+44 (0) 207 359 9880
| Duration: | One Day | |||||||||||||||
| Public Course: | £325 + VAT | |||||||||||||||
| Individual tuition: | £495 + VAT | |||||||||||||||
| Course Times: | 10am - 4.30pm | |||||||||||||||
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Pitching ideas and getting commissions
As all experienced freelance journalists know, coming up with a great idea and writing an interesting article is only half the battle. Unless you know how to sell your ideas even the most brilliant work can end up unused. Understanding who will be interested in your story and what will make your idea attractive will drastically increase the number of commissions you receive. This one day course will teach you how to sell your ideas by phone and by email and who to pitch them to in order to get commissions.
Who should attend
Anyone who would like to increase the number of commissions they get.
Key Topics
Who to pitch to
How to pitch ideas
Different methods of pitching
When to follow up
Cultivating relationships with editors
Increasing the number of contacts
Course Content
| INTRODUCTION Understanding who will be interested in a story and what makes an idea attractive to a publication WHO TO PITCH YOUR IDEAS TO Deciding which editors to approach Tailoring your pitch to different editors HOW TO PITCH YOUR IDEAS Selling your idea by phone Selling your idea by email How to ‘blanket’ pitch PITCHING BY PHONE Creating a good contact list There is an art to selling your ideas on the phone; what to say and what not to say PITCHING BY EMAIL Your email must capture the editor’s interest and make sure they read your proposal. Learn to create short, succinct emails that convey the message and interest of your story idea. THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADLINES A headline can make or break a story. Many editors commission story ideas based on the headline alone. We show you how to write clever, attention-grabbing headlines that will get you those vital commissions. WRITING YOUR PROPOSAL How to structure a proposal Deciding how long a proposal should be and how much information to include. Why it's important to include case study pictures in your initial story idea How to present an idea in different ways to enable you to pitch to several different publications WHEN AND HOW TO FOLLOW UP YOUR INITIAL PITCH How long after you've sent in a proposal should you start pestering the editor? Learn how to enquire about your idea and receive useful, constructive feedback, even if your idea is turned down. HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EDITORS A good relationship with a commissioning editor can lead to last-minute commissions, regular employment and recommendations for other work. HOW TO APPROACH NEW CONTACTS How to 'sum up' your skills and experience How to develop ideas suitable for different magazines and papers. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS |