In How To Write For Brass, I shared a little brass editorial fact: editors can spot writing potential in no time at all. Such is the case with reading article pitches from contributors, too. brass|MAGAZINE is written for young adults, by young adults. But just because our contributor base exists primarily of young adult writers doesn't mean we'll be any more lenient to unprofessional article pitches. To better your chances, and match our standards, here are some tips for crafting a successful pitch:

• Pitch for the dull articles as often as the exciting ones. If you're a first-time brass contributor and you only pitch for the "fun" articles (e.g., an energetic look at nonprofits as opposed to a tedious stocks article) your chances of getting the article might decrease. This is because more people pitch the fun articles, including well known brass authors who, because they're more seasoned, might outshine a pitch from a lesser known author. Instead, pitch multiple articles from the same contributor email. Try for the ones you assume everyone will want, but also pitch the articles you foresee less people pitching for. It could increase your chances of landing an article, and if you get one, the recognition could help you land fun articles in the future.
• Back up your pitch with research. We often get pitches that only say, "I just want to write the [insert] article," or "I want the credit usage article because I've never had a credit card and want to learn about them." The former simply won't get you anywhere, and if you pitch the latter you should be the one reading the article, not writing it. Don't pitch blind; become informed on the topic before pitching. A clearly researched pitch will let us know that you're capable of thoroughly researching the topic, if selected to write the full article.
• Match the pitch to the length/complexity of the article. Your pitch ideas must be doable for the projected word count. While extensive research is important for pitching and writing more complex articles, if your pitch sounds like it will produce 1000 words for a 350 word article, it may decrease your chances of getting assigned.
• Highlight your history in relation to the topic. If all else fails, showing extensive knowledge or history working with the article topic could land you the gig. We take many things into account, and prior experience with the topic is highly relevant information.

Long story short: be concise, well researched, and present your pitch in a fun, energetic voice that approaches the topic from a new angle not seen before in brass|MAGAZINE. And here's some final advice: Don't squander the opportunity. If you go into a pitch blind, we'll know.

--Chris

P.S. If you're just starting out, become a brass contributor at brassmagazine.com/contribute.

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