You’re a writer. You know this because you went to school for it or you have a long history of writing and getting published in a variety of places. You’ve been trying to get into the Huffington Post for a while now, but haven’t had much luck. This article will teach you how to write an email that gets you published in the Huffington Post.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Crafting a compelling subject line is crucial for grabbing the editor’s attention. |
| Personalize your email to show your familiarity with the Huffington Post’s content. |
| Clearly express your unique angle or story idea in a concise and engaging manner. |
| Showcase your expertise and credentials to establish credibility in your pitch. |
| Follow the submission guidelines and tailor your pitch to match the platform’s style. |
| Persistence can pay off; don’t be discouraged by initial rejections, keep refining. |
| Proofread and edit your email to ensure professionalism and error-free communication. |
| Building relationships with editors through networking can improve your chances. |
| Always be respectful and professional in your communication with the editorial team. |
| Provide value by suggesting how your content aligns with the Huffington Post’s goals. |
1. Keep It Short And Sweet
When submitting a pitch via email, keep your subject line and email brief (no more than one paragraph within the body of the email). That being said, don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. I see a lot of people trying to fit too much into their pitches by using very long emails or submitting long articles that they’ve already written. When it comes to your pitch, less is more. The Huffington Post editors receive hundreds of emails per day, so the shorter and sweeter your message is, the more likely it is that you’ll catch their attention and get published on The Huffington Post.
Crafting compelling emails is crucial for freelance writers looking to succeed. Learn valuable insights from our article on 11 Email Marketing Tips for Freelance Writers to enhance your email game.
2. Have A Clear Point
You’re probably tempted to be vague, right? I know I was. You’re not sure if you can trust the person you’re emailing, and you don’t want to be giving away all your carefully kept secrets. Fair enough, but that doesn’t change the fact that you must have a clear point in your email. You must let them know why they should publish your article, and tell them exactly what you want from them (i.e., publication).
No one likes a surprise ending or finding out something important on the last page of a book or article (that’s why it’s called burying the lede), so make sure your main point is in the first paragraph. If it isn’t, then reorder things so that it is.
3. Use An Enticing Headline For Your Email
The key to reeling in your reader is a headline that catches them off guard and makes them want to read on. You can capture the attention of your readers by making your headlines shocking, informative, or inspirational. Here’s a quick breakdown of each:
Shocking Headlines; These are headlines that are so unbelievable that you just have to check out what’s inside. They evoke curiosity and shock the reader into reading on. Example: “Does This One Weird Trick Work?”
Informative Headlines; These headlines convey information about what will be discussed in the article, usually in brief points. This tells the reader exactly what they can expect from reading on and leaves little possibility for surprises once they get there. Example: “5 Ways To Make Money From Home While Raising A Family” or “10 Tips For Traveling For Less!”
Inspirational Headlines (my favorite!); Along with evoking curiosity, these headlines make the reader feel good while they read it – which is great when you want them to continue reading all the way through! I like to use these when I pitch ideas because they invoke positive emotion alongside intrigue and make me seem more likable as a writer (to myself at least). Example: “If You Can Do These 7 Things Each Day, You Will Live A Happier Life!”
Want to stand out as an email marketer? Discover the clever trick that successful email marketers utilize to capture attention and engage their audience effectively.
4. Do Some Research Beforehand
Before you send your email, do some research on the publication you’re reaching out to. Get familiar with the topics that are covered and the style of writing. Take a look at previous articles to see what kind of content does well on the site. Most publications have guidelines for submitting content somewhere on their website or social media accounts. Here are a few things to keep in mind when doing research:
- Blog frequently. If your favorite publication accepts submissions from bloggers it may be helpful to start your blog first, as it will give editors an idea of what they can expect from you as a writer.
- Pay attention to deadlines. Many publications accept submissions only once a month or every few months and some do not at all unless they reach out directly to you as a guest blogger.
- Get familiar with who you’re pitching to by following the publications and their editors on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
- Read through the guidelines carefully, there are usually instructions about who best to contact with your submission information and what kind of article they’re looking for at that time (e.g., articles about parenting tips during summer vacation).
5. Show Your Work To Others Before You Hit Send
So you’ve written the perfect email and hit send. Now what?
Well, you wait. But before that, let’s go back to step one: proofread. You’d be surprised how many people overlook this step, but it’s essential for ensuring your email looks professional as well as maintaining a positive relationship with your contacts. (The fact that you’re reading this article is also a good sign that you don’t overlook proofreading!)
Proofread at least twice before sending and better yet, ask for a second opinion! Having someone else read through your email will help catch any spelling or grammatical errors that might have slipped past your eyes. Additionally, asking for feedback on the subject line can ensure it doesn’t get buried in your contact’s inbox.
And finally, ask for feedback on the content of the email itself are there points or questions that are unclear? Are you making assumptions about what they know?. If so, try providing some additional context and information to avoid any confusion later on down the road when it comes time to publish your article.
Your email subject line can make or break your campaign’s success. Learn how to create epic email subject lines that entice recipients to open your emails and engage with your content.
6. Research The Editor You’re Pitching To
One of the biggest mistakes that first-time contributors make is sending their article to someone’s general email address. By doing this, you’re simply hoping that some editor will see your pitch and think it’s a good fit for their publication.
Unfortunately, you likely won’t get any response at all. Instead, do your research and find out who the editor is for the section of Huffington Post that fits best with your article topic. Find their contact information using Google or by checking out their social media profiles or personal website (if they have one).
Another way to find an editor’s contact information is by reading articles in the section you plan to submit. At the end of each article on The Huffington Post website, there is an “About” box with a picture of the author and a link to more articles they’ve written. If you click on this link, you’ll typically be taken to an archive page where they’ve published all of their past articles for that publication.
Most editors also have a bio below their picture that includes links to other places where they contribute content online (like LinkedIn or Medium) check these links out as well! Once you’ve found your target editor’s contact information and Twitter handle or other social media profile addresses, it’s time to start researching them so you know exactly what kind
7. Focus On The Content And The Editor
Focus on the editor and the content you’re pitching, even if it’s your first interaction with the editor. In other words, don’t mention that others have been published on HuffPo, or that you’ve been published elsewhere. Don’t mention how much traffic the site gets. This isn’t about impressing them with your list of accomplishments it’s about getting to know each other around a potential collaboration. But it’s still important to be kind and friendly! Editors are busy people who deal with many different people every day; being nice goes a long way in building good relationships.
8. Pitch Your Story Idea, Not Yourself
Notice that most of the people who seemed to be getting published on the Huffington Post and in other top-tier publications weren’t talking about their accomplishments, but rather the story itself. They were pitching a compelling narrative, not their value or their credentials.
You see, there’s a lot of competition out there. Everyone thinks they have a great idea that deserves to be published somewhere big, and you probably do too. So to stand out from all those other writers pitching their stories, you need to stop talking about yourself and start talking about your story instead.
The more you focus on telling your idea and sharing details about what makes it unique and interesting, the easier it will be for someone else to understand why your article would make a great addition to their publication’s lineup of content.
Email marketing is a valuable tool for freelancers, but it requires the right approach. Dive into our guide on Email Marketing for Freelancers to discover strategies that can help you leverage email marketing effectively in your freelance journey.
9. Don’t Attach Your Article
Please, do not attach your article to the email unless we have specifically asked you to do so. We may have already reviewed your article and decided that it is not a good fit for the website. Or, if we haven’t reviewed the article yet, we may not be interested in reading it and would rather hear what you are proposing via email instead of having to click on an attachment.
Additionally, it can be difficult for editors to open attachments from sources they aren’t familiar with, especially if there is a risk that doing so could cause harm to their computer. Plus, executive editor Liz Heron says that sometimes her computer doesn’t know how to read documents sent as attachments in a particular format. The result? She has to spend time googling how she can open them or downloading software just so she can read your pitch!
Furthermore, many editors are working from mobile devices or checking their email at odd hours of the day remember when I said above that emails sent at night on Wednesday had higher response rates? This means they might not be able to open attachments while away from their desks.
10. Include A Strong Lede
This is the first thing that catches your reader’s attention, so make it good. For example: “Find out what happens when I eat one piece of chocolate every day for a month.” Starting with an interesting and compelling lede will make readers want to read more. This can be a question like, “Ever wonder how people get published on The Huffington Post?” or even an anecdote like, “I find myself living out the lyrics of Taylor Swift songs…”
11. Start (And Stay) Professional
Remember to be polite, courteous, and professional at all times, even if you’re being rejected. This is the type of attitude that will get you published by the Huffington Post or any other publication. You should also be patient and give your pitch time to settle in before following up.
Keep your emails short, sweet, and easy to digest while avoiding negative language such as “sorry” or “unfortunately.” This is a great habit to develop whether you’re pitching a publication or not!
Getting clients to recognize the value of your freelance email marketing services can be challenging. Learn effective techniques from our article on how to get clients to pay you for freelance email marketing and establish your worth in the industry.
Final thoughts
By taking a few minutes to follow these steps, you can dramatically increase your chances of getting published in The Huffington Post. In as few words as possible, make your pitch. Short and sweet is the name of the game here. Explain why you’re reaching out to them specifically, and why they should publish you (if they haven’t heard of you before). If they have heard of you before or if they asked you to contact them a simple reminder will do.
Also, include a brief but compelling headline for your post the editor may use this as the title. Writing a good headline requires some thought upfront, but it’ll make you stand out from other pitches in their inbox.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further enhance your understanding of contributing to the Huffington Post:
How to Contribute to the Huffington Post: A step-by-step guide on how to become a contributor and share your insights on the platform.
HuffPost’s Guide on How to Pitch: Learn about the best practices for pitching your ideas effectively to Huffington Post editors.
Getting Your News into the Huffington Post: Explore strategies for getting your news and stories featured on the Huffington Post and expanding your reach.
People Also Ask
What Should I Write About?
The first thing to know is that there’s no one right answer. You should write about whatever you’re most passionate about, or whatever experience you have that you think will be interesting for others to read about. If you want to write about something specific, like [topic], then make sure to include that in your email so your pitch isn’t rejected because it doesn’t fit the publication’s editorial focus.
What should my email title be?
Your email title is your first chance to make a good impression on the editors of The Huffington Post. We recommend something like “Fruit-Flavored Gum: The Best Way to Chew Your Way to Weight Loss” or “Why I Love My Dog More Than You.”
How Should I Format My Email?
We recommend using the same formatting as any other article you’re submitting, which means using bold, italics and underlines judiciously. If you use ALL CAPS it will probably be ignored by our editors because this is not a good way to communicate with people who have been trained in the art of reading.
How Do I Get Published?
Many outlets accept direct pitches from writers who haven’t previously been published professionally. To find publications looking for more content and determine which ones are a good fit for your work, use the information provided by sites like Contently (which is free) and MediaBistro (which costs money) to search for journals that may publish pieces similar to yours or that are currently accepting submissions (just type “submission” into the search bar).
Do You Have Any Tips For Writing An Email That Gets Published?
Write a compelling subject line that makes your email stand out from the crowd (and make sure it’s relevant to the topic of your blog post). Write with the knowledge that you’re not just writing for yourself: you’re writing for everyone who reads your blog post. And remember that your words are going to be read by people who don’t know anything about your life or its limitations or advantages so make sure that you’re addressing them as if they were strangers!
How Do I Know If My Story Is A Good Fit For The Huffington Post?
The best way to find out if your story is a good fit for the Huffington Post is to read through some of their articles and see if it resonates with what you like about their content. If you find yourself saying “I wish I could write like this!” or “This would be so much easier if I had some help!” then it might be a good fit for you.
How Do I Figure Out What Kind Of Article They Want?
The best way to figure out what kind of article they want is to read through some of their articles and see what topics are covered frequently throughout their site. For example, if they have a lot of recipes but not many news stories or political pieces, then maybe they want more food-related content from readers like yourself.
How Do I Write An Email That Gets Me Published In The Huffington Post?
The first step is to make sure you’re writing a good email. If your email is not written well, you can’t expect it to be published. Make sure you’re using correct spelling and grammar, and that your sentence structure makes sense. Then, focus on making sure your content is interesting and relevant to the publication’s readership. It’s also important to be concise when writing your email the shorter it is, the better.
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!
