So far in AHCJ’s “How I Pitched It” series, we’ve heard from freelance writers — myself included — who successfully pitched stories to editors they had either worked with before or met on virtual panels.
This time, I talked to Christina Heiser, a content marketing director and freelance health journalist in Queens, New York, who pitched a story and secured an assignment in a seemingly more elusive way: By cold emailing an editor after seeing a callout for a certain type of pitch on X.
The final 2025 National Geographic article, “Is gluten really that bad for you? Here’s what happens when you stop eating it,” debunks the popular perception that going gluten-free is a healthy choice, even if you don’t have celiac disease.
Read on to see the precise pitch that caught the editor’s attention, and check out the highlighted text to see what else I think other freelancers can learn from Heiser’s success. Then, keep reading to hear more about the article’s backstory and Heiser’s advice for fellow freelancers.
The pitch:
Hi [editor],
Happy New Year!
By way of introduction, my name is Christina Heiser, and I’m a health writer with more than a decade of experience contributing to publications including Women’s Health, SHAPE, AARP, and PopSugar. I also run a popular Substack newsletter about living with celiac disease. (Most recent clips available here.)
Medaris: If, like Heiser, you’re new to the editor, a concise introduction establishing your credentials up front is smart.
I saw your call for pitches on X and wanted to run the following ideas by you for National Geographic as I think they’d be a great fit. Of note, May is Celiac Awareness Month, so these would be timely pieces to publish and promote in the spring.
Pitch: X Surprising Ways Celiac Disease Affects the Mind and Body
Medaris: Always offer a suggested headline, and make sure to scan lots of the publication’s headlines beforehand so you can frame your headline in a tone and length that would fit right in.
Imagine experiencing bone-crushing fatigue that leaves you bedridden for days at a time. You visit a slew of doctors, including a primary care physician and rheumatologist, but despite having bloodwork and getting into a daily vitamin routine, you still feel pretty wiped out and think there has to be something else going on to cause this extreme tiredness.
It could very well be celiac disease, a lifelong autoimmune condition that causes damage to the small intestine when someone eats gluten. Despite popular belief, celiac disease doesn’t just cause classic gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. According to a review of medical literature published in JGH Open, fatigue is a “substantial complaint in patients with celiac disease.” Some celiacs don’t experience GI symptoms at all, which, according to research out of Loyola Medicine, leads to years-long delays in diagnosis compared to patients exhibiting digestive distress.
In this article, I will interview celiac experts (MDs and RDs) from the top celiac centers in the United States for the five to 10 most surprising celiac symptoms, including fatigue, skin rashes, anemia, osteoporosis, infertility, dental issues, neurological issues, and anxiety and depression. I will explain why each symptom occurs, what patients should do if they have any of these symptoms and suspect they might have celiac disease, and how going gluten-free post-diagnosis (currently the only treatment available) may help alleviate these issues.
Pitch: Is Gluten Really That Bad for You?
Medaris: I don’t always recommend sending two pitches at once — the sheer volume of text can scare off new-to-you editors. But when it can work is in a situation like this, where Heiser offers two angles on the same broad topic. In her case, it raised the chances of a success: She got one “no,” but also one “yes.”
The gluten-free diet has never been more popular. Back in 2013, NPD Group conducted a survey and found that about one-third of Americans prefer to reduce their consumption of or altogether avoid gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. More recently, Statista, a statistics portal, reported that the global market for gluten-free foods is projected to be valued at a whopping $14 billion by 2032.
Medaris: It’s almost always worth including a stat or two in a pitch to help build your case that the trend or topic is really “a thing” and not just a collection of anecdotes, and therefore of interest to readers.
As someone living with celiac disease, I have to steer clear of gluten to manage my lifelong autoimmune disorder. But although the incidence of celiac disease is growing, it still makes up a small slice of the gluten-free pie (about 1% of Americans are diagnosed). Many more people eat gluten-free and don’t have a medical condition that necessitates it. However, ditching gluten when you don’t have celiac disease or a wheat allergy is likely not beneficial to your health (and could be detrimental), according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
In this article, I will interview medical experts (MDs and RDs) who specialize in gluten disorders to explore what gluten is and why the gluten-free diet has become so popular over the years. The study in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism notes that many people self-diagnose with “gluten sensitivity,” but in previous conversations with experts, I’ve learned that it’s often other ingredients in bread (such as fructans) that may be causing their GI issues. I’ll also explain who really needs to be on a gluten-free diet and the dangers of going gluten-free when you don’t have a medical condition that requires it.
Medaris: Both of Heiser’s pitches follow a simple structure: open with something that will catch the reader or editor’s attention, then present what could be the nut graf (in this case a demonstration of common health beliefs not being backed by research), and finish with an overview of your reporting plan.
Thanks so much for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Christina
Where did your story idea come from?
To get celiac-related story ideas for my newsletter and other publications, I like to attend medical conferences. In September 2024, I attended one organized by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). There, more than one expert mentioned that gluten-free packaged foods tend to be higher in fat and sugar to make them taste good, while also being lower in key nutrients like fiber since they don’t have to be fortified the way their wheat-filled counterparts are. The result is that many people with celiac disease struggle with weight gain, constipation and other GI symptoms after going gluten-free.
Another speaker noted that often, people who self-diagnose with gluten intolerance are actually sensitive to the fructans (a carbohydrate) in wheat, not the gluten. But because they think gluten is the issue, they cut it out of their diets unnecessarily and lose all of the health benefits that come from eating wheat.
When I got home, I reviewed my notes and came up with a list of topics I thought could be interesting to write about in my newsletter or to pitch to other publications.
How did that lead you to National Geographic?
It wasn’t until January 2025, when I saw a post on X from a National Geographic editor looking for pitches. She mentioned a few specific types of articles she was looking for, including those busting popular health myths. One example of a successful pitch she previously accepted in this category was about how sugar doesn’t actually make kids hyper.
I looked back through my notes from the GIG conference, and thought I had the perfect idea: an article debunking the myth that the gluten-free diet is healthy. I searched National Geographic’s website to see if the topic had been covered before (it had not) and got to work drafting up my pitch.
What happened next?
I submitted two celiac-related pitches, and four days later, the editor responded to ask if I could share additional research in defense of gluten.
Later that day, I sent a bulleted list of studies revealing the lack of nutrients in gluten-free packaged foods and the negative health effects of gluten-free diets. I also shared research that showed those who self-diagnose with gluten sensitivity typically have another diagnosis, and that going gluten-free has not been proven to treat autoimmune disorders outside of celiac disease.
The next day, she said she would bring the idea to the team. A week later, she commissioned the article, gave me a deadline, word count, and sourcing requirements, and noted that I should delve deeper into this topic than other publications.
Why do you think your pitch was successful?
In my initial email, I shared my personal connection to celiac disease and noted my popular newsletter about it. I always like to do this when I’m pitching a celiac-related article since I believe it shows I have authority and expertise on the subject.
I also shared statistics and, when asked for additional research, I was able to provide at least five more studies.
Finally, I got very specific with the types of experts I planned to interview.
Did you face any unexpected challenges while reporting or writing?
Because I’m so passionate about the topic, I found it most challenging to stick to the 900-word word count. My first draft was closer to 1,500 words, and I edited myself down before sending it in for review.
After it was published, one thing that surprised me was how angry some readers were. I got a handful of emails and quite a few comments on my Instagram and even my LinkedIn page, where I posted the story, from people who were mad at me for saying that the gluten-free diet isn’t a cure all.
On the flip side, I had many celiacs and medical experts in my network reach out to tell me they felt validated by what I wrote. So I was surprised at how much this article got people talking!
Do you have any other pitching advice for fellow freelancers?
Following editors on social media is a great way to find out about writing opportunities. If you’re part of any niche communities, they can be great resources for story ideas.
Finally, I encourage any writers who are thinking about starting newsletters to do so. While I make very little money publishing mine, it has helped boost my credibility in the celiac community and has led to multiple paying assignments in large publications. That, in turn, has led to more subscribers finding my newsletter.
