Here's a hot ticket about freelance writing. There is no application process. Decide to be a freelance writer, and suddenly you are one. You can put "freelance writer" in your Twitter bio right now. Most freelancers won't care, and if anyone does, they are a gatekeeper and an enemy of the common people. Though if you would feel better clearing a hurdle before claiming that title, the first thing you'll want to do is send a pitch.
For the uninitiated—a pitch is a few paragraphs a writer puts together, typically in an email. A pitch's goal is to sell an editor on an idea the writer has for a story.
The basic pipeline for a story to appear in a magazine or online publication is as follows.
A writer comes up with an idea and writes a pitch. They send that pitch to an editor at a magazine. The editor decides if they like the idea. If they do, the freelancer and editor agree on logistics and pay. The freelancer writes a draft and sends it back to the editor. The editor suggests changes. They go back and forth until the story is good enough. And then, when it is, some time passes, money is exchanged, and the story appears in the publication.
Or, more simply.
Idea. Pitch. Agree. Write. Edit. Publish.
It's deceptively simple and undoubtedly nerve-wracking the first few times. But it's manageable when we demystify the process.
There are many quality guides on how to come up with an idea and how to write a pitch. I too will soon break down some of my successful pitches in the next few letters. But when I started, I spent months being confused about the invisible step between having an idea and writing a pitch.
For now, let's focus on the troubling task of finding an email.
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Find one person's email.
Selling an idea to a publication can feel like trying to hit a target in a dark room with some stones. Pitching makes a lot more sense when you narrow any given magazine or publication to the one person you plan on contacting.
Publications typically have multiple editors. Editors can cover broad topics like politics or culture, or they can cover very specific topics. Texas Monthly even has both a barbecue editor and a taco editor. Sometimes a publication will also have general titles like executive editor or associate editor, who handle most submissions. Whatever the case, contact whichever editor you assume is most relevant to your story.
Now, there are usually a few tools available for you to find that email and make that assumption.
Use pitch guides and mastheads
Many publications will have dedicated sections on their sites detailing how to pitch them specifically. These are called pitch guides. To find them, google "Magazine X Pitch Guide" or "How to pitch Example Magazine."
Pitch guides are often detailed breakdowns of what a magazine is looking for. They will include lines like, "All photography-related pitches should be sent to photo editor Brandon Jakobeit at brandon.jakobeit@txdot.gov" (Texas Highways pitch guide).
And "If you want to pitch a feature story, here are the editors along with a few of the stories they've worked on. Camille Bromley, features editor. Jon Eilenberg, articles editor…" (Wired Pitch Guide).
These guides lay out both who to pitch and what the editors are looking for. Lean on these resources as much as you can.
Example Pitch Guides:
Most of these guides will tell you to read some articles from their site and determine which section/editor best fits the story you want to tell. Do this, and follow whatever other advice they provide for finding the right fit.
Alternatively, you can find a masthead, a list of folks who work at a magazine. You can find these online or at the front of a print edition. Sometimes you'll find editor emails listed alongside their names. If not, you can look up their name on Twitter and see if they have their email listed in their bio. Likewise, the primary account for a publication will often post emails and calls for pitches on Twitter or Facebook. You can search a publication's @ on Twitter alongside the words "pitch" or "submission."
Be thorough. But if you're still confused after following the pitch guidelines, don't get too tripped up on which editor is exactly right. If it's a good pitch and you're close enough, the editor can pass your idea along to their colleague.
Example Mastheads
Study your favorite articles.
If you are having trouble deciding which publication to even look into, it is good to study a few articles that you generally enjoy. Note what publications and sections (politics, lifestyle, personal essay) they appear in. Examine that info against these pitch guides and mastheads. If the story you like is recent enough, there is a good chance you'll work with the same editor.
If you don't feel ready for a particular publication, look for analogous magazines on a smaller scale. Local publications are an excellent place to cut your teeth, and excellent stories show up at every level.
All of that is my advice on just finding an email. As I've said before, there are often far more layers to the issues we face — whatever it is, you're not a fool for struggling with things that seem simple.
As writer Alex Verman Green says, unfortunately, freelancing is a business of self-promotion. If you have connections, it is helpful to lean on them as another way to find out who to contact at a publication. It's an extrovert's world, unfortunately. But writing is for everyone. If you're reading this, don't hesitate to reach out. I am happy to provide as much help as I can from my few years in the field.