Send those pitches and don’t be afraid of rejection

Now that you have all the ingredients in place, it’s time to send those pitches. Look at what you’ve developed in your workbook, make the final edits, and send your pitch to your top publication. 

The greeting + the introduction +  the idea + the credibility + the ask

Rejection happens to all of us, so learn from it

If you want to be part of the writing industry, you need to remember that rejection will happen no matter what.

It doesn't matter if you have one year or twenty years of experience; no writer is too big to be rejected. We know that rejection sucks and it can gut you, just remember this one golden rule of thumb… don't take it personally. 

You can get rejected for many reasons, including how you formulate your pitch. Still, in many instances, the rejection comes due to reasons out of your control, like the editor's personal interest in the story or due to budget cuts.

Rejection is an integral part of the writer's journey, a rite of passage, and you can't be a successful writer without going through this process.

Analyze the rejection to improve for next time

When you get the dreaded response, "Thanks, but we’ll pass," reread your pitch letter and identify why it was rejected. 

Was the publication not the right fit for the story idea? Does your idea need to be more nuanced? Did you misspell the prospect's name? Or has your story idea already been commissioned to another freelancer? If you can identify any mistakes, learn from them.

To quiet your worried mind, consider asking for feedback from the editor that rejected you. This can help you identify any areas that need improvement and ensure that you submit your best work. This might help build a relationship with the editor and keep the door open for you to submit more story ideas to the same editor in the future.

While rejection is not a pleasant experience, remember that at the end of the day, you must lick your wounds and keep going.

It’s a numbers game, so you need to improve your chances

Pitching challenge: Challenge yourself to send five different pitches to five prospects weekly. That’s one pitch every weekday. You can dive into your content creation machine to get new ideas.

You can do this!