Hi and happy September!
6 Reasons Why My Pitches Were Rejected
If you’ve read past newsletters, you may know that one of my favorite topics is rejection.
I love normalizing it, encouraging people in the midst of it, reminding people that it doesn’t always mean your idea was “bad,” etc.!
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll be going there again. Time for me to get vulnerable! Here are some of the reasons why my pitches have been rejected:
The idea had been pitched already / was in the works already
It wasn’t the right fit for the website or the website’s audience
No more money in the budget
The idea wasn’t enough to fill a whole article
The topic was too touchy / it would take a lot of work to cover it well
The idea wasn’t the right type of writing (ex: reported service rather than a feature)
A few things I want to highlight here:
Most times, I don’t get a reason why a pitch was rejected. It’s normal to not get a response, as not-fun as that can be.
Look at how many reasons why a pitch can be rejected that aren’t “your idea sucks!”. And those were just some of the ones I could come up with in about a minute or two.
Check out all the ways in which I’ve “messed up” while pitching! If you have too, you’re not alone. It’s a part of the business for all of us.
I hope that helps!
Writing/Freelancing Tips
Pitch Calls
GENERAL NOTES FOR THE PITCH CALLS BELOW:
If the story is about a marginalized community, you probably need to be in that community to write the piece.
Mentioning my name in your pitch won’t help, unfortunately!
Who Pays Writers can be a helpful site to get an idea of how much publications pay.
Pitch calls:
Tony Ho Tran on X: "ALSO PITCH ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I DESPERATELY NEED AWESOME SCIENCE AND TECH STORIES NOW THAT THEY'VE FOOLISHLY GIVEN ME THE REIGNS TO THIS AMAZING SECTION. DMS OPEN. EMAIL INBOX OPEN. HELL, SEND ME A VENMO WITH A PITCH IN THE DESCRIPTION IDC" / X (twitter.com)
Nicole Clark on X: "polygon is looking for pitches! we’re running a package about twitch’s place in pop culture, and the streamers who've made it, to coincide with twitchcon 2023 las vegas. please pitch us by sept. 8 check out our pitch guide for what we’re looking for: https://t.co/Lf2SpEMe09" / X (twitter.com)
Kat Wheeler on X: "I am, once again, open to thought-provoking, horizon-expanding, stigma-smashing feature pitches exploring mental health and wellbeing topics – for @happifulhq. 🧵 of some of my previous favourites below. Please email picthes to: kathryn.wheeler@happiful.com #journojobs" / X (twitter.com)
Writer Jobs
Writing/Freelancing Resources
Stories that have been boosted on Medium (for an idea of what they’re looking for!)
Chrome extensions that help with productivity and efficiency
Encouragement
My Articles + Updates
I started grad school this month to be a clinical mental health counselor! It keeps me busy (especially since I’m still writing/coaching!) but I love it!
I’ve gotten lots of assignments this month from editors, and it feels good! Some of my biggest tips: Turn in clean copy on time. Respond ASAP. Do little extra things to help them out, like linking the publication’s content throughout. (It really is that easy.)
Want More? Here Are Other Ways I Can Help
Don’t forget about my approved pitches document and Medium guide and coaching/editing services and writing checklist set and worksheet packet for writers!
More of my content: (1) my writing Twitter // (2) my portfolio // (3) my resource set // (4) my newsletter with tons of writing jobs and pitch calls // (5) my Instagram
(BTW, my Ko-Fi shop is here!)
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like to donate, my Venmo is @AshleyBroadwater, my PayPal is paypal.me/aebroad, and my CashApp is $ashleybroadwater3 :) A huge thanks to donors!
NEW-ISH: I can also accept money through Zelle! My email is ashleybroadwater346@gmail.com. I believe that’s all the info you need!
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading this month’s newsletter. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions :)