18 Paying Pitch Calls and a Chance to Write About Chilly Movies
Where to Pitch this Week (10.18.24) - Editor requests from CNN, CityAM, Mill Media, iPaper, the Toronto Star, WordWorks, and a chance to write about stag dos and having kids before you're ready.
Hello!
Are you in the “maybe I should pick up some Halloween candy, just in case they run out” frame of mind? Even though there are still two weeks to go and you know you’ll eat all that candy yourself? It might be just me.
But if you are working through candy cravings, here are some pitch calls and info to distract you!
Life’s a Pitch!
Life’s A Pitch! A column where I take reader stories and help form them into sellable story ideas.
I’d love to get more ideas! If you have a nonfiction idea that you’d like to see in newspapers or magazines, send it in. Ideally, these would become 1000-1500 word essays, op-eds, or lightly reported stories, so keep that in mind when sharing. To submit your idea for a future edition, click here and fill out the form.
Mattie’s WWI Story
Mattie sent in this idea for a pitch:
Kansas City is home to the historic Union Station that has direct connections to the National WWI Museum and Memorial, which was designated by the Smithsonian in 2014. This is the only federally claimed WW1 memorial. And, we have two out of 15 Presidential Libraries equidistant from Union Station and the WW1 Memorial.
Mattie also included details about a Liberty Memorial now housed in the museum and how it came to be. Plus, it’s something he intends to pitch for Veterans Day.
All of this is super interesting! I think the piece that might be missing is the “why now” question.
Veterans Day is a good hook, but why do you want to focus on this monument in this museum right now?
The fact that this is the only official WWI memorial in the country is intriguing. Are there any parallels between the comparative erasure of WWI to something that’s going on today? Does the fact that WWI gets so little public attention have a great meaning about American culture or views on war/soldiers?
Let the editor know why readers should want to know more about this memorial. If you want to focus on the story behind the Liberty Memorial, great! What can we learn from that occasion that we need to learn again now?
Sometimes, it’s perfectly fine to pitch a “Hey, this fascinating thing happened in history!” or “Look at this super unusual place!” kind of story. But if you can make it feel a little more timely or urgent for today’s readers, that will always help.
Overall, I think this is a great focus for a story, Mattie. You could try pitching a more historical angle to Smithsonian Magazine. Or perhaps something about the Liberty Monument itself to Atlas Obscura. And don’t forget about Kansas newspapers and magazines! This kind of local story could be really appealing for Veterans Day.
Also from Amber: Write Your Pitch in 30 Minutes - Free Workshop. Find out what editors want in a pitch, avoid common writer mistakes, and flesh out an idea in less time than an episode of The Perfect Couple. Former students sold pitches to Huffington Post, Insider, and The Guardian after watching this workshop. Watch it now - for free!
19 Pitch Calls from Paying Publications
Below, we’ve got editor requests from CNN, CityAM, Mill Media, iPaper, the Toronto Star, WordWorks, and a chance to write about stag dos and having kids before you're ready. Plus paid opportunities in lifestyle, politics, esports, clean energy, music, news, technology, writing, and more.