Here's how I got my book into Cosmopolitan, Elle, and more
A third round of successful op-ed and essay pitches
If you’re reading this, you likely caught my three earlier posts on why and how I pitch essays and op-eds around my publications days, plus what those pitches have looked like for The Lost Night (check ‘em out here) and The Herd (ditto). I’m back with a third round of examples, plus a few thoughts about why these were successful (with the grain of salt that I’m only showing you the successful ones—not the story ideas I couldn’t convince any editors to take!):
They start with a snappy suggested headline, so the editor can really picture this article on their website.
They tap into something timely—whether that’s the zeitgeist or actual news items. I was pitching these ideas in Spring 2021, and I think it shows. Check out how I failed to include it in my Cosmo pitch and the editor came back with an idea that made it feel of-the-moment, while the Good Housekeeping pitch sites multiple examples from the headlines and the Elle pitch namechecks several new-ish surveys and studies, all quietly answering the question of: Why run this article…now?
They gently incorporate my book and its themes but can totally stand on their own two feet—even if someone reads this article and has zero interest in fiction or thrillers (i.e., they have no SOUL), they could still enjoy the story and take something away from it.
As always, if you want personalized help crafting your own essay and op-ed ideas (and learning how to find the right editor and pitch effectively), I offer one-on-one consulting. And remember to keep an eye on my Substack’s publicity tag for interviews with book PR pro’s and other resources. Now, let’s get into those examples, shall we?
Cosmopolitan
The Pitch:
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