Behind the scenes - pitch writing

Looking to share your expertise with a wider audience but nervous about putting yourself out there? You’re not alone. 

Providing expert commentary to magazines and online publications can seem inaccessible if all you see is the glossy end-product. 

I wanted to share this behind-the-scenes post to tell you more about what’s involved with pitching to publications and how I can help. 

I was delighted when I was approached by Julia Wolfendale, executive coach, author, and founder of On The Up Consulting, to help her pitch her brilliant book Five Ways to Focus.

Julia explains that the book ‘is about discovering a new way to beat the overwhelm and deal with the distraction by focusing on what matters. So often we feel our time is frittered away and we are disconnected from our true priorities.’

When Julia approached me, she had recently launched her book Five Ways to Focus. She wanted to get coverage in publications to connect authentically with a wider audience but wasn’t sure how to approach it.

Julia and I met to discuss our strategy for pitching. It was a collaborative approach where we shared ideas about magazines that would appeal to Julia’s target audience. 

At first, Julia felt daunted by the idea of pitching to her dream magazines. Yet she experienced a shift in perspective. Pitching is a mutually beneficial exchange; you are helping editors who are always looking for high-quality content.  

After our meeting, I researched and crafted a set of tailored pitches complete with contact details for Julia to send. Within 24 hours, she received a response from Psychologies magazine asking to interview her. A few months later and Julia's commentary was in print.

Julia Wolfendale with a copy of Psychologies magazine featuring her expert commentary on how to find focus

Here’s what Julia had to say: 

‘I felt a sense of reassurance in working with Louise. Knowing that she was an experienced copy and feature writer who secures features regularly really helped. I liked how Louise used her understanding of my content and the content of the magazines I was pitching to align the messaging. It felt authentic and not awkward. I think if I had pitched it would have sounded too sales-y or naive. 

‘The content and contacts Louise provided gave me confidence that I was sending the right information to the right people and in the right way. I liked how Louise tailored each one; it wasn't a blanket press release. 

‘It was a great success as within 24 hours of sending off my first pitch I had an email reply from an editor asking for an interview with me. The interview led to one and a half pages of coverage in a top-selling magazine, where I was featured as an expert. Extracts of my book were highlighted and my book was recommended to readers.

‘I would highly recommend Louise's copywriting and pitching services. I am delighted with the results.’

I hope this helps demystify the pitching process and gives you the confidence to try it.

Find out more

Check out my website for more information about how I can help you connect authentically with a wider audience with my pitch writing service.

You can find out more about Julia’s work on her website. You can order Five Ways to Focushere. Don’t forget to leave a review — it’s a great way to support authors and help others find their books.