Comments on: Ask the cubicle expat: To blog or to pitch? http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/ Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:47:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Michelle Goodman http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-46699 Michelle Goodman Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:19:37 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-46699 Hi Kate, I agree with Googling to see what's been written on the topic before. But I would not write off a pitch just because the article's already out there. It depends on the topic, publication, and news cycle. For example, if a person's thinking they're going to write a unique op-ed piece on Sarah Palin, they obviously haven't been reading the news or using Google. That's a topic that's pretty well saturated (still, it's one that keeps on giving -- thank you, Tina Fey!). But if you're wanting to write a holiday diet guide for a women's magazine, well, there seem to be no shortage of glossies looking for such pieces year after year (though they start looking in spring). And sometimes all it takes is one tweak to the story angle to make it fresh and new(ish) from what's already been covered. So I wouldn't write off pitching every piece that's been done before. Almost everything's been done before anyway; it just depends on your timing/spin. If you're 100th to the party with the same old tired angle, then yeah, forget it. But if you're early on in the trend and can add a new twist to it (including those predictable annual holiday stories), then go for it. Hi Kate, I agree with Googling to see what’s been written on the topic before. But I would not write off a pitch just because the article’s already out there. It depends on the topic, publication, and news cycle. For example, if a person’s thinking they’re going to write a unique op-ed piece on Sarah Palin, they obviously haven’t been reading the news or using Google. That’s a topic that’s pretty well saturated (still, it’s one that keeps on giving — thank you, Tina Fey!). But if you’re wanting to write a holiday diet guide for a women’s magazine, well, there seem to be no shortage of glossies looking for such pieces year after year (though they start looking in spring). And sometimes all it takes is one tweak to the story angle to make it fresh and new(ish) from what’s already been covered. So I wouldn’t write off pitching every piece that’s been done before. Almost everything’s been done before anyway; it just depends on your timing/spin. If you’re 100th to the party with the same old tired angle, then yeah, forget it. But if you’re early on in the trend and can add a new twist to it (including those predictable annual holiday stories), then go for it.

]]> By: Kate http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-46605 Kate Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:49:24 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-46605 Great advice. It can be a struggle to tell sometimes which you should be doing. I say put it to a litmus test. Make up a title and google it, if you see the same piece already, then you should not bother saving it for a print pitch. Great advice. It can be a struggle to tell sometimes which you should be doing. I say put it to a litmus test. Make up a title and google it, if you see the same piece already, then you should not bother saving it for a print pitch.

]]> By: Michelle Goodman http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43122 Michelle Goodman Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:19:01 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43122 michelle, thanks for the great points. great post, too! michelle, thanks for the great points. great post, too!

]]> By: Michelle Rafter http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43121 Michelle Rafter Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:13:50 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43121 Thanks for the great post, which I liked so much I linked to it on my own blog for freelance writers. Here's the link: http://michellerafter.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/should-writers-blog-about-juicy-subjects-or-save-them-for-story-pitches/ A solution you didn't mention is to blog about something that you don't normally write about for pay, so you don't ever have to make the post v. query decision in the first place. The downside of that is you won't have the opportunities for cross pollination that come with blogging and writing about the same thing. However, a blog could be a good place to try out a subject you think you might be interested in pursuing for pay but don't really have any experience in. Researching blog posts could lead to uncovering some ideas or events that lend themselves to pitches, and if you do turn those into queries, you could point to your blog in a cover letter in lieu of published clips. Michelle Rafter Thanks for the great post, which I liked so much I linked to it on my own blog for freelance writers. Here’s the link:

http://michellerafter.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/should-writers-blog-about-juicy-subjects-or-save-them-for-story-pitches/

A solution you didn’t mention is to blog about something that you don’t normally write about for pay, so you don’t ever have to make the post v. query decision in the first place. The downside of that is you won’t have the opportunities for cross pollination that come with blogging and writing about the same thing. However, a blog could be a good place to try out a subject you think you might be interested in pursuing for pay but don’t really have any experience in. Researching blog posts could lead to uncovering some ideas or events that lend themselves to pitches, and if you do turn those into queries, you could point to your blog in a cover letter in lieu of published clips.

Michelle Rafter

]]> By: Michelle Goodman http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43036 Michelle Goodman Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:54:22 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43036 Sure. And GEA, thanks for weighing in. Sure. And GEA, thanks for weighing in.

]]> By: Trina http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43035 Trina Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:48:31 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43035 This information helps me--thanks so much! This information helps me–thanks so much!

]]> By: GE Anderson http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/23/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43015 GE Anderson Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:39:47 +0000 http://www.anti9to5guide.com/2008/08/25/ask-the-cubicle-expat-to-blog-or-to-pitch/#comment-43015 A timely piece as I've had similar concerns. I've dug up countless tidbits of info in my research that are interesting but would never make it into my book chapters. Nor would they fit into my freelance focus as I am more travel writing directed. However, I realized they are very useful as a blog post since they are (for the most part) short and sweet and build well into my expertise for when I query editors. A timely piece as I’ve had similar concerns.

I’ve dug up countless tidbits of info in my research that are interesting but would never make it into my book chapters. Nor would they fit into my freelance focus as I am more travel writing directed. However, I realized they are very useful as a blog post since they are (for the most part) short and sweet and build well into my expertise for when I query editors.

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