Pitching in a free-agent market
Over the holiday weekend, PR Daily ran this story about how PR should adapt to the rise of Substack and the niche newsletters. It shouted out my newsletter, along with those from my friends Byrce Gruber, Aly Walansky, and Jill Schildhouse. A particularly salient bit, IMHO:
When pitching a newsletter, the rules of media relations still apply.
“As with any journalist, make sure you read a number of their newsletter stories before you pitch them,” says [president and founder of Trust Relations April] Marguiles. “This will help you understand their point of view, tone of voice, areas of interest and any themes they gravitate towards as journalists. Given that you’re pitching them as individuals vs. as representatives of a long-established news outlet or organization.”
She adds: “It’s especially important to do this, because they are free agents who can make independent decisions, without the institutional checks and balances in place.”
I love this acknowledgment that freelance journalists are just that — free agents, not representing a single outlet or entity. And the most effective publicists will build relationships with us as people, not as arms of a single organization.
In my experience on both sides of the aisle — and this might sound counterintuitive — I’m actually more empowered to drive coverage decisions as a freelancer than I was as a staff editor. For one thing, I’m beholden to neither the same schedule nor the same rules as a W-2 employee.
For another, I contribute to a range of outlets representing many POVs and scopes of coverage. (What’s wrong for one outlet could easily be right for another. Unlike a staff writer, I can keep pitching until I find a fit — and that’s something I’d be moved to do for a story idea I really believed in.)
And anyway, as we all know, mastheads change (or vanish) regularly; it’s the people who remain swirling in orbit.
Please follow me on Instagram for visuals of my reporting in action (plus travel, my twins, and my latest nail art). And if you find value in this newsletter, please subscribe and share it with colleagues and friends.
Open Press Opportunities
I’m looking for a contract lawyer and an appraiser for input on real estate topics (HomeLight).
I’m always open to hearing about home cooks to profile as subjects for my bimonthly budget grocery column (Allrecipes).
Recently Published
The 7 Best Laptop Bags for Everyone on the Go (Prevention)
United Airlines Just Teased This Major Change to Future Flights (Best Life)
35 Cheese-Themed Gifts That Aren’t Just a Block of the Month Membership (Woman’s Day)
28 Easy Winter Crafts to Keep Kids and Adults Busy on the Snowiest Days (Good Housekeeping)
Can a Seller Raise the Price of a House After Listing? Yes (And No) (HomeLight)
Never Forget to Do This Before Going to Bed in a Hotel Room, Expert Warns (Best Life)
This Baltimore Mom Feeds Her Family — and Her Business — on $200 a Week (Allrecipes)
Et Cetera
Here’s how to pitch: Simply respond to this email with a new subject line or pitch me at pitch@alicedubin.com.
Now that this newsletter has reached a critical mass of engaged subscribers, I invite you to inquire about sponsorship/partnership opportunities! If interested, drop me a line at info@alicedubin.com.
Omicron: boo. My 7-year-old twins are fully vaxxed at last: YAY!