Here are some tips for writing letters that get read:1) SAY WHY YOU ARE WRITING
Begin with your reason for writing, i.e. "I am writing to suggest astory about..." "I'd like to recommend an interview with..." Too manytimes, the reason for the letter is hidden several paragraphs intothe letter. Editors are busy. If you don't give them an immediatereason to keep reading, your audience is over
2) EXPLAIN YOUR PREMISE IN NO MORE THAN TWO SENTENCES
Explain what makes your idea newsworthy. Why is this a good person tointerview or a good story to cover? Describe your idea's relevanceto current events... its connection to or beginning of a trend... itslikelihood to interest a broad cross section of the audience.
How would you explain the story pitch to your friend if you were inthe elevator on the way out? Would it take you a page and a halfworth of words to make your point? Not if you wanted your friend tokeep listening. Be equally kind to journalists.
3) EXPLAIN YOUR STORY IDEA IN ONE OR TWO PARAGRAPHS
Explain how the story would work, what it involves, what role you willplay in assisting the reporter.
A journalist friend who told me he gets a three foot stack of snailmail and over 150 emails a day shared this story with me the otherday. "Let me tell you about a letter that typifies the ones wejournalists never finish reading. I got one the other day that startedoff by saying "I've been on the Joe Franklin Show, this show, thatshow, been talked about by so and so, I've also done this and that."The next line was "I'm not a status oriented person." There were about8 more pages, but I didn't bother to read them. I just laughed, showedthe letter around and threw it away."
4) TIMING CAN BE EVERYTHING
Timing is incredibly important. Your chances improve when you can say"This is a hot topic and I have a great source." Let's say you're anophthalmologist and the President is going to have eye surgery. Youstand a good chance of getting a phone call for your opinion if youremail just arrived while the reporter is thinking of whom to call.Your pitch only stands to become a story if it is likely to make alot of people stop and read or listen. I think of it as the "HeyMartha" factor -editors look for stories that make one say, "heyMartha, look at this!"
5) WATCH YOUR SUPERLATIVES
Don't make the company or person you are pitching sound hard tobelieve. S/he probably didn't do whatever you're writing aboutsingle-handedly. Describe her actual role. Be very careful with hypewords like "first, only, greatest, biggest." Someone almost alwaysdid it before, also, as well or as big. Reporters are trained to lookfor conflict, lies, and exaggerations.
6) LIST TOPICS THE PERSON CAN ADDRESS
Give the top three or four areas of expertise your client can address.Do it in bullet form.
7) GET IT ALL INTO 350 WORDS OR LESS
Mark Twain said "If I had more time I would have written less." Edit.Edit again. When you are done. Edit again.
Here's another tip. Once you get a reporter interested they will askyou for more information. And then you can give her mountains ofbackground you've researched. Because another thing my reporterfriend shared with me is this: most reporters hate to do research.
If your letter is going via email, include a URL where a companyfact sheet, management bios, relevant photos and other articlesthat have been written about the company can be found. Reportersmay deny this but I have found that few of them want to be the firstto write about a subject. There's a definite pack mentality in play.Understanding it will increase your placements.
