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Search Results: 24
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Article

How to pitch to a science editor

"Successfully pitching a story to a science editor requires a wide range of skills, from researching their outlet to communicating with them in a professional way. In this practical guide, we have compiled advice from six different science editors with extensive experience in commissioning pieces for a number of different outlets including Science, BBC Focus Magazine, New Scientist, the Mail and Guardian and SciDev.Net. Following the advice in this guide will increase the chances of getting your story accepted by an editor."
Article

How to pitch to a science editor

Summary:
"Successfully pitching a story to a science editor requires a wide range of skills, from researching their outlet to communicating with them in a professional way. In this practical guide, we have compiled advice from six different science editors with extensive experience in commissioning pieces for a number of different outlets including Science, BBC Focus Magazine, New Scientist, the Mail and Guardian and SciDev.Net. Following the advice in this guide will increase the chances of getting your story accepted by an editor."
Published By:

SciDev.Net

Date:

September 14, 2015

Category:
For:
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Article

Pitching errors: How not to pitch

"Writing a good pitch is really tough. Writing a bad one is easy. Editors see the same mistakes over and over again, even from good writers." Seven editors from a variety of publications had a roundtable, email discussion about how not to pitch. This resulting article is full of do's and don't and practical advice for what not to do when pitching a story.
Article

Pitching errors: How not to pitch

Summary:
"Writing a good pitch is really tough. Writing a bad one is easy. Editors see the same mistakes over and over again, even from good writers." Seven editors from a variety of publications had a roundtable, email discussion about how not to pitch. This resulting article is full of do's and don't and practical advice for what not to do when pitching a story.
Author:

Laura Helmuth

Published By:

The Open Notebook

Date:

January 4, 2012

Category:
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Video

International opportunities for Latin American science journalists

RedMPC

In this webinar, a session from the Symposium to Advance Science Communication and Journalism in Chile (SAPeCCT) 2023, a panel of editors at science publications discussed freelance opportunities for writers in Latin America. The panel included Debbie Ponchner, Knowable en español; David Malakoff, Science; Rachel Courtland, MIT Technology Review; Lynne Walker, Stories Without Borders; Lauren Wolf, Nature; and Siri Carpenter, The Open Notebook.
Video

International opportunities for Latin American science journalists

Summary:
In this webinar, a session from the Symposium to Advance Science Communication and Journalism in Chile (SAPeCCT) 2023, a panel of editors at science publications discussed freelance opportunities for writers in Latin America. The panel included Debbie Ponchner, Knowable en español; David Malakoff, Science; Rachel Courtland, MIT Technology Review; Lynne Walker, Stories Without Borders; Lauren Wolf, Nature; and Siri Carpenter, The Open Notebook.
Organization:

RedMPC

Date:

April 4, 2023

Category:
For:
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Article

Ask TON: How much time should I spend preparing a pitch?

Writers and editors at The Open Notebook respond to a question from a reader: "What is a normal amount of time to spend on preparing pitches for magazine feature stories? I’ve heard people say they spend as little as an hour, and others say they conduct multiple interviews before pitching—and I assume they then spend a good deal of time writing the pitch itself. What’s usually the best approach, practically speaking?”
Article

Ask TON: How much time should I spend preparing a pitch?

Summary:
Writers and editors at The Open Notebook respond to a question from a reader: "What is a normal amount of time to spend on preparing pitches for magazine feature stories? I’ve heard people say they spend as little as an hour, and others say they conduct multiple interviews before pitching—and I assume they then spend a good deal of time writing the pitch itself. What’s usually the best approach, practically speaking?”
Published By:

The Open Notebook

Date:

November 10, 2015

Category:
For:
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Article

How to successfully pitch The New York Times (or, well, anyone else)

In this article, Tim Herrera (who was, at the time, Smarter Living editor at the New York Times) explains some common do's and don't's of pitching freelance journalism articles. He writes: "After consulting with about a dozen editors who commission stories at publications ranging from small, niche blogs to national magazines and newspapers, I’ve pulled together the six most common mistakes freelancers make when pitching — and what you can do to impress an editor."
Article

How to successfully pitch The New York Times (or, well, anyone else)

Summary:
In this article, Tim Herrera (who was, at the time, Smarter Living editor at the New York Times) explains some common do's and don't's of pitching freelance journalism articles. He writes: "After consulting with about a dozen editors who commission stories at publications ranging from small, niche blogs to national magazines and newspapers, I’ve pulled together the six most common mistakes freelancers make when pitching — and what you can do to impress an editor."
Author:

Tim Herrera

Published By:

NiemanLab

Date:

October 22, 2018

Category:
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Video

Out of this world: Writing space books

DC Science Writers Association

"From the moon to the far reaches of the universe, there’s a lot to cover in the realm of space science. How do authors find book topics, research them, and put them together into engaging works? In this panel, hosted by DCSWA on November 8, 2023, hear from preeminent science writers David W. Brown, author of “The Mission,” and Jaime Green, author of “The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos.” The panel was moderated by Liz Landau, science writer and DCSWA board member."
Video

Out of this world: Writing space books

Summary:
"From the moon to the far reaches of the universe, there’s a lot to cover in the realm of space science. How do authors find book topics, research them, and put them together into engaging works? In this panel, hosted by DCSWA on November 8, 2023, hear from preeminent science writers David W. Brown, author of “The Mission,” and Jaime Green, author of “The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos.” The panel was moderated by Liz Landau, science writer and DCSWA board member."
Organization:

DC Science Writers Association

Date:

November 9, 2023

Category:
For:
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Article

Sharpening ideas: From topic to story

"As science writers, we learn about fascinating topics daily, and explaining that complexity is one of the joys of our work. But to sell the story to our editors, we need a good angle and often a compelling narrative approach. This can challenge even experienced writers."
Article

Sharpening ideas: From topic to story

Summary:
"As science writers, we learn about fascinating topics daily, and explaining that complexity is one of the joys of our work. But to sell the story to our editors, we need a good angle and often a compelling narrative approach. This can challenge even experienced writers."
Author:

Dan Ferber

Published By:

The Open Notebook

Date:

July 11, 2012

Category:
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Article

Is this a story? How to evaluate your ideas before you pitch

"When a journalist is on the prowl for a new story, every yarn spun by a friend, every press release, every vacation adventure, and every quirky local news item can seem like the beginning of a great story idea. But most glimmers of inspiration turn out to be just that—transient inklings. Only a few will be real gems. The most successful freelancers can quickly sift through their ideas and see whether an idea deserves to exist as a story, and what kind of story to pitch. This evaluation is usually an intuitive process, honed over years of practice. But learning the right questions to ask about your ideas can help accelerate the learning curve."
Article

Is this a story? How to evaluate your ideas before you pitch

Summary:
"When a journalist is on the prowl for a new story, every yarn spun by a friend, every press release, every vacation adventure, and every quirky local news item can seem like the beginning of a great story idea. But most glimmers of inspiration turn out to be just that—transient inklings. Only a few will be real gems. The most successful freelancers can quickly sift through their ideas and see whether an idea deserves to exist as a story, and what kind of story to pitch. This evaluation is usually an intuitive process, honed over years of practice. But learning the right questions to ask about your ideas can help accelerate the learning curve."
Author:

Mallory Pickett

Published By:

The Open Notebook

Date:

May 1, 2018

Category:
For:
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Article

Finding the science in any story

"Not all science writing has to be deeply academic or focused on dense concepts. Science writing can be crowd-pleasing, and shareable, and even sarcastic or funny. And it can belong in publications whose focus might seem far removed from science, such as magazines centered on fashion, business, food, public policy, sports, parenting … or just about anything else. For a freelancer, finding a scientific angle on a trending news topic can make a pitch pleasantly unexpected, and more likely to pique an editor’s interest."
Article

Finding the science in any story

Summary:
"Not all science writing has to be deeply academic or focused on dense concepts. Science writing can be crowd-pleasing, and shareable, and even sarcastic or funny. And it can belong in publications whose focus might seem far removed from science, such as magazines centered on fashion, business, food, public policy, sports, parenting … or just about anything else. For a freelancer, finding a scientific angle on a trending news topic can make a pitch pleasantly unexpected, and more likely to pique an editor’s interest."
Author:

Kate Morgan

Published By:

The Open Notebook

Date:

November 27, 2018

Category:
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Article

A book publishing primer for science writers

"From developing an idea, to crafting a proposal and selling it to a publisher, to actually writing the thing itself, publishing a book is an arduous process. Thankfully, you can draw on the successful experiences of other science writers who have traversed the tricky terrain of book publishing." This story describes the early process of book publishing, including identifying an idea, finding an agent, writing a book proposal, and finding a publisher.
Article

A book publishing primer for science writers

Summary:
"From developing an idea, to crafting a proposal and selling it to a publisher, to actually writing the thing itself, publishing a book is an arduous process. Thankfully, you can draw on the successful experiences of other science writers who have traversed the tricky terrain of book publishing." This story describes the early process of book publishing, including identifying an idea, finding an agent, writing a book proposal, and finding a publisher.
Author:

Darren Incorvaia

Published By:

The Open Notebook

Date:

December 12, 2023

Category:
For:
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Video

How to pitch climate change stories to editors

International Center for Journalists

This webinar discusses how journalists can wade through the extensive public discussions around climate change to pitch stories that are urgent and impactful. The event featured Greg Mott, sustainability editor at POLITICO, who shared tips for story pitches he would like to see.
Video

How to pitch climate change stories to editors

Summary:
This webinar discusses how journalists can wade through the extensive public discussions around climate change to pitch stories that are urgent and impactful. The event featured Greg Mott, sustainability editor at POLITICO, who shared tips for story pitches he would like to see.
Organization:

International Center for Journalists

Date:

November 1, 2022

Category:
For:
VISIT
Resource Database / Guide

Sci Comm Resources — Dan Vahaba

Dan Vahaba is the director of communications at the Duke University Institute for Brain Sciences. He compiled this Google doc full of science writing resources, including articles and books to read, tips about how to pitch, conferences, academic journals, newsletters, and more.
Resource Database / Guide

Sci Comm Resources — Dan Vahaba

Summary:
Dan Vahaba is the director of communications at the Duke University Institute for Brain Sciences. He compiled this Google doc full of science writing resources, including articles and books to read, tips about how to pitch, conferences, academic journals, newsletters, and more.
Author:

Dan Vahaba

Category:
For:
VISIT