Pitching a magazine article is a little like asking someone out on a date. You don’t want to gush endlessly, you don’t want to be vague, and you definitely don’t want to sound like you copied the same line for 50 people. You want to be intriguing, specific, and worth saying yes to.

So what makes a good pitch?

1. Know the magazine.
This sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many writers fire off generic emails. If you pitch Outdoor Magazine a piece about your grandmother’s sourdough starter, you’ll be ignored. Read the publication. Note the tone, audience, and types of stories they run. Tailor your idea so it feels like it already belongs in their pages.

2. Lead with the hook.
Editors get dozens (sometimes hundreds) of pitches a week. Your first two sentences need to grab attention. Think headline style: “More people are climbing Everest than ever before—but sherpas say they’re paying the price.” That makes an editor lean in.

3. Show why it matters now.
Timeliness is gold. Tie your idea to a trend, season, event, or cultural conversation. Even evergreen stories benefit from a fresh angle.

4. Keep it short.
Your pitch is not the article. Aim for 3–5 tight paragraphs: hook, what the piece is about, why it matters now, and why you’re the right person to write it. That’s it.

5. Prove you can deliver.
If you have clips (published writing samples), link to them. If not, emphasize your expertise or unique access. Editors want to know you can pull off what you’re promising.

And now, the waiting game.
Here’s the hard truth: you may never hear back. Some editors respond quickly, some take weeks, and some never reply at all. A good rule of thumb is to wait two to three weeks before following up. If you still don’t hear anything, you’re free to pitch your idea elsewhere.

What about multiple submissions? Most magazines prefer exclusivity, so don’t blanket-pitch the same article idea to ten places at once. Instead, pitch one at a time, and if it’s rejected—or if you’ve followed up and gotten no response after a reasonable period—then move on to the next publication. If you do decide to pitch multiple places simultaneously, be upfront about it in your query. Transparency goes a long way.

Think of pitching as matchmaking. Your story idea is the interesting friend you’re introducing. Your job is to show the editor why they’ll get along. Do that, manage the silence with patience, and you might just land not only an article but an ongoing relationship with that publication.