How to Pitch a Commerce Writer
Because our needs and focuses are constantly changing.
In case you were wondering, yes, I do get a lot of pitches, and no, there’s no predicting how many I will ever get, although numbers usually double around the holiday season. There are slow days when I’ve only had to rush through 84 emails…at 4 different times throughout the work day. Then there are days when I’m flooded with somewhere between 300 - 400 emails. (This is also usually the time that I turn off inbox notifications because my brain can only take so much stimulation).
On top of that, we’re constantly brainstorming, writing, brainstorming some more, interviewing someone, hunting down sources and experts, getting pulled into a Zoom meeting, and more writing wherever it can be squeezed in. Yeah, we’re busy, to put it mildly. But that doesn’t make your email any less important, I just somehow need to squeeze in various moments to question myself. 🫠
Anyway, I want to ensure that when we do open your email, we feel that we have everything we need, and don’t have to hit that delete button.
Do
Pitch angles and story ideas
Use bullet points — if you don’t, it’s not a must, but it can be very helpful for us to skim
Add affiliate info, at least what affiliate networks your client is on, but it would be helpful to also have a link or their network ID #
Think ahead: I am currently working on Mother’s Day stories (which is on May 12)
Let us know if you’re offering a sample
Better yet, include a link to a Google Form for sample requests
Include stats in your pitches (ie. it sold out twice before, it has a waiting list of 10k people, Oprah included it in her Favorite Things list, etc.)
Check in to see how we like (or don’t) a sample
Let us know if affiliate rates are negotiable, even temporarily
Include links to press materials on Dropbox or Google Drive
Respond to emails right away (even if you don’t have an answer, say that; we work on VERY tight deadlines, so if you’re not responding, that’s bad for us, and there’s a good chance we won’t want to work with you again)
Don’t
Write out paragraph after paragraph without links or images to help break it all up; if I’m staring at two pages of words, I will delete it
Think too far ahead (I’m not even thinking about summer topics; think a month ahead, not three)
Require coverage for samples (this literally goes against what we do; a true commerce writer would NEVER guarantee coverage for a sample!); we use samples for editorial CONSIDERATION. Frankly, this is the quickest way for us to blacklist you
Follow up more than twice
“Check in” to see what I’m working on (It’s more of a personal “don’t.” I simply don’t have time to rundown a list of what I’m doing for everyone. I work in News & Deals, so I’m following the news cycles.)
Assume we’re working on gift guides (evergreen teams usually handle these, and sometimes we step in for timely angles)
Expect immediate coverage of products. (ie. when testing skincare, I have a strict schedule that I stick to, and I usually try a product for at least 3 weeks to get a good feel for it, and track short-term results) And yes, I’ve absolutely had a product I loved that I couldn’t find a fit for until 6 months down the line and then covered it. It really is all about timing.
