{"id":1768,"date":"2018-10-16T11:52:53","date_gmt":"2018-10-16T11:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2018\/10\/16\/the-pitch-hate-to-wait-a-marie-claire-editor-answers-pitch-emails-within-48-hours\/"},"modified":"2024-11-18T19:47:42","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T19:47:42","slug":"the-pitch-hate-to-wait-a-marie-claire-editor-answers-pitch-emails-within-48-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2018\/10\/16\/the-pitch-hate-to-wait-a-marie-claire-editor-answers-pitch-emails-within-48-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"Can’t wait? A Marie Claire editor tries to answer pitches within 48 hours"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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Editor Kayla Webley Adler is a freelancer\u2019s dream. She\u2019s willing to gamble on unknown writers if they bring her a great idea. She\u2019s written a detailed guide to pitching that she\u2019ll share with anyone who asks. And she responds to every pitch she gets \u2014 usually within 48 hours.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\u201cI\u2019m told that\u2019s rare,\u201d she says. \u201cI find it pretty quick and painless to respond, and I would rather let people know than letting emails sit in my inbox and getting four follow-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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The Pitch<\/h2>\n\n
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In an occasional series, Storyboard examines the elusive art of the story pitch. We talk to writers and editors about their tips, tricks and pet peeves, and annotate some real pitches.<\/p>\n

Read more from The Pitch here<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\t\n<\/div> \n

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That\u2019s not to say it\u2019s easy to land a story with Marie Claire, the women\u2019s glossy that mixes lifestyle advice with tough topics and international stories. Adler, who edits feature-well stories and shorter articles for the magazine\u2019s News Feed section<\/a>, has herself written about everything from sex trafficking in North Dakota<\/a> to a Cleveland fertility clinic<\/a> that destroyed thousands of eggs and embryos, and has edited stories on the wives of ISIS fighters<\/a> and girls fleeing Boko Haram.<\/a><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Kayla Webley Adler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div> \n
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Below, Adler shares her approach with Storyboard. That is followed by the annotation of a pitch from freelancer Sarah Stankorb that led to \u201cThe Daughters\u2019 Great Escape<\/a>,\u201d<\/strong> a feature about women freeing themselves from Christian patriarchy. As you\u2019ll see, the pitch evolved through a series of email exchanges as Adler helped shape and sharpen the focus.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Fingers crossed that she can keep up her response rate once these tips get out! Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Storyboard: What differentiates Marie Claire from other women\u2019s magazines, like Cosmopolitan, Elle and Glamour?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Adler:<\/strong> Marie Claire was been around for more than 100 years worldwide. When it was founded in the U.S. 24 years ago, its mission was to be a fashion and beauty title that also does serious, hard-hitting and often international features. We joke internally that our readers like their spinach with their swimsuit coverage. Every year, there\u2019s an article about how women\u2019s magazines are now doing politics. We\u2019re thinking, \u201cOK, but we\u2019ve always done this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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What kinds of stories are you looking for in the News Feed section?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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This section is a challenge, because we always want stories to feel compelling and urgent, but we have a long lead time. As a result, it\u2019s helpful to hear from writers before the news has happened. For example, maybe a women\u2019s organization has gotten a law passed in a certain country, but it hasn\u2019t been enacted yet and isn\u2019t news here.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Every month we open with a Q&A of 750-1,000 words, usually with newsmakers or women who\u2019ve found themselves at the center of a news storm. Our conversations have included the ex-wife of the Orlando gay nightclub shooter<\/a> to conservative radio host Tomi Lahren<\/a> when she was fired for her pro-choice stance to (Illinois Sen.) Tammy Duckworth<\/a> when she returned to office full-time with her infant in arms. We\u2019re looking for \u201cgets\u201d and trying to lock people into somewhat exclusive interviews, which is a challenge since we\u2019re asking them not to talk for four months in a 24\/7 news cycle. So when you pitch, don\u2019t just say you\u2019re interested in interviewing someone; explain how you would approach her and why you might stand a better chance at access.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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\u2026when you pitch, don\u2019t just say you\u2019re interested in interviewing someone; explain how you would approach her and why you might stand a better chance at access.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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The rest of the section is small items (200-300 words) from all over the world, with a mix of geographic diversity and subject matter. The Genius column, which is 150 words, has the tagline, \u201cOne woman, one brilliant idea.\u201d It breaks down her inspiration, compelling statistics, her idea and measurable results.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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What makes a good Marie Claire feature? Walk me through some of the archetypes and some examples of each.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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There\u2019s no topic I think wouldn\u2019t work, as long as it pertains to and includes women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s. It doesn\u2019t have to be newsy. A lot of stories have this model: Here\u2019s a problem that affects women, and here are the women doing something about it. You have the big serious thing you should care about, but also an element of hope. Keep in mind that our lead time is four months. Our features are 2000-2,500 words, but they often run longer.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Here are some of the archetypes:<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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