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One useful tool for learning more about a publication you want to write for is to hear directly from the editor on what they do and don’t want.
I’ve attended (or watched) editor panels and interviews for several years and always find them useful.
While not all editors want the same things, some tips come up frequently, so in this post, I’m highlighting some of them.
1. Editors get A LOT of pitches
I’ve always known this to be true, but I’ve heard some editors quantify it — in a recent webinar, a National Geographic editor said she gets 300 to 500 pitches a week. In this humor editor panel, Christopher Monks said McSweeney’s gets around 200-300 submissions a week, and New Yorker Shouts editor Emma Allen said she directly gets around 500 submissions a week, and additionally, there are about 1000 submissions in the open submissions inbox (!).
This is a lot of pitches! Not all pubs and editors will get this amount, but knowing the volume of submissions some publications are getting helps me when writing a piece or pitch (more on this later).
Knowing this also helps when I get a rejection or don’t get a response because I realize the competition is stiff (and for places like The New Yorker, that competition sometimes involves people like Steve Martin or Samantha Irby).
2. Email subject lines matter
I’ve also heard several editors say that email subject lines matter and that you should use the working title of the piece as the subject line of your pitch email. Additionally, that title/subject line should be something that matches the style of the publication you are pitching to.
This makes sense as it can show an editor that your idea is a good potential fit and can get a busy editor to click on an email in a crowded inbox.
Editors also say that if you can’t distill the crux of your pitch or piece into a good title for the publication, then you may need to rethink your pitch. It can be hard to come up with titles, but the process can help you refine your idea or piece.
3. The tone of your pitch should match the tone of the piece you want to pitch
If you are pitching a humorous piece, then the pitch should have humor in it to show that you know how to write humor. If you are pitching a more serious piece, then the tone should reflect that. In a pitch, I will sometimes write what could essentially be the opening lines of a piece to give a sense of the tone/approach I plan to use.
4. Search the publication before pitching it to make sure your piece hasn’t already been done
This is a step that editors frequently recommend because if they have just run a piece with the same basic angle, then they won’t likely run another one again.
5. Read and follow the submission guidelines
Editors frequently say that some writers do not follow submission guidelines. So if a publication lists guidelines, you can put yourself ahead of other writers just by reading and following them.
If a publication doesn’t list submission guidelines, you can still research what an editor may be looking for — sometimes they have tips in their social media profiles or have given interviews that can help.
6. You may want to pitch a piece even if you are submitting the full thing
When writing personal essays, you can sometimes submit the full piece rather than pitching it. But if you do that, it’s still a good idea to come up with a title for it that fits the publication and to pitch the piece in your email. Why? Because the editor won’t automatically want (or have time) to read the full piece, but pitching the idea in an intro email (talking about what it’s about and why you think it’s a good fit for that pub now) can help sell a piece.
Most satire and literary pieces do not require this type of pitching, as the editors tend to read the full piece to evaluate it. But if there is some sort of timely tie-in for a humor piece I’m submitting, then I try to include it (e.g., “I thought this piece on cat hugging would be a good tie-in for National Hug Your Cat day on…”).
7. You need a unique angle
Editors often say that they get pitched similar ideas or ideas that are too generalized and don’t have an angle.
After years of writing essays and humor, I’ve also realized that people sometimes come up with the same idea at the same time, and some angles have probably been pitched a lot. So finding a unique angle on your topic (and searching the pub to make sure that approach has not already been done there) is a good idea.
8. Pitch via email and not DM
Editors have also said that they do not like getting pitches via direct message on social media. They more often want you to follow submission guidelines or pitch to their work/publication email. This helps them keep track of pitches in a consistent workflow.
Even if editors are frequently on social media, that doesn’t mean they want to receive your pitch via DM. So, finding the appropriate email addresses is best unless an editor specifically requests pitches via DM.
9. Don’t be afraid to follow up
Since many editors say that their inboxes are flooded, they also often say you should not be afraid to follow up after a reasonable amount of time. Reasonable varies based on how timely a piece is, but I think a couple of weeks is a good rule of thumb.
Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some publications list longer response times, and some editors and publications say that no response after a certain amount of time means it’s a “no.” So also consider those details when deciding when and if to follow up.
10. Different editors have different preferences on some things
In editor interviews and panels, it’s also clear that some editors can have different preferences. I’ve heard some say that they only want one pitch per email, and others say they are open to multiple pitches. Other editors have preferences for things like getting a pitch vs. a full piece.
Things like pay, lead time, and rights also vary by publication. So if you are trying to break into a particular publication, I think it is good to do some research (and perhaps watch an editor panel or interview) on the pub that interests you.
So, where can you find out about editor interviews?
For freelance writing: Estelle Erasmus interviews some editors on her podcast Freelance Writing Direct and does a quarterly editor-on-call virtual interview (which you can get info on in her Substack)
For humor writing: This is a great panel to start with.
For travel writing: TravMedia hosts periodic ones with different travel pubs and has past ones online.
Conferences (either online or in person) can also be a good place to watch or attend an editor panel.
Thanks for reading Humor Me, a newsletter featuring funny stuff and writing tips. In case you’re new here, I’m a humor writer and freelancer whose work has appeared in New Yorker Shouts, McSweeney’s, Real Simple, and more. Find out more about me at julievick.com.
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Really good advice and really helpful. Thanks Julie!
These are so helpful! I'm looking forward to watching that panel video. What a powerhouse group!