How to pitch reporters via email

Top reporters receive ~300 pitches a day via email. When your pitch is part of a group that large it's easy to skip if anything is bland or unclear. The odds are against you, but taking some time to refine your message will improve your chances.

What to include

Try to cover all of these points while keeping your email as short as possible.

Why is the reporter a good fit for this story?

"You wrote about Tacocopter and we're also a drone-based food delivery service." You cannot substitute compliments for facts here — the fact that you liked reading one of their articles doesn't make them more likely to write about you.

What and why should the reporter write about you?

Summarize the basis for the story, including what is so different about your company that it's newsworthy. Launching a new food delivery company is not news, but launching a company that delivers food via drones is.

Proof that you're on your way

Funding, user metrics, and previous founder success are all fine. Anything that shows you're growing. Keep these concise — a bulleted list works well.

A brief description of the company

The goal here is to make sure they understand exactly what you do. Be as clear as possible.

Angle / substory

Alternate stories that aren't your primary message but are still interesting. e.g.: the company was named after the founder's dog; each car-sharing vehicle replaces an average of 15 private vehicles on the road.

Product description

A one-paragraph (ish) description of what problem you're solving and how you're solving it.

Take-aways

Crafting a pitch is an important step that a lot of people neglect. Put more time into it and be more successful.