Worst pitch of the week: Subject lines

Clear wins over "funny" every time.

Look, I get it. You want your email to stand out. You think if you make the subject line quirky or witty, the editor on the other end is going to chuckle, be charmed, and immediately open your pitch. But let me dissuade you from that notion.

If I know you and your humor sensibilities, yes, I’ll find it funny. Otherwise, it’s just wasting valuable visual “real estate.”

I personally don’t have time for wordplay with the hundreds of daily pitches a day. The fastest way to my trash folder? A misleading subject like:

At first, I thought it was a freelancer, which sounded the alarm in my brain because I hadn’t accepted any freelance pitches. So, already, I went into it with a bad feeling. Regardless, the pitch was for something that didn’t resonate with my audience, so it was moot. But, I don’t think anyone wants to go into a pitch in that space.

It was a cheeky subject line. I get it. It’s not the end of the world, but something to think about.

Instead, the best subject lines are clear, direct, and instantly communicate the story angle. Try:

• “Pitch: Why X Place is the next digital nomad haven”

• “Exclusive: X Client is embracing Y Trend”

• “Feature idea: XYZ that speaks to a trend or provides reader value”

See the difference? No guessing. No gimmicks. Just a clear why this matters at a glance.

Your subject line is not a tweet (RIP). Keep it clean, crisp, and to the point—because when an editor is drowning in emails, the only pitches they open are the ones they understand immediately.

Honorable mention:

My loves, I know these are just “intro” emails, but they’re just clutter. And, in this case, I can say it’s not just me! At this year’s IMM, during the Editor’s Slam Panel, a certain high-profile editor also said she doesn’t care for the new client announcement.

Best pitch of the week

I can’t include a screenshot because it was from a PR pro I had worked with before. The PR pro sent me a sentence-long email saying, “Hey Josh, here’s info on X.”

It’s really that simple when the groundwork and trust are in place. They knew X would appeal to my audience, so they only sent it to me.

Disclaimers

Views are my own and do not represent that of my colleagues or employer.

How it works: Once a month, I’ll highlight the “worst” pitch I receive and hopefully provide some advice on how to fix it. I’ll be sure to block out any identifying information of the sender and their client.

I will not post or discuss freelance writer pitches. Not only am I not accepting them at the moment, but it would be incredibly rude to provide unsolicited feedback on someone’s very personal work.

Also, I read and consider all pitches, even if I can’t reply to each one, regardless of whether there is room for improvement.

That said, I hope it is received in the spirit in which it’s meant: positive! I’m not trying to shame anyone, nor do I genuinely think it’s the “worst” pitch. I just phrased it that way so you’d read this.