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.

在本实用指南中，我们收集了六位不同科学编辑的建议科学，，，，BBC Focus Magazine，，，，New Scientist， 这Mail and Guardianandscidev.net。

遵循本指南的建议将增加使您的故事接受编辑的机会。其中一些建议是针对科学新闻业的，但大多数也与其他类型的新闻业有关。

做你的作业
Match your pitch to the publication’s content	Find out what the publication wants and needs. You may not know the editor’ s personal preferences, but you can easily find out what types of stories the paper or magazine typically runs. If it never publishes Q&As, don’t pitch one. If it runs mostly opinions or columns, pitch one of those.
Stick to its style	使用与出版物风格保持一致的语言。阅读其几个故事，以了解其风格和方法。
Be unique and fresh	不要讲一个最近出版物最近出版的故事，或者已经出现在您要播放的插座中 - 始终进行档案搜索以进行检查。如果其他出版的故事与您的故事重叠，请解释什么将使您的作品变得独特而新鲜。
Use the pitching guidelines	索取出版物的推销准则，并确保您密切关注它们。例如，to be considered for publicationonscidev.net，新闻故事应描述一个新的重要成就，科学突破，技术创新，政策决策，政策建议，官方声明或政治行动等。
Make it relevant	在您的球场上，您应该证明自己熟悉出版物的部分，说明您设想出现的作品。例如，意见部分New Scientist。
使其原始	别球场的故事从新闻稿或主要的journals – most media have those covered in-house. Instead pitch from smaller journals and conferences with no press releases.
研究观众	The best pitches have a ‘so what’ sentence or paragraph that outlines why the audience would want to read this story. To include this, you need to find out the characteristics of the outlet’s audience.
背景研究	If your story is about a new piece of research, how does it sit within the existing body of knowledge? Does it represent a major advancement? Or does it conflict with another theory?

Get the content right
Sum it up	提出一个引人入胜的令人兴奋的故事想法。您可以用一句话总结一下吗？即使这个想法尚未完全发展，您也更有可能受到强大的顶级线路。
Narrow it down	Be specific: pitch a story idea, not a general topic.
为什么是新闻？	If you are pitching news, it’s important to clarify immediately why your story is newsworthy. Always pitch new and exclusive stories, and explain what makes them such.
基于其他新闻	Make your pitch relevant to what is already in the news. For example, a story on nutrition in Rwandan hospitals is interesting but why should it be published now? 基于最新报告或在当地卫生部领导层发生变化之后，卢旺达医院营养的故事是一个强大的建议。
使用各种来源	包括一些信息关于你是谁to talk to, demonstrating a mix of independent sources and those involved in the story. Many editors like to see a minimum of two sources, at least one of them independent from the main source.
Watch the detail	Ensure clarity and accuracy. Do a spell check and don’t misspell names in a pitch or get capitalisation wrong.
Keep it short	Editors are extremely busy people, so short and snappy pitches are more likely to be successful.
Keep it simple	避免行话。使用“利益相关者”，“利用”和“可持续对话”之类的词语将使编辑疏远。
你是谁？	If it’s your first time pitching to an editor, include a bit about yourself, your areas of interest and your expertise. 最多可提供指向您以前的作品的三个链接，或者如果新作家，请简要解释为什么您最适合介绍这个故事。

Communicate with the editor
Be friendly and flexible	Be friendly, available and agreeable during the editing process. Be responsive and flexible to the feedback provided by the editor. It will ensure the piece is better and more suited to the outlet.
尊重约定的单词长度	Don’t try to negotiate the word length. The editor has a word limit and a budget, and it is theirs to bestow. Once you have built a good relationship with an editor, it’s okay to ask for more space, but only with justification.
Keep them up to date	保持编辑有关故事的开发的最新信息，尤其是在延迟时。错过没有通知的截止日期将损害关系。
Respect the contract	当您作为自由职业者写作时，编辑本质上是从您那里购买服务。如果您未能提供服务，则您已经为合同做出了作业，并且编辑没有理由向您付款。
Feel free to remind	Do chase editors who haven’t responded to an email within 24 hours, but don’t overdo it. An editor will be glad to be reminded if they have genuinely forgotten something, but remember that they are dealing with many other stories.
电子邮件or phone call?	编辑每天可以收到数百封电子邮件，因此请注意。有些人更喜欢电话，尤其是如果故事已经被委托，这可能有利于建立更好的工作关系。但是其他人更喜欢电子邮件，因此找出他们的偏好。
有时会议是最好的	一些编辑喜欢面对面。如果您是第一次取得联系，请尝试进行面对面的会议，因为您将对他们想要的东西有了更好的了解。这对于诸如功能之类的大型作品可能特别有用。
Get the tone right	不要光顾编辑。他们也是专家，并且要注意这将确保您不会走错方面。

Polish your pitch
Respect deadlines	Your editor is working towards deadlines within their own outlet. The deadlines they provide you with exist for good reasons – keep to them.
现实点	Rather than pitching to a well-known publication if you’re inexperienced or unknown, try writing for some lesser-known publications first to build up your portfolio.
坚持委员会	Don’t change a story’s angle or scope once the pitch has been agreed without notifying the editor. If you think you have suddenly discovered a much better story, don’t hesitate to call the editor and propose the change – they might be happy to consider a new angle.
一个出版物的音调	Don’t pitch the same idea to multiple publications at the same time. Editors will be annoyed if they see the same idea in a rival publication.
语言	Don’t pitch a story in a particular language if you’re not at least pretty good at writing in that language. It’s okay if you’re not a native speaker as editors can clean up your grammar and style. But they have to be able to understand you.

Tailor it for multimedia
Address the format	Make sure you pick a story that works well as a multimedia piece. Audio, video and photos add perspective and a human dimension to your piece, so you need to be able to convey this aspect through capturing the right visuals, ambient sounds or just letting the voice of your interviewees express their personality and views. So when you pitch a multimedia story, mention why this story needs to be told in that particular format. If you’re not sure, don’t pitch it.
Cover the details	描述材料的细节：视觉效果，什么声音以及您打算使用的设备。编辑人员将有不同的质量要求，但最重要的是，他们希望看到您在图像和声音中思考。
保持直接	使故事尽可能简单：多媒体生产中最重要的结构是至关重要的，否则观众会分散注意力。图像和声音需要工作以使故事更加强大，但是如果您的叙述令人困惑，它们将无法实现这一目标。
Have the right kit	如果您没有基本设备来完成它，请不要宣传多媒体。例如，用手机拍摄的照片通常不够高，并且录音机不足以录制广播质量的声音。

音高清单
	Contact details- 确保您的联系方式在顶部以备快速参考。
	Timing and location– when and where did, or will, the story break? Is there an embargo?
	封面- 通过提供可以在封面或电子邮件主题上进行的引人入胜的摘要来简化编辑的工作。
	Suggested headline- 总结文章背后的想法或提供建议的标题。
	100-word summary– sum up the concept in no more than 100 words. You could even suggest an intro. Use lively language to make your pitch stand out from the crowd.
	角度- 如果您与故事有独特的角度，请确保清楚地解释它。例如，您的作品会回答什么问题？
	研究- 提供研究的链接，以方便参考。
	Press release/journal article- 如果故事基于其中的一个，请提供链接或附件。
	Page furniture- 如果适当的话，建议的框，图表或图形。
	受访者– list scientists and experts you plan to interview.
	文件夹– include examples of your work.
	Sell yourself- 在您的资格上包括您自己的网站URL或一行，以说服他们为什么要雇用您。
	如果受命，请获得书面协议 -他们是否为文章或单词率支付统一费用？什么是付款条款？什么时候截止日期？其他条款和条件是什么？

该实用指南是以下贡献者的建议汇编：

Inga Vesper:News editor atscidev.net。@keeping_cool
Jheni Osman：前编辑BBC Focus Magazine，，，，and now a freelance science writer, author and presenter.@Jheniosman
Lou del Bello：多媒体journalist and producer atscidev.net。@LouDelBello
Martin Enserink:Contributing editor for科学杂志，专门研究传染病，全球健康和政策。他编辑大部分科学’s European coverage.@martinenserink
Mićo Tatalović：前新闻编辑scidev.net，现在的环境beplay足球体育的微博和生命科学新闻编辑New Scientistmagazine.@MTatalovic
Sarah Wild:科学编辑Mail & Guardianin South Africa.@sarahemilywild