Media-Savvy Author: Keeping Track of Your Media Outreach

Pitching can feel overwhelming. I hear this from a lot of my author media-training clients. There’s a lot of information to keep track of and without a system, things can fall through the cracks. When you’re putting so much effort and energy into pitching the media, having a system to organize your outreach can help you go the final mile and make the most of your pitches.  

First, check your pitch and make sure it hits the mark. Know who you are pitching, what they cover, and how your topic or book can speak to their audience. 

Every great pitch has three things: The Hook, The Twist, and The Takeaway. These are the elements of a perfect pitch and it’s the only way in. For more tips on pitching, check out my Writer’s Digest University course Media Pitch Lab. 

You can pitch more than one outlet at once, but make sure that you factor in time. You want to pitch something timely and relevant, so give yourself time for that. Here are some general guidelines: 

Podcasts: Usually, it’s best to pitch podcasts a couple of months before you think the episode will be timely. Episodes are typically held for a few months before they’re released. A general guideline is 1–3 months, though it may vary depending on the kind of podcast. 

Print magazines: Magazines have a long lead time, generally. It takes a long time to put together a print issue. You can check the advertising information on the magazine’s website to see themes and when things come out.

Online publications: Times vary from a few weeks to a month from pitching to publication. It depends on the outlet and what else is on their editorial calendar. 

Television and radio: The timeline here can be very fast, from 1–2 weeks or even the same day if it's breaking news. 

A Google Sheet is an easy way to keep track of your pitches. Make sure there’s space to include who you pitched, when you pitched them, what angle you pitched, and what date you want to follow up. 

Following up is just as important as the initial pitch. You can prewrite a follow-up so you can just copy and paste it when you're ready to send it. Wondering about when to send that follow-up email? A few days to a week or so is appropriate. It all depends on the outlet and how quickly they move. If they have a shorter timeline to publication, it makes sense to follow up on the sooner side of things. 

Creating a system will ensure that you never forget to follow up. That way you can keep track of when you want to send that email. Maybe that means inputting the information from your Google Sheet into your calendar so you get a reminder. A task manager is another way to keep all your information in the same place. You can create a “follow up” task tied to a specific date. 

Sometimes a Google Sheets is enough to keep track of pitches. But if you’re doing a lot of pitches (or you want to be!), a task manager like Asana can be helpful. You can input tasks (including writing and revising pitches) as well as reminders for following up. This also works well if you have a team and want to assign specific tasks to different people. 

However you decide to keep track of your media outreach, the key is consistency. Remember, you might not get a “yes” right away so it’s important to keep going. These tools don’t work unless you actually use them regularly. Having a system that makes sense for your workflow can be a game changer to reach your media goals. It might take a little trial and error but it’s worth it when you create a system that helps you stay organized. 

Learn more from Paula Rizzo in her Writer's Digest University online course, Media Pitch Lab.