By Mahevash Shaikh

It takes time, effort, and courage for a freelance writer to email a pitch to an editor. Little wonder that doing so feels like an accomplishment.

While sending in a compelling pitch is a challenging first step, it is not the hardest part of your job as a writer. In fact, your work has just begun.

An editor’s inbox is full of pitches from writers and PR people. It doesn’t matter how good, relevant, unique, or timely your pitch is. You have to get them to notice it amongst the many others vying for their attention.

Even if the editor has read and liked your pitch, they may forget to get back to you. In all scenarios, freelance writers need to learn the art of follow-up emails. Here are some rules you need to keep in mind for the same.

Know when to follow up. 

Since editors have overflowing inboxes, the right thing to do is not add to their clutter. You should follow up after 24 hours only when your pitch is time-sensitive. Otherwise, it is best to follow up at least one week after you have sent your pitch.

That said, be persistent. Follow up regularly without worrying about being a “nuisance”. Your editor will not hate you if you are polite and don’t act as if you’re entitled to a reply. This sounds like common sense, but honestly, this rule is easy to break. Being rude or passive-aggressive will not help you get published and will spoil your relationship with the editor.

Note that it’s best to keep a spreadsheet to keep track of all the pitches you have sent. Still, there will be times when you make mistakes. For example, if you have forgotten to follow up on a months-old pitch, don’t worry. Do it as soon as you remember — and be apologetic about the delay. I once emailed an editor four months after I had pitched her, and she replied as well as commissioned the piece. I guess ‘sorry, I forgot’ works better for adults than for school children.

Humanize your follow-up email. 

Why talk like a robot when you can talk like a human being? You are more likely to get a response when you put some emotion into your words. There is nothing unprofessional about expressing yourself as a human being. In fact, it helps you build a professional relationship, and doing so is important if you want to write repeatedly for a publication. For example, this is what I recently emailed an editor:

I wanted to follow up on the pitch I sent you last week. It’s important to me because I know how hard it is to experience loneliness due to depression, and it hurts to know that many people are struggling with loneliness during the pandemic. A close friend started seeing a therapist to cope with this, and I am glad I was able to influence her decision. What I said to her will help readers choose healthier coping mechanisms as well, and I hope to get the opportunity to do so. Please let me know what you think (even if it’s a no). Thank you for your time.

As you can see, I shared relevant personal details that established my authenticity and expertise. I even requested the editor to reply, even if only to reject the article idea. Hearing back and getting feedback is better than not hearing anything. Their feedback can help you tweak your idea, thus improving its chances of getting commissioned.

It is crucial to stick to the point so that you don’t overshare. I have made the faux pax of adding unnecessary details in the past. While I did get some assignments as a result, I was too embarrassed to reach out to those editors again. As for the editor above, she has expressed interest and asked me to reach out next month as the publication has enough content for now.

Use social media.

Sometimes, pitches get buried deep in an editor’s inbox or land in the Spam folder. I always assume this when repeated emails don’t get any reply. So what do I do? I find my editor on the social media platform which they most use. While many editors are active on Twitter, some prefer Instagram or have alternate email addresses. Whatever be the case, find them and tell them why you are reaching out to them. It’s important to specify that you are contacting them on social media only because you believe your emails are not reaching them. If you don’t do this, you are likely to come across as pushy and intrusive.

I send another follow-up email and immediately send a Tweet that mentions my email address. Doing so makes it easier for the editor to find my email in their inbox or Spam folder.  I also make it a point to schedule the email and my Tweet when the editor is most likely to see it.

Know when to stop. 

Your time is important, and there’s only so much you can do to land a pitch. If an editor doesn’t respond after seven follow-ups, I back off. Since I use the free email tracking software Mailtrack, I always know for sure if an email has been opened or not. So if an editor has opened my sixth email and not said anything, it’s a definite no. Some editors choose to stay silent if they are not interested in a pitch. And if an editor hasn’t opened emails even after a social media nudge, they are probably busy to the point of overwhelm.

Let go, find a new home for your piece, and send it to the editors who rejected it. No, this is not a revenge tactic. There are many reasons why an editor says no, none of which reflect on the quality of your writing. They might be working on a similar piece with a staff writer or another freelance writer. Or as an editor told me, they have run out of their monthly freelance budget. Regardless, sending a link to your published piece will do no harm and help you stay on their radar.

That’s all I have to say. I hope these rules help you get published in your dream publication. Good luck!

Mahevash Shaikh is an author and freelance writer with a penchant for coffee, personal development, and self-awareness. She blogs about culture, society, and mental health at https://www.mahevashmuses.com/. You can connect with her on Instagram @mahevashmuses.