Got an 'Expert?' How to Pitch Me an Interview
When your pitch is a person not a ~product~
What no one tells you about getting married and going on a honeymoon is that there is a months-long hangover after (or maybe they do tell you & we just don’t listen?) Not like an alcohol hangover; like an emotional one. *Sigh*
To combat said hangover, I’m reading several books at once: Verity by Colleen Hoover, Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover, Ceremony by Brianna Wiest, and to really round it all out, American Serial Killers: The Deadliest Years 1950-2000 by Peter Vronsky.
Don’t forget to read up on previous posts about Press Hook, HARO, and the ins and outs of affiliate marketing.
To interview or not to interview…
I write a few different types of articles. Some are solely affiliate marketing-based; these can be either roundups of multiple products or a spotlight on one specific brand or product. These often don’t require a source of any kind.
Then, there are the kinds that do require a source. This can be an explainer—“How Much Does a Passport Cost?” in which I interviewed a travel agent—or an in-depth feature—“10 Ways to Upcycle Old Clothes” in which I interviewed several experts in the upcycling fashion industry.
For these articles, it’s pertinent that they are anchored by some expert source other than moi, the writer. After all, I’m just a vehicle.
For these articles, I’m always looking for “experts” in the industry.
When looking for said experts, I’ll often to turn to HARO, Press Hook, and even my own emails.
How to pitch (me) your interviewee
Being the writer, I am inherently the interviewer, so now I need you to connect me to the interviewee.
Sometimes, I suspect it’s harder for publicists to represent a person than it is a product. (If that makes sense.) Based on my own knowledge and experience, I answer far more product-related queries than I do “INTERVIEW OPP” ones.
This is partly because of my specific niche, but I can see how, for you, that can be annoying. Rest assured, there are ways to get my attention.
Put “SOURCE” somewhere in your email subject line: This helps when I’m literally combing through my emails, using the key word “source.”
Specify what your “expert” can speak to: Keywords like “fitness articles,” “health articles,” “sleep-related explainers,” etc. really help.
Give your “expert” a title: Again, this will help when searching. Ie. “meditation expert,” “mindfulness expert,” “sleep expert,” “TikTok expert,” etc. etc. etc.
I always prefer to conduct an interview over email. If your expert will only speak to me via phone, I will likely find someone else. That could just be me-specific but from my perspective, a phone call = transcribing said phone call. That’s a whole other additional step I now have to do instead of writing the article. I don’t get paid to transcribe. I get paid when I write an article, so, no thanks.
What not to do when pitching an interview
Please don’t expect an answer right away. I save almost every pitch I get, so if something relevant comes up, I will contact you eventually.
Please don’t expect me to pitch something based on your pitch. I have my stories pretty much planned out for the month before the month even starts. While other writers may focus a lot on pitching outlets, I don’t. I have enough to do, so I’m really only looking for what’s relevant to what’s on my plate. Please don’t be offended.
Again, please don’t be offended.
Please, please, please for the love of Cher, don’t agree to an interview and then bail on me. You will fudge up my deadline, my whole week, and I will not. be. happy!
Again, please don’t get offended!
Unrelated things I think you should read
I put together a little bit of light reading—in case you’re interested.
Are You Guilty of the Millennial Pause? Kate Lindsay for The Atlantic
For Sale: The ‘Sexiest’ Hourly Rate Hotel in Manhattan Alex Vadukul for The NY Times
BuzzFeed is apparently downsizing its newsroom and we all missed it? (this is just me editorializing, FYI)
See you next time, pitches.
📣 What are some best practices when it comes to pitching experts? 🤔 DM, comment, or join the subscriber chat—a private place for pitches to prattle—to share 👇🏼
