This is a question that writers frequently ask me. They are interested in appearing on podcasts and other media platforms, but they don’t know how to make their pitch stand out from the crowd. Fortunately, media pitching has a universal key that can open practically any door.
A successful media pitch:
- offers a compelling story angle.
- is tailored to the audience of that media outlet.
- solves a problem or adds value for that audience.
- provides takeaways the audience can learn from and use right away.
- sells yourself as the right expert to provide those takeaways.
A press release is NOT a successful media pitch. It is an email that you will send to a carefully curated list of relevant media outlets, pitching them a particular news item or interview topic based on the themes of your book.
The media contact reading the pitch should be able to tell from it that you did your homework and that you are aware of who they are and what they are looking for.
This does not imply that your pitch must be extremely personalised. It shouldn’t be, in reality. It should be succinct, unambiguous, and direct.
The majority of the time, you’ll send the identical pitch to a certain media list. For instance, a list of bloggers who write for startups or small-business marketers.
When proposing a story to prestigious media, there is an exception to this rule. Every pitch you make should be different, whether you’re submitting an essay to Forbes or seeking press attention from morning shows in major markets.