HOW TO ACHIEVE EXPERT STATUS BY GETTING PUBLISHED …

[Pages:8]HOW TO ACHIEVE EXPERT STATUS BY GETTING PUBLISHED ON A MAJOR WEBSITE

MELYSSAGRIFFIN

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HOW TO GET PUBLISHED ON A MAJOR WEBSITE

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SECTION 1 ? KNOW YOUR PUBLICATION Before beginning the pitching process, it's important to understand who you are dealing with. Is there a publication you've just been dying to write for? Look through their site, and see if you can determine the answers to the following questions:

1. Who is their target audience? Be as specific as possible.

2. What are some topics they usually cover (ex: lifestyle, tech, DIY, business, etc.)?

3. In which style are their articles typically presented (ex: lists, longform essays, interviews, etc.)?

4. How would you describe their voice (ex: informative, irreverent, humorous, modern, young, technical, etc.)

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SECTION 2 ? DETERMINE HOW TO PACKAGE YOUR PITCH

1. Find a publication's submission guidelines (usually found in the bottom navigation of the site OR by simply googling "how to pitch [publication's name]". List out the specific instructions provided here:

SECTION 3 ? DEVELOP YOUR PITCH IDEAS Now let's start dreaming up some awesome article ideas!... STEP 1: Think through your fields of expertise. These should be areas in which you have special skills, education, or some sort of training. If you aren't sure what you are an expert in quite yet, simply list some topics that absolutely fascinate you. Be sure to keep these fairly general. (ex: Crafting, Design, Business, Relationships, etc.)

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STEP 2: Choose one of the topics listed above and identify some subtopics. Think about ideas within that topic that have been extra-extra interesting to you lately. For example, if your general topic is "Business," how can you narrow that down further? Maybe you are interested in talking about how to develop an audience for a specific niche. Awesome. Keep building off of that idea, getting more and more specific as you go. List as many ideas as you can think of below:

STEP 3: Choose one of the subtopics from the previous question and think about how your particular slant or POV could add value to the discussion. To use the previous example, perhaps you have developed an amazing audience by implementing a unique strategy, one that seems obvious to you but that no one else seems to be using yet. List your ideas below:

STEP 4: After you've thought through your field of expertise, narrowed down your topic, and

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found a unique angle, you are ready to write your pitch. In 3?5 sentences, craft an explanation for the article you want to write.

Be sure to emphasize your angle/why this article will be different from any other that one might find on a similar topic:

STEP 5: Write your headline. Remember, this should be in the style of the publication that you are pitching:

Unless specified by a publication's submission guidelines, it's fine to send anywhere from one to three pitches in a single email. If you want to send more than one pitch, repeat steps 1-5 above. Now that you've got some crazy good ideas brewing, think back to the publication you are pitching. Based on your answers in Section 1, do you think these ideas would be a good fit? Would they resonate with their readership? If not, perhaps you're either pitching the wrong publication or you may simply need to modify your ideas to fit their focus. However, if you think you're on the right track, let's keep going!

SECTION 4 ? CRAFT YOUR EMAIL It's pitch time, baby!

1. First off, who will you be sending this email to? Does the publication list an editor that you should reach out to directly? Do they list a general email such as "pitches@publication. com"? If you can't figure out where to send a pitch, check out the publication's "Contact" page. Find the editor responsible for your particular topic (ex: Lifestyle Editor, Culture Editor, Style Editor, etc.).

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NAME

EMAIL

If you decide to send your pitch directly to an editor, begin by addressing them by name (ex: Dear ___). If not, a simple "hello" is fine.

2. Now, think through your credentials. What are some pieces of writing that you can send along that you are really proud of ? What is your field of expertise and why should they consider publishing your work? List out your awesomeness below:

3. After you introduce yourself and explain why you are emailing them (to pitch the best article of all time, obviously), it's time to move onto your actual pitches. Head back to Section 3, and grab those pitches with the headlines attached and plug them into the body of your email. From here, conclude with some next steps, a few sentences which include the following:

A) A submission timeline ? How quickly you can turn your piece around (be realistic!)

B) A response deadline ? How long you will wait for a response before continuing to pitch elsewhere (two weeks is a solid amount of time for this, but it's definitely your call)

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C) All of the usual niceness that comes with an email ? Provide a way for the editor to reach you, and say things like "Thank you," "If you have any questions..." etc. You know, be nice.

4. Before you hit "send" on your completed pitch email, use the checklist below to make sure you aren't missing anything:

Research publication

Research publication's audience, frequently covered topics, article types, and voice

Check submission guidelines

Identify an email address & contact to send your pitches

Write a 3-5 sentence pitch for your ideas (unless specified, you may send up to three of

these)

Craft email:

Salutation ("Dear [Editor's Name]" or simply "Hello")

Introduction

An explanation of your expertise

Links to previous work

Link to your website

One to three pitches (with headlines) that are 3?5 sentences in length

Conclusion

Submission timeline

Response deadline

A way to get in touch with you (email/phone)

If you're able to check off everything above, feel free to click send! You did it!

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REMEMBER: follow up if you don't hear a response. It's totally likely that your pitch will get lost in the shuffle, so if you don't get a response within the week, feel free to send a gentle reminder. And if you never hear back from an editor or even if you get a solid "no,""know that that's okay! There are plenty of fish (publications) in the sea, so keep on pitching on.

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Melyssa Griffin teaches online courses and live workshops for entrepreneurs and bloggers who want to turn their passion into a full-time business. She also leads an active Facebook group called the Blog + Biz BFFs, shares frequently in-depth blog posts, and helps tens of thousands of entrepreneurs with her weekly emails. She believes it's always the right time for a dance party, that her corgi is the cutest creature on this earth, and that dirty chai lattes are a daily necessity. Fist bump!

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