Preparing a Story Pitch for an Editor's Review: A Practical Guide

Start with one sentence you can say aloud

Before you open a blank page, try saying your story idea in a single sentence to someone who knows nothing about it. When I review pitches, the ones that work almost always pass this small test. The sentence names a person, a place or a thing, and it says what changes or what is worth noticing. A pitch that begins with a general theme, such as community or heritage, usually has not yet found its story.

A good test is to ask whether a neighbour would lean in. If you write that a church hall hosts a Thursday repair evening where retired tradespeople mend lamps and kettles for free, there is a scene, a reason and a place. If you write that volunteers matter in small towns, there is only a topic.

Spend your first half hour on this sentence alone. Write five versions, cross out the vaguest, and keep the one that could be printed as a headline. That sentence will anchor every other part of your pitch.

• Name the person, place or object at the centre
• Say what is surprising or useful about it
• Keep it to one sentence of about twenty-five words

Gather what an editor will want to check

An editor reading your pitch is quietly asking what can be confirmed. Before sending anything, collect the plain facts: the full name of the place, the opening days, who runs it, and how a reader could find or visit it. If your idea involves a person, note how you know of their work and whether you have spoken with them or only read their public material.

Keep a short list of sources you could cite or visit. A library record, a community notice board, a published schedule and your own visit all count. Write down what you have seen yourself and what you have only heard, and keep the two apart in your notes.

This preparation saves time during the review. When I read a pitch with clear facts, my comments can go to the shape of the story instead of chasing basic details. You pay for the review either way, so it is worth giving the editor material to work with.

• Full names and correct spellings of places and groups
• Days, hours and how to reach the location
• A note separating what you saw from what you heard

Shape the pitch in four short parts

A pitch does not need to be long. Four short parts carry most of what an editor needs. First, your one-sentence idea. Second, a paragraph on why a reader would care, written in plain words, without promising more than the story can give. Third, a paragraph on how you would report it: who you would speak with, where you would go, and roughly how long you need.

Fourth, a few lines about you, only as far as they bear on this story. If you have lived on the street for twenty years, say so. If you have never written for print, say that too. Editors are used to new writers and prefer honesty to polish.

Aim for about three hundred to four hundred words in all. Anything longer tends to hide the idea. Read it aloud once; wherever you stumble, a reader will too, so rewrite that line until it moves easily.

• The idea in one sentence
• Why a reader would care
• How you would report it
• A few lines about your connection to it

Know what the review does and does not cover

A story-pitch review from our editors is a written reading of your pitch with comments on the angle, the structure, the gaps and the next steps. It is an honest second opinion from people who edit for a living. It does not guarantee that a piece will be commissioned or published in the magazine, and it is not a promise of any result.

Details of the current price, what is included and how to order are set out on the prices page. Ordering starts with a message through the contact page, followed by a written confirmation from us and then an invoice paid by bank transfer. Nothing is bought on the site itself.

If you are unsure whether a review suits you, write to us briefly about your idea first. We will tell you plainly whether the service fits what you need, or whether a few free tips in a reply would be enough.

Read the feedback with a pencil in hand

When the written comments come back, resist the urge to defend every line. Read them once straight through, then put them aside for a day. In mid autumn the evenings are long, and a quiet hour with a cup of tea is a good setting for this. On the second reading, mark each comment as agree, unsure or disagree.

Most writers find that the comments they resist first are the ones that point to the real weakness. If an editor says the opening is slow, check whether your best detail is buried in the third paragraph. Often it is.

Then make a short revision plan with no more than three changes. Fixing everything at once leads to a muddle. Pick the change that improves the angle, then the one that improves clarity, then tidy the rest.

• Mark each comment as agree, unsure or disagree
• Choose no more than three changes first
• Revise the angle before the wording

Common slips to avoid before you send

Some slips turn up again and again in pitches. The first is pitching a subject too large for a single piece, such as the history of a whole province. Narrow it to one street, one season or one person. The second is leaving out the reader: say what someone sitting at their kitchen table might gain from reading your story.

The third is relying on remembered facts. Check dates, names and spellings the day you write, not weeks before. The fourth is sending a pitch with no idea of how you would gather information. Even a simple plan, such as two visits and one conversation, shows that the story can be done.

Finally, keep your tone as you would speak to a thoughtful neighbour. Warm, clear and specific wording serves a local magazine better than grand claims, and it makes the editor's job a pleasure.

A well prepared pitch is half the work of a good story. Settle your single sentence, collect checkable facts, keep the four parts short, and read the editor's comments with patience. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your idea, the prices page explains how a review works and how to request one. Either way, go out and look at your subject once more before you write; the best details are usually still waiting there.