How To Pitch To Online Magazines

Guest post by writer and book-and-magazine-editor Juilee Raje.

The same goes for writing for magazines.

“Unless you’re an established writer (and even then), excellent writing means nothing if your communication style makes your editor frown and cross their arms.”

So how can you gain more confidence to pitch to an online magazine for the first time and increase your chances of hearing back? How canyou stand out? 

If you’re a writer and you want to learn thedo’s anddon’ts of cold-pitching, read on. 

Talk TO Your Editor, Not AT Them

If you’re beginning your email with, “Dear editor,” I want you to start hitting the backspace key right now.

Once you’ve picked the online magazine you want to write for, your first task should be searching for the perfect staff member to send your pitch to—and learning their name. 

“It makes an enormous difference for an editor to see an email with their name at the top. It’s weirdly intimate in just the right way, and it always makes us sit up straighter.”

Here, you will see something along the lines of “Send all submissions to ____” along with contact information. Depending on the size and structure of the magazine, this person might be the managing editor or even just an intern. Either way, they’re your first point of contact and the one you have to woo.

“If you have an urge to send your work to the Head Editor, Publisher, or Founder, while CC’ing anyone else you might’ve missed, resist it.”

Meet Your New BFFs: Clarity and Brevity 

If you send a wall of text to your editor, they’ll get up and go grab some lunch. Seriously. If you want to stir their appetite for your pitch and not a protein bowl, keep it short. Keep a sense of mystery alive!  

“If you are pitching an idea for a feature article or blog post, your pitch should be between 200-300 words.”

“If the guidelines specify that you need to send a fully-baked submission or draft to the editor, make sure that you’re attaching your work in the proper format.”

Fit is Everything  

Fit compatibility can refer to your mode of expression, the overall vibe, or the audience you’re writing for. Publishers create publications with very clear mandates, and their mission statement often reflects two or three things that they’re uncompromising on.

The mandate adds consistency to each issue, and allows each member on the editorial team to come to a consensus quicker. 

The format of publishing is more flexible and can change over time, but these changes are often announced and deliberate.

For instance, a music magazine can choose to only publish reviews and interviews for decades, and then introduce a podcast.

Or, a women’s magazine can publish thought-pieces and wellness tips for years, and then introduce poetry.

There are many reasons why editors might introduce a new form of writing, but none of them are because they wereso blown away by Yuan’s poetry that they called a meeting. 

“Above all, stay true to yourself. If a publication’s mandate or style isn’t compatible with your vision for the piece, don’t bend yourself backwards trying to get your work published.”

Let Your Voice Shine 

A phrase I learned from a mentor in the early days of my career was, “Show, don’t tell.”

Great writers have the confidence to let their work speak for itself.

As a cold-pitch can be an editor’s first impression of you, it’s best to write every word in your own voice.

Once you have the important details in place (greetings, attached files, credentials, etc.) there’s no rule that says you can’t have fun with it! 

“Dive into your pitch without overthinking it.”

Always Follow Up 

Always, always, always. Things slip through the cracks all the time, especially when the publication is run by a small team.

Articles that editors are seriously considering publishing often go through many revisions.

We need to weigh if the style is suitable for the magazine, if the piece is time sensitive and we need to reorganize our publishing schedule, a quick background check on the writer, who’s going to be editing it, budget issues—the list goes on. 

“Please, be courteous when you do follow-up.”

While it’s not a great idea to furiously tap your toes at your editor saying, “Hey, I’ve submitted this piece to The New Yorker too. So, let me know by the end of the week because they’re my first choice!” you should specify that your pitch is time-sensitive.

Keep Trying, We’re Rooting for You!

If you’ve followed all of these steps and you’re still out of luck, it’s not time to give up just yet!

I still remember the first rejection email I sent vividly. It was while I was working for an arts criticism publication. Let’s call the writer Susan.

Susan did everything right, and put lots of care in answering any questions I had about her pitch. The incompatibility came down to a matter of fit.

She was very good at connecting many dots, but the editors felt that she was hesitant with sharing her own opinions on the topic. So close! 

You won’t always be so lucky. Some online publications with small teams don’t always have the resources to respond to every pitch with care and feedback, and you simply won’t hear from them.

Don’t get discouraged! Switch up your approach, believe in your work, keep reading the magazine to get a sense of their style, and try again.

We’re rooting for you. 

About Juilee Raje