Worst pitch of the week: Why formatting is important
Trying this out! If you don't like it, I'll stop.
I’ve been told by both the literary and journalism worlds that the process of pitching is hellish on both ends. As a former PR exec and current news editor, I can confirm. And I think that makes me uniquely qualified to assess these things. So, I’m trying out this additional send, and y’all let me know if it’s useful or not.
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.
On with the show.
Formatting is crucial
When in doubt, send a text-only email. Here’s what happens:
You can only see the photo because I clicked on “allow.” Otherwise, it was a blank space that covered most of the space you had to catch someone’s attention. Additionally, sentences get cut because the text adjusts to the photo’s width.
(We can go over subject lines at another time; don’t worry.)
The point is that sometimes simplicity works best. If you do include an image, make sure it’s below the important information you want to convey.
To maximize the impact, focus on readability.
Use short, concise sentences and break up text with line breaks to avoid overwhelming the reader.
Avoid overly fancy fonts or excessive formatting that may not display consistently across devices.
Keep your call-to-action clear and upfront so the recipient knows exactly what you want them to do without having to search for it. Think “scannable.”
Additionally, test your email on different devices, as we often switch between laptops and phones to keep on top of our inboxes.
The key is to make the message accessible and visually clean.
OK, now let me know if this is helpful or insulting idk.
(And to the person who sent the above, I’m so sorry if it’s identifiable. The pitch wasn’t bad! It just wasn’t a fit right now—we can talk about what eds mean by that at another time, too.)