There are certain things that happen time and again when you’re freelancing. You pitch, you wait to hear back, you follow up. My attitude to following up has changed over the past few years. When I first started freelance writing I would put lots of energy into my pitches and then sit back and wait. I might send one email follow up if I didn’t get a reply, but more often than not, I would take the initial silence as a big, fat ‘no’. But you know what? Around 20% of my stories get commissioned after a follow up email. And there’s one new technique I use that is having such a big impact on my commission rate. Here’s my guide to following up with editors.
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It is so important to follow up with editors and clients. Yes, editors and content managers are incredibly busy people. And it doesn’t take long for their inboxes to fill up and for your carefully crafted email to be pushed off their screen.
But a simple follow up email, sent at the right time can be just the thing to get you a commission.
You’ve sent your pitch. Now what?
Following up with editors - step by step
After you send your pitch
Well, hopefully you’ve got some kind of pitch tracking system in place that quickly tells you when you’ve sent off a pitch and when you should follow up.
In terms of the time you wait before you follow up – there are different opinions on that. If the pitch is time sensitive I follow up within 24-48 hours, but if it’s not I tend to follow up after a week.
I used to wait 10 days – 2 weeks before I would follow up, but recently I’ve started getting impatient and following up after just seven.
Why?
Because I think a week is long enough for an editor (unless they are away) to see, read and respond to an email.
I’ve met editors who have inboxes that reach 200 emails before lunch, so I understand that for some, my expectations are unreasonable.
But I also know that most editors I’ve worked with don’t mind a polite follow up email. And I also know that many editors know from a pitch’s subject line whether they’re interested or not.
What to say in your follow up email to an editor
It can be tricky to know how to word your follow up emails to editors, so below is a guide of what I say.
I always make sure my original pitch or query is in the body of my follow up email.
First follow up:
Hi [editor’s name],
I hope you are well.
I’m just checking in to see if my pitch below about XXX is of interest?
Thanks,
Lindy
It can be tricky to know how to word your follow up emails to editors, so below is a guide of what I say.
I always make sure my original pitch or query is in the body of my follow up email.
First follow up:
Hi [editor’s name],
I hope you are well.
I’m just checking in to see if my pitch below about XXX is of interest?
Thanks,
Lindy
TIP: I find that if I get more responses if I change the original subject line from:
Pitch: The surprising truth about eating organic food
to
Follow up to pitch: The surprising truth about eating organic food
Second and final follow up:
Hi [editor’s name],
I hope you are well.
I’m emailing to see whether you have had a chance to consider my pitch below.
I’m keen to write this story for [publication], but I know you are incredibly busy.
If you’re not interested, please don’t feel you have to reply – if I don’t hear from you by Friday, I’ll look to pitch it elsewhere.
Thanks,
Lindy
No reply? Here’s what to do
Some people will send more than two follow ups and may also send an email to let the editor know that they’re taking their pitch elsewhere.
Personally, if an editor has not replied after a pitch and two follows up, I’m letting it slide and pitching elsewhere.
I’m also not a fan of sending a ‘withdrawal’ email (and I’d never call it a withdrawal email – sounds kind of like you’re crabby).
If a miracle happens and the editor gets back to you and says they do want it after all (but after when you’ve said you’ll pitch it elsewhere), you can easily reply with “As I didn’t hear back from you after I followed up so I thought you weren’t interested and have placed this story elsewhere.”
I remember that once an editor replied to me 3 months after I’d sent her a pitch (and two follow ups). She asked if the story was still available. It wasn’t. She totally understood that I had pitched it elsewhere.
A new tip that really works
I’ve been travelling a lot for work lately and while I’ve always managed to get at least one commission before I go on the trip, I’m often waiting to hear back on some pitches.
Recently I’ve been trying a new follow up technique with some of my editors.
Before I go away I pitch a story idea about the trip.
If I don’t hear back, I tend to wait until after I’ve done the trip (or had the experience that I pitched) before I follow up.
Why?
Because in my follow up email I can give additional information about the experience and why I think the publication’s readers would be interested.
Following up with editors after a family or press trip
For example, in a recent email I said:
Dear [editor],
I just wanted to touch base with you about my pitch (in the thread below) about [experience] in [country].
The tour was this morning and it was amazing.
[Then I wrote 3 sentences about why the trip was so great].
After doing the tour, I think it would really resonate with your readers and would love to write it for you.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Lindy
The results
And you know what? I got an email 5 minutes later commissioning me.
I tried this method a few days later and bingo! Another commission.
It makes sense that editors, especially travel editors, are more likely to commission a story after you’ve been. Your pitch can include quotes, colour and information that isn’t always available before you go.
Following up with editors is a simple and effective way to increase your commission acceptance rate.
If an idea gets passed on, it also gives you a chance to tweak and improve it before you pitch to a different editor.
I really believe that following up is one of the lost arts of freelance writing. I think it’s time to revive it.
How do you follow up with editors? Do you have any tips?
33 thoughts on “Following up with editors – a guide”
I’ve always struggled with the ‘withdrawal’ follow up, I worry that I’ll sound rude. Your examples are great, and if it’s ok with you I might use them as a guide.
Yes of course, use them! Glad you found them (potentially!) helpful.
Hi Lindy,
As always, this is exceptionally useful and to the point. Thanks again! Rosie Bell x
Thank you Rosie!
Hi Lindy, I found this post really useful. I was curious – with your time-sensitive posts, do you follow up in 24 hours, and then 24 hours after that for the second follow up? Or do you just do one follow up when you have a time-sensitive article and then move on?
Thanks Kirsten 🙂 So with my time-sensitive pitches I tend to either let the editor know that because it’s time-sensitive I’ve also pitched to other publications (and first in best dressed) or if I have a little wriggle room in terms of time, I send a second follow up and say something like, "I know you’re busy so if I don’t hear from you by XXX I’ll assume it’s a pass and I’ll look to pitch elsewhere".
What if the editor’s name is unknown? Other than that, great tips for following up on a pitch!
Hi Linda, this post (https://www.thefreelancersyear.com/blog/find-magazine-newspaper-editor-contact-details) may help if you’re looking to find an editor and their contact details.
Hi Lindy,
Thank you for your informative post. As someone who is just beginning to freelance, I found your advice extremely helpful.
Quick question: If a pitch is not time sensitive, do you also wait 10 days to 2 weeks between your first follow up and your second (and final) follow up?
Thank you,
Ashley Jordan
Hi Ashley, thanks for your message. That’s a good question. No usually with the second follow up I wait a week or so and then follow up because by then I’m usually keen to find out if I should move on and pitch it elsewhere. Hope that helps?
Hi Lindy, just wanted to say this post was SUPER useful. Sent an editor 1 follow up. Didn’t hear anything. Sent the second one which was a month from the initial pitch (was 90% sure I wasn’t going to hear back). Told the editor if I didn’t hear back in a week I’m assuming she’s not interested. And exactly 1 week later, I finally hear back and got the story commissioned! I was a skeptic about follow ups but now I’m a convert. Thanks Lindy!
Oh Dawn, that’s so great! I really think follow ups are a quick and simple way to maximise your chances of getting a commission. So glad that you got a yes.
This is a timely piece and a reminder that I need to follow up with an editor I pitched two weeks ago. Usually I am impatient and follow up much sooner, but I have been so busy I actually forgot about it, lol!
That’s not a bad thing! But yes, follow up – a yes is probably just around the corner. Nice to hear that you’re pitching again 🙂
Great post, as always Lindy! I too note ‘follow-up to pitch’ in the subject line, which works well. One thing I take into account when timing follow-ups is whether the publication is weekly, monthly or quarterly. I usually leave follow-up for a quarterly a little longer than a weekly or monthly. Do you do that or not? Thanks, Briar
Thanks Briar. Oh yes, that’s a really good point about stretching out the time to follow up if it’s a less frequent publication. I do do that, but I must admit I tend not to pitch quarterly publications because of the time lag between submitting the story and payment!
My biggest question mark has always been what to say. This is really helpful, Lindy. Thanks!
Oh good, I’m so glad it’s useful Rita. Thanks for your comment.
I read this post and followed up with an editor at Marie Claire (after having had the experience I pitched about, as you recommend). And bam – I got my first commission from Marie Claire. I tweeted about this but not sure if you saw it. I was thrilled. Thanks again for a fantastically helpful post Lindy.
Ah Jess, this makes me so happy! Congratulations on your commission. Apologies, I don’t think I did see your tweet, haven’t been on Twitter too much lately.
Great article. I sent my article to a number of local publishers and said “This is a simultaneous submission, and I will notify you if the piece is accepted elsewhere.” It has now been placed in 1 paper and 1 magazine website. Is there a script for a ‘Thank you for publishing my article. I have a few articles planned for 2020. Would you be interested? Would you like me to keep in touch?”
Hi Lindy,
Thank you for the informative post. So far I’ve sent my initial pitch email and two follow-up emails but still haven’t heard back. I’m curious that you don’t mention phone calls in your advice. Do you sometimes call the editor as a follow-up? I’m not wildly confident on the phone so would appreciate any advice from your experience if you ever do this. What is the best way to phrase it?
Thank you very much.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your question.
I am not a fan of phone calls – I know some freelancers (and editors) don’t mind making or receiving phone calls about pitches, but it’s not something I’ve ever done because so many editors have told me they dislike being contacted on the phone. I think if you’ve pitched and followed up twice and haven’t heard back, I’d take it as a no and look to pitch elsewhere. Hope that helps?
Hi Lindy,
Thank you for getting back to me. Yes it’s very helpful – I’ll try again with new publications.
Thanks again.
No worries Rebecca, best of luck!
Hi Lindy
Thank you so much for your articles. I am new to freelancing so going through them and finding them most helpful! Your “new tip””, does it also apply to non travel articles and how? Could you please give an example? Thank you
Hi Tracey,
Welcome to The Freelancer’s Year – I’m so glad you’ve discovered us 🙂 I think the new tip could apply to non-travel articles. Say you found out a new piece of information about a story you had already pitched, then I would follow up and get back in touch with the editor and let them know. For example, you may be pitching a story about breweries in your local area and then have found out a new one is scheduled to open in a month’s time. I’d get back in touch with the editor and let them know this new bit of information. Does that help?
Thank you so much for welcoming me and for your response, yes that does certainly help. Very much looking forward to staying in touch with your amazing content!
It wouldn’t take much time for editors to reply if they aren’t interested but would allow freelancers to move on and keep pitches exclusive.
Maybe we can teach editors to do so?
First, we would send exclusive pitches to those publishers, who always reply. If it didn’t work out, we would send a pitch to those known for ghosting. And let them know in a formal note, somewhere below the credentials:
“That is a first stage exclusive submission, allowing for up to two weeks of waiting for a reply. Applicable for publishers not flagged for ghosting practice.”
“That is a second stage simultaneous submission. Please check with the writer if the piece is still available. Please note, the practice of swift responses allows writers to pitch to you exclusively.”
This is such a valuable resource – thank you so much.
Can I ask – how long do you wait to do your second follow up, maybe one week after the first?
Also, it’s interesting to read your comments about pitching AFTER a trip because here in Europe, we’re not accepted on trips unless we have a commission! It’s a real chicken and egg.
Hi Bex, Thanks so much for your question. With the second follow up, yes, usually another week or so. Australia is very similar in terms of travel writing and needing a commission before you go on a trip, but I often pitch multiple stories (with different angles) once I’ve returned.
Sometimes, it is also worthwhile following up after a rejected pitch. . A few weeks ago, I sent a pitch to the senior editor at a major magazine about the benefits of pet adoption for human health. In spite of this editor being a pet advocate herself, she responded that the publication had recently run a humane society article and thus was not inclined to publish another at this time. I thanked her for letting me know, and mentioned in closing that this particular humane society was going to be the first in the nation on a hospital campus. The senior editor responded back, “Wait, I must have missed that. Let me talk to my boss at our next planning meeting.” When I didn’t hear back for two weeks, I sent a quick email to ask whether the article was voted thumbs up or down at the planning meeting. To my surprise, my senior editor let me know that the article was a “go.” Two weeks later the article was submitted for publication. While it may be unusual for a rejected pitch to be reconsidered, in this case it worked out well because the revised pitch included a new and unique angle on the same topic.
AH, that’s really interesting Keith. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, so glad your piece got commissioned!