You Ask, We Answer: How Do I Pitch My Idea Over the Phone?
Angie asks: In your e-course, you recommend that we come up with an elevator speech about our idea in case an editor picks up the phone when we call the magazine to ask for contact information. Can you tell me more about this?
I’ve had students call a magazine’s editorial department to ask for an e-mail address and get forwarded right to the editor — who then asks the writer to tell her about her idea! The worst thing you can do if this happens is stutter and stumble — you have just a few seconds to sell your idea, so you want to be ready with an elevator speech. Your description of your idea should be short and to the point. For example, if I were describing the idea “Relaxation: Room by Room” (which sold to Woman’s Day), I would say: “‘Relaxation: Room by Room’ is about how to turn every room in your home from a chaotic mess to a zen-like oasis of calm by cleaning, organizing, using feng shui, and adding calming elements.” If the editor would like to know more, she’ll ask you questions so you can expand on the idea. For this reason, you want to be sure you have your idea at least somewhat fleshed out, even if you don’t yet have sources lined up or a query written. [lf]
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Feb 17, 2010 Advice, Editors, Marketing, You Ask, We Answer
