Former Fortune editor’s blunt rule for op-ed pitches

Jake Meth used to be Fortune’s opinion editor, so when he dishes on pitching op-eds, I listen.

We were discussing – debating? – a conundrum PR pros face all the time:

How much work should you invest in drafting a full op-ed before you know whether any editor is interested?

In my PR-friendly scenario, you protect your subject matter expert’s scarce time (and your own!) by sending a brief pitch first. Lay out the main argument and why it’s relevant. Then the editor can reply and say, “Tell me more.”

Jake smiled politely, shook his head and said simply, “Supply and demand.”

Meaning – the top credible outlets we all clamor for are neck-deep in pitches; they don’t need to accommodate our time constraints. We’re the ones who need to accommodate theirs.

Hard to argue with that. So especially when aiming high: Include the full draft in your initial pitch.

But Jake emphasized a point you can apply even if you don’t follow that advice.

In the pitch above the full piece – or in a shorter pitch by itself – don’t write vague teasers. Instead, give specific recommendations or examples right in the first couple grafs.

Bad example:

“She’ll outline what the dark web is and why cybersecurity teams should mine it to protect their companies.”

Better:

“Her piece will show cybersecurity teams how to:

• Monitor criminal forums for stolen employee credentials before attackers use them
• Track chatter about known vulnerabilities affecting their tools
• Turn dark-web findings into faster patching and incident response”

Right up front.

Channeling his editor alter ego, Jake explained: “That’s how you earn my attention to get me to scan your full piece below. Otherwise I have to assume you don’t have the goods, and I move on to the next email in my inbox.”

It’s not like editors earn the right to see our specifics by being interested. Instead, we earn their interest by showing them our specifics.

Jake gave these tips while he was reviewing 10 actual op-ed and contributed content pitches. My Inner Circle members got to watch live and ask questions while he gave notes and even edited pitches in real time.

You can get access to this valuable training the next time we open doors to the Inner Circle. Register here for our Wait List.

And if you’re looking for help ramping up your thought leadership program, Jake is hands-down the best consultant I know in this space. That’s why I trust him to teach my Inner Circle. Connect with him via his site at GetOpinioned.com