That’s also where brevity comes in. Overexplaining yourself can convey a lack of clarity and confidence.
A successful pitch includes a quick intro, relevant information about the pitch, potential sources (people to interview), a solid angle, a proposed word count and a deadline for your draft.
The anatomy of a winning freelance pitch
Headline/Subject Line: Most editors recommended labeling your subject line “Pitch:” followed by a sentence or phrase that summarizes your topic. Generally, I like to write a subject line that sounds like a title you can see on their publication.
For example: If I wanted to pitch a story on living with PCOS to a health publication, my subject line would be “Pitch: What It’s Like Living with PCOS.” If I wanted to write an article on being a freelance writer, my subject line would be something like “Pitch: 5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Becoming a Freelance Writer.”
Introduction Paragraph: (Give me a K.I.S.S.):
Keep it short and sweet. 1-2 sentences is all you need. Say hi (make sure you know the name of the editor — and spell it correctly), and tell them where you’re based and what you currently do. If you have a specific niche that matches the publication make sure to mention it to strengthen credibility (i.e. you’re a freelance beauty copywriter pitching to Allure). Tip: If you have any previous and relevant articles/blog posts, be sure to mention them with working links.
2. How long should a pitch be?:
Your actual pitch should be one paragraph (3-5 sentences). Anything beyond that is overkill. Remember, you want to get straight to the point. Use this paragraph to mention relevant statistics or studies. This is your moment to show the editor that you’ve done your homework. If you want to write about how Black women are affected by ADHD by being severely undiagnosed, then do your research and pull some compelling stats (make sure they’re accurate!) to mention to the editor. Lead with the facts and then share why you believe this story is perfect for this publication.
Tip: Try to pitch evergreen stories (stories that are relevant no matter the time of year). Stories that are time-sensitive run the risk of becoming outdated if an editor finds your email a little too late.
3. “How should I close my cold pitch email?”
Again, simplicity is key. Thank the editor for their time and consideration. Express your interest in hearing their feedback and then after your salutation, you can share a working link to your website or portfolio page.
Example of a successful cold pitch email
Here’s one of my favorite successful pitches. My free 30+ page pitching guide, “Pitch, Please!” offers a full breakdown of why this pitch works, stay tuned to grab a copy. In the meantime, jot down 2-3 things you noticed worked with this pitch. See how you can implement that into your pitch.
My successful pitch!
Pitch practice makes pitch perfect
Cold pitching can feel intimidating, but it’s one of the most rewarding ways to take initiative in your freelance career. Remember that if believe in your story, do your research, keep your pitch email concise and approach editors of confidence you have nothing to worry about. If you don’t hear back from the editor after a week, feel free to follow up. If they don’t respond or they reject the story, don’t get discouraged. You can always rework your pitch and reach out to other publications. A rejection doesn’t define your worth. Every successful freelance writer has faced rejection at some point. I face it as well, and still, the world keeps spinning. Keep pushing. You’re one step closer to landing those dream assignments.
The best part is that you’re not alone. More than 200 freelancers have grabbed a copy of my FREE 30+ page pitching guide, where I break everything down in depth. It’s packed with valuable tips, real-life examples and templates to help you craft the perfect cold pitch email.
You’ve got this! Now it’s time to put these tips into practice and hit ‘send’ on your next pitch. Who knows? The editor might just be waiting for your story.
