WCP136 Archives Vol. III: Pitch the chicken

The freelancer’s version of the eggestential question: should I first reach out to the source to ask about interviewing them for an article, or should I pitch the story and secure the assignment first? Our thoughts about the individual we want to talk to and the publication we want to write for can distract from the core issue: It’s time to make a choice, implement it, and evaluate what happens so that we can learn from it for next time. In this episode you’ll get some key questions to help you make a choice about who to contact first for your next pitch, the source or the editor … and how to approach this with a problem-solving approach that you can use in other freelancing scenarios as well. Even if you’ve already played a lot of mental ping-pong with this, it’s not a complicated decision. You don’t need to sleep on it or spend any extra hours or days going back and forth. By the end of this episode, you’ll be clear about who to contact first. All the micro decisions you make in one pitch gives you information that you can use in the next pitch as well. Clarity makes it easier to prioritize your next step. If you’re already practiced with handling this chicken and egg scenario, it’s still helpful to revisit the process of following a protocol for decision making. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Frank Sinatra Has a Cold by Gay Talese in Esquire WCP 1: What’s your problem? JOIN THE WAITLIST Join the waitlist for the next session of my small group coaching program, and you’ll be the first to hear when applications open AND get special access to an early bird bonus: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my small group coaching program, Freelance Writer Bootcamp, have used these proven pitching processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Condé Nast Traveler, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more. Writers on the waitlist will be the first to hear when Bootcamp applications open up for early bird enrollment in the next session. Click here to join the small group waitlist: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast136