Most pitches fail before the second line. Not because the story is bad, but because the email reads like it was sent to four hundred people — because it was. Here is the exact structure our team uses for every campaign, refined across hundreds of placements.
One journalist, one reason, one ask
Every pitch we send answers three questions in the first three sentences: why this journalist, why now, and what exactly we are offering. An exclusive data point, a founder available this week, a customer willing to go on record — the offer must be concrete before the scroll.
Personalization is not the first name in the greeting. It is the reason this story belongs on this journalist’s beat, stated plainly.
The sequencing that doubles replies
We pitch in waves, not blasts. Tier-one targets get a genuine exclusive window first. Then a tailored second wave, then a single respectful follow-up with new information — never a “just bumping this” nudge. Our data shows the follow-up with something new (a stat, a quote, a customer) converts at twice the rate of a repeat send.
Subject lines that get opened
- Under 8 words, no clickbait, no emojis — newsroom inboxes punish all three.
- Name the news: “Data: Series A founders cut burn 31%” beats “Story idea for you?” every time.
- Match the outlet’s language. Read three recent headlines before you write one word.
What we never do
We never attach 800-word releases to cold emails, never pitch competing exclusives simultaneously, and never follow up more than twice without new material. Reputation with a journalist compounds across clients — we protect it like revenue, because it is.
Want this playbook applied to your announcements? Book a call and we will bring three pitchable angles for your brand to the first meeting.