How to Pitch the New York Times

Pitching the New York Times as a freelance writer requires perseverance and a stomach for rejection.

Some people have done it countless times and never had a piece run even just once.

The idea of pitching the big hitters of journalism seems daunting, but really, it’s just a numbers game.

They’re no better than you are at picking great stories and the only way to find out if they have an interest in yours is to pitch.

So, if you want your article or story published, focus on your approach.

Editors of these publications receive countless pitches, from which they often classify as either great, something they can work with, or simply bad.

The fact that these editors look up to the highest standards means that most of the cold pitches are classified as “bad.” Your goal is to be exempted from it.

A Bad Pitch Doesn’t Mean a Bad Story

There are several reasons why the “bad” label is often attributed to a pitch.

First, it’s usually irrelevant to the publication or editor.

It also may be an outdated story, poorly written (including bad grammar), doesn’t highlight who you are and what you do, fails to get your point across… The list goes on.

If you fail to make your pitch worthy of attention, you will be wasting the editor’s time.

Time is precious for editors.

Editors don’t remember who pitches a story on an old topic that has no significance (and probably first appeared on another publication).

They also won’t remember seeing your blog post or finding out that you’re a bestselling author.

The only thing that will stick with them is a pitch that shows you care about their publication and an idea that will captivate their audience.

The Common Thread in All Rejections

There’s one common reason why New York Times pitches get rejected.

Editors can’t see the fit of your story in the section to which you are pitching it.

Another reason is that your story doesn’t appeal to their readers or is not relevant enough.

Sometimes you can see why they reject the idea before you even send the pitch, but other times—and this may be hard to swallow—you have no clue why they’re turning down your idea.

The Difference Between a Rejection and a No-Response

Sometimes editors seem to ignore you after you submit your pitch. It’s hard not to take it personally, but don’t give up on the whole publication just because of one rejection or lack of response.

There are many reasons why an editor doesn’t reply:

• Your idea wasn’t selected for their publication
• It wasn’t relevant
• They can’t fit it in their publication’s schedule
• There are changes in editorial focus that doesn’t allow them to use the idea

Whatever the reason, it might be just a temporary setback.

If an editor is interested in your pitch but doesn’t hear back from them right away, feel free to follow up with a short email.

Be brief and only ask a simple question, such as: “Do you want to schedule a follow-up meeting?”

Or “I wanted to know if the idea is still valid or am I free to pitch elsewhere.”

If you can, look for the reason why they are turning your story down.

Maybe there are some details they need to fit this or another section of their publication.

Also, look over your pitch—are you sure it meets all specifications? Would it appeal to their readership?

What You Can Learn from a Rejection

Learn from every rejection and apply what you know in your next pitch.

There’s always something you can improve and if your idea didn’t fit an editor’s publication, try to think where else it would work well. Maybe another publication would be a better match for this story.

In some cases, editors will ask you to let them know when the story is ready for them to look at again.

What Makes a Good Pitch?

When pitching a story to a New York Times editor, keep in mind that it must be perfectly written.

This means all your sentences should be flawless.

If you’re not sure whether you meet this requirement or don’t know the common mistakes in pitching, then get some help from an experienced writer.

Good Lead

The most important thing that makes any good pitch is a good title and an intriguing lead paragraph.

Editors and journalists write their leads to catch readers’ attention and get them interested in reading the full story.

Concise Yet Informative

As much as you want to fit everything in it, remember that you only have one chance at convincing an editor to use your story.

If you can’t spend less than 300 words pitching your idea, then it means that it isn’t good enough for this publication.

Why Should They Care?

An editor’s attention span is short, so you have only a few lines—five at the most—to get them hooked and keep their interest in your story.

Don’t waste this opportunity because it may be your only chance to make an impression.

It’s never easy to catch someone’s attention with just a few words, but once you’ve mastered it, your pitch will be flawless, and the editor won’t be able to resist.

Focus on Relevance

Sometimes editors reject stories because they’re not good enough to fit their readers’ interests.

If it happens that your piece doesn’t meet an editor’s criteria, don’t give up on them just yet.

Maybe this isn’t the right place for you, but there are other publications out there that would love your story.

Go For It

Lay everything out, prepare and demonstrate your pitch as if it contains the best story there is.

If you’re not confident, editors will sense it, and your pitch will suffer.

If you’re rejected, don’t dwell on it – since you’re likely to experience it several times before the New York Times pays attention to your pitches. Like in basketball, you miss those shots you don’t take.