Pitch Checklist

The "journalist-approved" checklist for crafting perfect pitches.

Use the points below to create clear and concise pitches.

After interviewing 200+ journalists, we uncovered the secrets behind what makes them open a pitch, respond to it, and ultimately write a story about it or include it within an existing piece.

These 20 points offer clues into the preferences of journalists AND what they expect to see in a pitch that lands in their inbox. Follow these tips for better odds of getting a "Yes!"

Ensure the pitch is highly relevant to the journalist's specific beat or coverage area.
1. Tip: submit a pitch to generate a curated list of journalists that matches their beat to your news.
Research the journalist's past work to understand their typical stories and style.
1. Tip: run an article search or view the journalist's profile card by clicking their name.
Tailor the pitch specifically to that journalist, showing it's not a mass email.
1. Tip: refer to their recent articles or social media for a personal tie-in, but make sure it's authentic.
Keep the pitch concise and short, ideally a few sentences or short paragraphs.
1. Tip: write your pitch, then rewrite a condensed version.
Get straight to the point quickly at the beginning of the email.
1. Tip: highlight the point in bold or display it on its own line.
Use a direct and clear subject line that clearly indicates the main topic.
1. Tip: ask AI to create a subject line based on your pitch text.
Prioritize providing data, reports, or interesting findings.
1. Tip: offer stats early on and follow-up with key data points that support.
Include key business metrics (like revenues or growth) upfront if relevant to the journalist's coverage.
1. Tip: focus on stats that support the narrative and don't sweat if they aren't readily available.
Offer access to interesting or senior-level sources, including relevant experts.
1. Tip: coordinate times ahead of outreach for ease of booking.
Provide relevant credentials for any experts or sources offered.
1. Tip: add your LinkedIn handle to your signature or name.
Suggest a clear story angle or hook that the journalist could pursue.
1. Tip: refer to past coverage or highlight a trend they might have not covered yet.
Include specific, striking details or numbers that make the pitch compelling.
1. Tip: back up your claims with evidence to build the case.
Consider "plating the story" by including multiple necessary elements like experts, data, and context.
1. Tip: review 4-5 articles to see what's included (images, quotes, headshots, etc.)
Offer exclusive or novel information that hasn't been widely covered elsewhere.
1. Tip: don't offer exclusives to everyone at once. Do one journalist at a time and plan ahead.
Ensure the pitch is timely or connects to relevant current trends.
1. Tip: if it happened even a month ago, chances are its old news.
Provide helpful assets such as a media kit or images.
1. Tip: linking to assets can help avoid spam filters.
If providing images, consider using a Dropbox or zip file link for better usability and to potentially avoid spam filters (though some journalists prefer attachments).
1. Tip: make folders or files easily shareable.
If including photos, provide captions and credits along with the images.
1. Tip: naming the photo and owner are simple but often overlooked.
Present information clearly, whether using bullet points (preferred by many for skimming) or concise paragraphs (preferred by some for flow).
1. Tip: bullets and numbers can easily break up text.
Follow up appropriately, often once is sufficient, and avoid excessive emails, especially if the pitch wasn't relevant.
1. Tip: wait at least 1-2 days between emails if your pitch is timely. Otherwise, a strategically timed follow up in the future could be a great touch point.

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