So, I never emailed that pitch. I started off strong, confident. Nothing was going to stop me from getting that email out. That same afternoon I found the regional magazine I wanted to target, read through the latest issue for style and content, and decided what article might tempt them to bite. I wrote the pitch email, complete with slant and sources...and then reached the section where I'd normally include clips. That's when I realized the hard, cold truth.
The last objective, newspaper-styled piece I published was over 10 years ago (yikes!). I sat there and stared at what I had written: "Find samples of my work at" The cursor blinked back at me. I wondered, should I attach personal essay clips, which reflected neither the style nor the subject of my proposed article? Should I attach a clip from 10 years ago, which not only includes the date published, but also reads like a young, amateur writer wrote it? This publication is large and discerning enough not to take a pitch without clips, so sending one without samples isn't an option. I'm still not sure if this is the right decision, but I've decided to wait and publish two articles with similar style or content before pitching this magazine. Not because I was afraid of calling an editor (which I am) or because I was procrastinating (which I do), but because I think it's worth waiting for one more component in order to make this a 'you're-nuts-if-you-turn-this-down' pitch.
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