The Perfect Pitch, Voices in Food
Someone sent me samples of tea, and here's what happened...
Thank you so much for your pitches last week for the Where To Go list! If you still haven’t sent them, make sure to do so right away.
But read this first.
As I read through every single email, I figured that we could all use a little help with crafting the perfect pitch. Now, I know you marketing and public relations folks have a tough job figuring out all the details of each client, what they are going to be doing in the next year, and tailoring it to meet the journalist’s needs.
I craft pitches for my publications regularly, and even after 13+ years of freelancing, I am often at loss for the right words.
The pitches I receive from PR are essentially meant to raise my interest in a destination, attraction or property. If I don’t find the text interesting, I cannot sell it to my editors.
If I did not get back to you, that means it wasn’t of interest at this time. Sorry!
So, I created this list of Elements of The Perfect Pitch to include when emailing a freelance travel writer (like myself).
Make sure to address the email by name. I get so many generic “Hi, Hey, Madam…” that they dissuade me from reading on.
99% of PR miss this! Just as every story has to have a title, you should also include a title for your pitch. This can be in your subject line or in the body of the email. It helps me understand right away what the story is about and also share it with my editors more quickly.
Speaking of stories, it would be nice for the pitch to have an original angle or a person’s voice. I often read through the entire email and still wonder “What is the story here?” Think of what section of the publication would this story fit in to.
Keep the pitch short and sweet. Don’t send pages and pages of information. If you have a good well thought out story, summarize it in two short understandable paragraphs. The more pages you send me to read, the less likely I am going to.
It is not only ok, but encouraged, to include links for more information. In fact, so many people miss including ANY LINKS at all, not even to the business they are pitching.
Do not send your pitches as attachments or through Google docs. There have been instances where I need to ask for permission to view the document and that’s another step I will not take when I have to go through hundreds of emails.
You don’t need to include pictures either. Simply offering pictures if the story is picked up or sending a link to the pictures I can view (no passwords) is enough. Don’t clog my inbox with large files.
And if you do have pictures in a linked folder, make sure that each file is labeled with lots of details describing what/ who is in the picture + who should be credited for the picture. Someone who has not visited the place or met these people should be able to read and figure out.
Make sure to mention the exact geographical location. I consider myself to be pretty well versed in geography but sometimes even I go “Where the heck in the world is this?” while reading through the email.
If you are pitching a personality, such as a chef or author, make sure you have conducted a preliminary interview with them yourself and gotten some of their backstory already. Simply sending an extraordinary chronological resume of a person with no quotes from them or reference to their personality or voice is no use to me. I will not conduct interviews unless I first know “WHAT’s the deeper story there.”
I can’t stress this enough! Please READ my work in the publication you are pitching for. Follow the kind of stories I did previously to get a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. In some ways, it’s just a template for your next pitch.
Instead of ending with an offer to send more information, extend an invitation to visit the place and experience it firsthand. It is very hard to write about a place that you have never seen, let alone sell it to an editor. If your destination is not open to hosting media visits, make sure to mention that up front.
Relationships are so important in this industry. If we have personally met or I have visited your destinations, chances of me opening YOUR email over anothers’ are 100%.
And finally, don’t assume that since I have visited your destination already, I will consider it in all my pitches. I often need to be reminded of the best fit in this context, and what’s NEW and upcoming.
If your team would like me to conduct a workshop on How to Draft The Perfect Pitch for Editorial and Freelance Travel Writers, please reach out at any time.
Best Pitches I Received Lately
In this section, I identify an exceptional PR person or company I worked with to create multiple unique stories.
Macey Davis is an Atlanta based account coordinator with Quinn PR. We only met a few months ago but I admire Macey’s work already! She has a real knack for writing great pitches and makes it easy for me to sell the destination. Not only that, she got me excited to visit Kentucky myself and discover a vast possibility of additional stories. I had ignored the next door neighbor for a long time, until now…
In May 2023, Macey sent me this pitch (among others) for my HuffPost Voices in Food section. The subject of her email was “Lexington Restaurants Amplifying Underrepresented Voices.”
The pitch was timely and relevant. My editor liked it and Macey coordinated all the logistics for me to interview Samantha. The story: How This Chef Paved Her Own Path To Restaurant Ownership was published in July. Now I can’t wait to go to Lexington and eat at Tuk Tuk.
This pitch from Macey for Where to Go/ Best Destinations is full of “What’s New” hooks and includes trending angles such as BIPOC businesses, pedestrian accessibility and upcoming events. It has a brief description of each business with links to learn more. There are exact months pointing to the openings and festivals. There’s a good mix of accommodations, food, tours and city improvements to help me get the full picture. Images with credits are linked too.
I have confirmed another assignment for Lexington already!
Recently Published
September was a busy month and my October stories are beginning to publish! Here are some of the stories I published so far…
An Elixir Called Chai for Khabar (PRINT Cover Story)
Where Can You Swim With Sharks for AAA The Extra Mile
Modern Mexican for Atlanta Magazine (PRINT)
Making Dream Trips More Accessible for Travel+Leisure (PRINT)
6 Popular German Towns in the U.S. for AAA The Extra Mile
The Best Fall Festivals Around The U.S. for AAA The Extra Mile
Georgia’s Seasonal Coast - Review of Fleeting at Thompson Hotel Savannah for Georgia Trend Magazine (PRINT)
Need Pitches
I am always in need for pitches for my ongoing columns and contributing publications. Here’s what I am looking for RIGHT THIS MINUTE…
Email to: Sucheta at GoEatGive dot Com
For HuffPost's 'Voices in Food' column, seeking stories of people in the culinary industry. Know of a chef, bartender, restauranteur, cookbook author, or anyone in the culinary industry who is indigenous and doing something extraordinary? ...
Voices In Food is a series that highlights important voices of people working in food who are working toward change. The folks featured talk about the intersection between race, sex, and culture with food, the treatment of workers in the labor force, sobriety, and much more.
The best pitches are the ones that portray an original voice with a unique story angle pointing to personal challenges and what the character is doing to help bring change in the industry. This month, I am seeking people who identify as Indigenous, but there’s always space for AAPI, African-American, LGBTQ and Native American through the year.
DO NOT just send me a chronological career outline, a new restaurant, or menu updates.
VERY IMPORTANT: Get a feel for the column, send me a pitch accordingly, and make sure we haven't covered this angle/ person already. I generally follow up with an in-depth phone interview once the story has been accepted by the editor.
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I’m looking to grow and develop my network of travel and food publicists and friends. If you find my newsletter helpful, or if you know someone who might, please share it with them. Thanks!