The Do's and Don'ts of Cold Calling

I thought I'd take some time today to discuss the Do's and Don'ts of Cold Calling. I think that writers often get mixed signals when reading books or articles on the subject of freelancing, and what is labeled as "acceptable" or "unacceptable" when pitching to editor. Although cold calling is acceptable at some magazines, it is important to adhere to the following steps both before calling an editor, or when making the call:

Be Courteous. The most important step when cold calling an editor is to be courteous. If an editor tells you that he or she would rather receive a pitch and/or clips via email as opposed to over the phone, don't continue trying to pitch your story. I have read articles and books where writers give anecdotes about how they argued with an editor, telling the editor why the article should be assigned, and then writer ends up receiving an assignment. It is a rare occasion that an editor will assign an article to a writer that argues with them. If you do choose the route of arguing with an editor (which I don't advise doing), be sure to have the sense of backing yourself up. If the editor is persistent that your story isn't what he or she is looking for, thank the editor for his or her time, and hang up. I have had writers argue with me.Usually when this occurs, I ask them to send their pitch and clips via email—and then I never hear from them again.

Don't Waste the Editor's Time. This brings me to my next piece of advice: when pitching to an editor over the phone, don't waste their time. Get straight to the point of telling them why you're calling, have your pitch ready, as well as info on who you plan on interviewing, and why you're the perfect person to write the article (just like you'd do in a query letter). Most editors are expecting that you will have this information ready, as they only have a five minute time frame to speak with writers over the phone.

Don't Waste Your Own Time. Most magazines have writer's guidelines listed on their websites. If guidelines aren't listed on the magazine's website, books like the Writer's Market and websites like mediabistro.com often give insight to what editors are looking for as well as what departments and sections of the magazine they don't want writer's to pitch ideas for. Although Writer's Market is very expensive, and many websites like Mediabistro may require a membership to join, doing some research ahead of time online or by reading can be worth the time and money invested, as opposed to spending time planning a pitch to an editor over the phone, only to realize the editor won't take your call.

Don't Ask the Editor How Much They'll Pay You. Again, if you read a copy of the Writer's Market, or do some research on the internet, there are many writing websites (or the magazine's website) where you can find out a general ballpark of how much the magazine you're pitching to pays. Most editors won't discuss pay with you until the article has been assigned, and it is often considered bad manners to ask how much you'll be paid before the article has even been assigned. If the pay isn't what you had hoped once the article is assigned, you have the option of negotiating for a higher rate or cancelling the agreement.

Don't Hound the Editor. If you pitch an idea over the phone, and they say they'll get back to you, don't call them on a daily basis. Most magazines receive hundreds of queries a month, and are busy doing other things as well, such as editing the magazine. It is OK to follow up within a month, of course, if you still haven't heard anything.

Hopefully these tips will give both beginner and seasoned freelancers some insight onto what often appeals to an editor when pitching stories to them over the phone. As someone who has been on both sides, I understand the frustrations that both editors and freelancers face.