If you want to get work published in print or online, then the chances are that you’ll have to pitch to an editor at some point. This is not something anyone should get nervous about because, and this may come as a shock to some of you, editors love receiving pitches. In fact, the biggest criticism I hear from most of the editors I know is that writers don’t pitch enough. (Unfortunately, there is no editorial Cerebro device that enables us to telepathically seek out great writers and content, and our publications – to some extent – will thrive or dive based on the quality of pitches we can generate from potential contributors.) So, with all these editors waiting patiently for you to pitch that perfect article to them, it’s important that you don’t fuck it up.

This is not a definitive list, and is based purely on my experience, but it will hopefully provide a few pointers for new and exisiting writers looking to score that next commission. (I’ve made the list a ‘top 10′, because editors love numbers and lists. You’ll hear them criticised by a lot of people trying to make an intellectual point, but those people don’t know shit about publishing. Seriously. They don’t.) So, here goes:

1. Read the publication. Even after 15 years in publishing it amazes me how many writers pitch work without having read the relevant publication. Editors have egos – some of them are pretty huge – and by doing some prior reading, and illustrating that in your pitch (mention a past post, feature, campaign), you’ll make the editor feel all warm and fuzzy inside. However, if you pitch an irrelevant article to that self-same editor then your email will hit the trash quicker than a mouldy banana.
2. Tier your pitching. This requires a little bit of planning, but you should make a wishlist of where you’d like to see your article published. Approach the top title first, and then offer them a realistic number of days to commission the piece (a week should do it). If a publication isn’t interested, move onto number two on your list – and so on. You might be wondering why you should do this, but imagine sending a pitch to numerous titles, and having two editors come back to you within minutes, both wanting to commission you. What do you do? Also, pitch to multiple publications at once and you will – at some point – put the wrong details in an email (I’ve had many pitches from writers who love Web Designer Magazine, and think it pisses all over .net – I edit .net).
3. Don’t CC the competition, and ask multiple editors whether they’d like to commission you for an article. Yes, this happens.
4. Provide a few paragraphs, illustrating why this article should be commissioned (maybe mention previous articles that have touched on this area). The information doesn’t have to be in-depth, and it’s often better for everyone to stick to bullet points if possible. Also, provide links to any reference material.
5. Include links to other written work. These articles don’t have to be published by other publications, and can just as easily be a blog post on your own site. If you have no links, then get writing.
6. Be up front. Some publications aren’t keen on using writers that work for the competition. This isn’t always the case, but – if you think there’s any kind of potential conflict – be up front about it. The last thing you want to do is put yourself – and your editor – in an uncomfortable position further down the line.
7. Be courteous and professional. What do I mean by this? Well, here’s a scenario. You’ve written something for a publication, maybe a few things, but you’ve just read one of their articles that has really pissed you off. Do you: a) Jump on Twitter, and try and get some retweet love by slagging off said publication? b) Send an email, or make a call, and actually speak to the editor who’s responsible? Written down like that it seems straightforward, but you’d be amazed how often people choose option a).
8. Give us a call! We’re more than happy to take calls from people that pitch work to us. We may have missed your original email,  or forgotten to follow up. A quick call to double check that an editor has received your pitch is fine, and if you do get an editor that takes umbrage to you contacting them then this is probably a good indication that you should avoid working with them (if they’re like this now, what will they be like when you have a question about your payment?!).
9. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. If an editor turned down an article idea, and you think it’s bang on the money, don’t be afraid to mention it in an email or phone discussion. Maybe the topic has been covered, or maybe it’s not pitched at the right audience. Any feedback you get will help you when it comes to that next pitch.
10. No means no. If, following your call, an editor declines your article idea then there’s no need to follow it up with more emails and phone calls. Editors are pretty in touch with what works for their audience, and if they’re not interested in your article then that’s that. However, if you’ve pitched in a professional way, and followed the tips above, when you do get in touch with that editor again you can rest assured that they will remember you, and take the time to read it and repsond. Most of the time.

As I said, this list is by no means definitive, and I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of tips out, but it does cover off some of the basics. Happy pitching!