For freelancers attending AHCJ’s annual conference, this year in L.A., PitchFest is perhaps the central draw. The speed-dating-inspired afternoon gives journalists the rare chance to pitch their ideas face to face to editors from top publications. Each writer can meet with up to four editors for 10 minutes each.
This year’s PitchFest will be on Friday, May 30, between 2:45 and 5:30 p.m. More than 30 editors will be there from outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, MedPage Today, KFF Health News, NPR and Slate.
In early May, AHCJ’s PitchFest Committee — helmed by freelancers Jeanne Erdmann and Barbara Mantel — hosted an interactive webinar to give novice and seasoned PitchFest attendees alike a chance to learn more about what to expect and even try out some of their pitches in front of peers.
Here’s a recap of the session’s best advice for freelance writers who are registered for the popular event:
1. Prepare.
Take a look at AHCJ’s PitchFest page, find the editors you’ve signed up with and read about how they describe themselves and what they’re looking for. Check out AHCJ’s Freelance Market Guides, too; many of the publications represented have detailed descriptions of the types of story ideas they like — and don’t like — to hear from freelancers.
You can also watch “Packaging the perfect pitch,” an AHCJ webinar aimed at helping PitchFest attendees prepare.
Other preparation techniques are no different than pitching via email: Read the publications you’re pitching, and tailor your pitches accordingly. Make sure the outlets haven’t recently run something too similar, and do sufficient reporting ahead of time to create well-thought-out pitches.
2. Bring at least two pitches to each editor.
It’s smart to prepare at least two pitches per editor. That way, if they pass on one idea in the first few minutes of your meeting, you have another idea up your sleeve.
You can also package a similar idea in several ways. When I first pitched my now-published story on Ozempic use among runners, for example, I offered to cover how the drug is affecting everyday runners or how more elite athletes are considering it for performance gains or approach the story with a service lens, a la “what to know if you’re a runner eyeing this medication.”
Exactly how you present your pitch is up to you. Many freelancers bring a print-out of their several-paragraph pitches to help structure the conversation while others are comfortable presenting their concepts elevator-pitch style. It’s fine to leave any materials, including a business card, with the editors.
3. Summarize your idea in a single sentence.
While you’ll have time to get into detail, open your verbal pitch with a succinct, one-sentence summary. So for my “running on empty” pitch, I might say, “I’d like to write about how weight-loss drugs like Ozempic — assumed to only be sought-after by inactive people — are infiltrating the running community.”
Then, unless the editor cuts me off with a firm “not interested,” I can go on to describe the various camps of runners using the medications, and the potential benefits and risks for athletes.
Like more traditionally delivered pitches, PitchFest ideas should also encompass the four W’s, AHCJ treasurer and Freelance Committee co-chair Laura Beil said. What’s your idea? Why now? Why this publication? And why are you the best writer to pull this story off? Your proposals should include data where possible too, as well as sourcing ideas.
4. Don’t sweat the room-layout logistics.
The organizers aren’t sure yet exactly how the PitchFest space will be laid out. For instance, they might try to arrange editors alphabetically by the publication’s name.
However, that’s the last thing you need to worry about. Each table will have the editor’s name and publication prominently displayed, and volunteers will be on-site to direct writers to the correct tables. The clock won’t start on each 10-minute block until everyone is appropriately seated. “We want you to succeed,” Beil said.
That said, it’s critical to arrive early (attendees must check in with the moderator 15 minutes before their first appointment) and wrap up your one-on-ones when you’re told there’s one minute left. No-shows won’t be allowed to sign up for next year’s PitchFest.
5. Don’t take all-business demeanors personally.
Some editors are warm and bubbly, some are more reserved, and many are somewhere in between. In other words, how an editor emotes (or doesn’t) in response to your pitches is rarely a reflection of their feelings towards you or your ideas — more often, it’s a reflection of how they behave around all writers. Don’t take perceived coldness personally.
A final note: AHCJ can’t guarantee any of your pitches will lead to an assignment. But you can count on an opportunity for face time with hard-to-reach editors and, I think, an energizing, rewarding experience. Have fun and good luck!
