Food Writing Class: How to Write a Winning Pitch Letter with Renee Schettler

ONE-NIGHT VIRTUAL CLASS
How to Write a Winning Pitch Letter with Renee Schettler
Thursday, November 5th from 8:45 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. EST
Fee: $85.00

This class is closed. It will be offered again in winter 2010.

You’ve done it. After spending days, if not weeks, of your life researching, writing, and rewriting your first article or essay, you’ve completed it. But before your carefully crafted words can make it into print, you must persuade an overworked and often overwhelmed editor who’s racing through her inbox at all hours of day and night to take the time to read past the first sentence of your unsolicited e-mail. Accomplishing this requires yet another creative writing assignment: a compelling query letter.

What this class will do for you There are as many different ways to pitch an editor as there are freelancers. Although there are no absolutes when it comes to appealing to an editor’s particular personality, there are several strategic do’s and don’ts that make the difference between enticing any editor to take a chance on you and, well, the alternative. This interactive class will provide you with the insights and tools that will enable you to create a foolproof pitch,  including how to:

• Command an editor’s attention from your very first sentence
• Convey why your topic is timely or otherwise of interest
• Explain convincingly why you’re the perfect writer for the topic
• Time your pitch according to editorial calendars
• Avoid common gaffes-slight though devastating-common to most freelancers

The class will consist of a lecture, including insights from numerous accomplished writers and editors, and an extensive Q & A. Handouts include templates for successful pitch letters and resources to consult for additional guidance.

Why this class is right for you Anyone with the faintest notion of someday submitting an article for publication needs to first understand what it takes to intrigue and impress an editor-regardless of whether the topic relates to food, home, travel, health, or general lifestyle.

How this class works You don’t even have to leave home. On Thusday November 5th at 8:45 p.m. EST, we’ll convene by telephone for a 2 1/2-hour conference call that will comprise both lecture and discussion. A private podcast of this class, available only to participants, will be posted online for one month at no additional cost.

Who the instructor is Writer and editor Renee Schettler has spent the past decade evaluating freelance pitches-those that eventually ended up in print as well as those that didn’t-at newspapers and magazines as Assistant Editor of The Washington Post Food section, as Food Editor at Real Simple, and as Deputy Editor at Martha Stewart Living. In addition to accepting and rejecting hundreds of food-related freelance queries, she has worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors as well as previously unpublished writers, escorting each through the editing process. She has also mentored dozens of entry-level staffers, initiating a writing and editing practicum for aspiring writers and editors at Martha Stewart Living, several of whom are currently editors at national magazines and online ventures. Her work has garnered recognition from NPR, the Association of Food Journalists, and The Best American Recipes cookbook series. Renee is currently a freelance writer and spends much of her time conjuring creative pitch letters for her own article proposals. To understand what Renee has done for other writers, read this telling post by Ed Bruske.

If you have any questions, please contact us at enroll@leitesculinaria.com.