What gets the media interested in academic research stories

The next time you want to frustrate editors, pick up the phone and take 10 minutes to describe – in detail – your latest research or commercialization project. For the clincher? Use these exact words: “I think this would be a great article idea.”

To be fair, back when editors took three-martini lunches and owned a fistful of red pens and bottles of whiteout, writers routinely pitched story ideas over the phone. But today’s editorial reality is different. Astoundingly so. Each day is a tornado of overfilled email inboxes, meetings, deadlines and production schedules. Those editors who escape rounds of layoffs are expected to churn out the same quality product, but with much less help.

In short, editors are busy.

So if you want to pitch a trade or consumer article idea, give editors exactly what they need to quickly decide if they will assign the article. Here’s a general guide for crafting a written query that gets results.

Email the right person

Look at the publication masthead or go online and look for the list of editors on the publication’s site. You want to send your pitch by email to someone listed as a senior editor, not a managing or contributing editor. If the publication asks that all queries be sent to one email address, such as [email protected], use it.

No general topics please

The best pitches start with a specific and targeted idea that shows you have a unique angle – and know where it might best work within the publication.

Don’t: “I intend to write an article about my most recent research regarding gamification reward systems and their effect on infant primates.”

Do: “I have a 500-word story idea for your “Uncommon Sense” section about surprising ways both toddlers and baby gorillas respond to reward systems.”

Clear subject line

Because editors often receive hundreds of emails a day, you need to be sure yours stands out. Put thought into your subject line and make it clear what the email is about. Try:

Subject: Pitch for Uncommon Sense – toddlers vs. gorillas

Not only does this subject line tell the editor you’re sending a pitch, it’s for a specific section and the subject matter is offbeat and intriguing.

Know the format

Your pitch is not a letter, so don’t write it like it’s one. Successful pitches (LINK TO SIDEBAR PAGE BELOW)are usually formatted like this:

1. The headline. Most pitch  writers forget a well-crafted headline. Stand out from the crowd and give the editor a reason to keep reading.

2. The lead. Launch your query, another word for pitch, with the lead of your actual story. Not only are you hoping to intrigue the reader, you want to show that you write well and understand the consumer or industry trade publication’s tone and style.

3. The story you intend to tell and how. Once you have the reader hooked, explain the main body of the story. Exactly what points do you hope to make? Who will you interview? Will you highlight your own research as well as other relevant research? Will you use statistics or surveys? What format do you expect to use? If you are writing for a Web publication, are there any relevant links? Be clear about what you expect the article will cover.

4. Your qualifications. Quickly explain who you are and why you are the best person to write about the topic. If you have written for other consumer or trade publications, include that information. If this is your first time writing this type of article, simply leave it out.

5. A call to action. Thank the editor and let him or her know you are looking forward to their response. (Tip: If you don’t hear back within two weeks, follow up.) A quick word: Although you might be tempted to send out your query to more than one editor at a time to cut down waiting, think carefully before you do. Editors hate finding out, after your pitch has been sent to other editors in their office and approved for assignment, that you have already sold it to another publication. At the very least, alert the editor that you’re sending your pitch as a simultaneous submission.

6. Clips. If you have writing samples or clips, paste them onto the bottom of the email. Never attach documents. Editors won’t open them. If you don’t have clips, know that with your professional and pitch-perfect query letter, the editor knows you can write.

Remember, editors are always looking for ideas that are interesting, fresh and new. Your research is likely all these things. Better still, you have a deep understanding of area of expertise. And if you write well? To a beleaguered editor, your article pitch is golden.

What does a pitch look like? 

No matter what your topic is, most pitches will follow a similar formula. Here is one of mine that landed me an article in Canadian Family magazine  in 2013. After following up with the editor once, she assigned a story that was somewhat different than the one I proposed here. That’s common. (The publishing trend today is to run shorter articles– the finished product for this one ended up being 600 words.) Not only was it shorter, it focused more on the psychological and biological reasons for fear as a parent. We didn’t use my proposed sidebars either, although one topic was rolled into the completed story.

Head: Mama Gets Her Roller Coaster Groove Back

Feature: 800-1,000 words 

I used to be a roller coaster daredevil. The bigger the teeth rattling drops, turns, spins and loops, the better. There was even a time when one of this country’s national newspapers considered me their amusement park scary ride expert.

But that all changed the moment I had kids.

It turns out there may be a biological reason lightening speed roller coasters now give me the creeps. According to research in Canada and the U.S., a mother’s hormones and even brains go through a shift that keeps us from doing risky things once we have children. (And yes, my former skydiving dream has crash-landed too.) Apparently our bodies want to stick around long enough to watch our children grow.

This story is about how I push against my biological leanings and started riding roller coasters again. (I’m honestly a bit freaked out, but will do it for a story!) I would head to Orlando, the amusement park capital of the world and hit LEGOLAND for its “pink knuckle” rides. Then I would work my way up to some of the more adventurous coasters at Disneyworld and then, finally, hit Universal Orlando to ride The Hulk.

Of course this story is not just a play-by-play report of each ride, but also a thoughtful and fun examination of how motherhood changes our bodies, minds and priorities. It will ask and answer the questions: Can I ever have my old life back? If I could, would I want to?

Sidebars: There are a few possible sidebars for this memoir-travel story to give the reader some news to use: How to know if your kids are ready for roller coasters (even if you’re not); best roller coaster theme parks; best parks for the whole family; what to say to yourself if you’re already strapped in, but you want off the ride!

Editor X, I see this story running in your June issue, in time for summer vacation planning. I can have it turned around in two weeks after assignment. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

All the best,

Kira Vermond

 

You will notice a few things about this pitch:

1. I am emulating the tone and style of the magazine, which is conversational and personal.
2. I’ve given a headline to let the editor know what the pitch is about. It’s not meant to be used in the story. The final headline was: From Risk-Taker to Risk-Avoider: How Thrill-Seeking Changes After Motherhood.
3. The pitch follows the formula: anecdotal opening, an explanatory paragraph, more information about who I will be interviewing and the points I will cover, how long it will take me to write the article and when I see it appearing on the stands, and a call to action.

 

photo credit: Amir Kuckovic via photopin cc