Freelance Journalism Skill

A compact, end-to-end guide for freelance journalists: pitching, angle development, writing in AP style, and post-pitch protocol.

Instructions

1. Decide the request type

User says...	This section
"query letter," "pitch to [publication]," "what to send editors"	Query & Pitch
"story angle," "how to frame this," "what's new here"	Angle
"write this up," "news article," "AP style," "edit this draft"	Writing
"editor hasn't replied," "got rejected," "no response"	After the pitch

2. Query & Pitch

Freelance query letter template:

Subject: Pitch: [Compelling one-line headline]

Dear [Editor name or "Editor"],

[Opening hook — the single most intriguing detail or question from your story]

[What the story is, who it's about, what you'll show]

[Why now — news hook or timely angle]

[What you have — confirmed sources, access secured, documents obtained]

[Why this publication — how it fits their coverage/audience]

[Why you — relevant clips, expertise, access]

I estimate [word count] words and can deliver in [timeframe].

Thank you for your consideration.

[Your name]
[Brief bio — one line]
[2-3 clip links or portfolio URL]
[Phone] | [Email]

Quick rules:

• Subject line: short, specific, no "Query:" prefix
• Body: 3-5 short paragraphs (200 words max)
• Pitch only ONE story per email
• Never send generic copy-paste queries
• Follow every publication's submission guidelines exactly

Pitch types at a glance:

Type	Hook focus	Length
News pitch	Timeliness, who/when	2-3 sentences
Feature pitch	Human angle, narrative	1 paragraph + supporting
Investigation	Stakes, evidence you have	1 page max
Op-ed pitch	Argument, why now, your credential	3 short paragraphs

3. Angle

The "so what" test — answer all four before pitching:

• Why this story? (significance)
• Why now? (timeliness/news hook)
• Why you? (access, expertise, angle)
• Why this outlet? (audience fit)

Topic vs. Angle:

Topic (broad)	Angle (specific human story)
Homelessness	The family on the housing waitlist for 3 years
Climate change	The town already moving because of rising seas
Healthcare costs	The insulin price that tripled while the patent was extended
Education	The teacher who spent $10k of her own money on supplies

Angle brainstorm questions:

• What's the conflict? Who's fighting whom?
• What's the surprise? What won't readers expect?
• What's the emotion? What will readers feel?
• What's the question? What don't we know?

Can you explain it in one dinner-table sentence? If not, sharpen it.

4. Writing (AP Style essentials)

Lede — inverted pyramid (35 words or fewer):

Who + what + when + where + why (if known) + how (if relevant)

Good: "A fire killed three people in Northeast Philadelphia early Tuesday." Bad: "The city council, which has been debating for months, voted Tuesday night..."

Numbers:

• Spell out one through nine ("three witnesses")
• Numerals for 10+ ("15 people")
• Numerals for ages, percentages, addresses, money always
• Never start a sentence with a numeral

Attribution:

• Use "said" — not "stated," "remarked," "noted"
• Attribution goes after the quote, not before
• Break at natural pauses

Dates & times:

• Months abbreviated: Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. (not March, April, May, June, July)
• Times: 9 a.m., no commas; noon/midnight (not 12 p.m.)
• Days: capitalize ("Tuesday"), never abbreviate

Common swaps:

Use	Not
more than	over (quantities)
fewer	less (countable)
less	fewer (mass nouns)
that	which (restrictive clauses)
which	that (non-restrictive clauses)

Headlines:

• Sentence case, not title case
• No periods at end
• Present tense for past events, infinitive for future

Paragraphs:

• 1-3 sentences each
• One idea per paragraph
• Break long quotes across paragraphs

5. After the pitch

If accepted:

1. Confirm deadline, word count, edit process
2. Confirm kill fee (for freelance)
3. Get editor's preferred contact method
4. Ask about style guide, multimedia needs

If rejected:

1. Ask for brief feedback (politely)
2. Ask if a different angle would work
3. Keep the relationship warm for next time

If silence:

1. Follow up once after 1-2 weeks
2. If still nothing, pitch elsewhere (unless exclusive)
3. Don't take it personally — editors are overwhelmed

Example

User says: "Help me write a query letter about a local mayor who's been taking donations from developers while voting on zoning changes."

Skill does:

Subject: Pitch: Mayor's developer donations and zoning votes

Dear Editor,

Last month, Mayor Lisa Chen voted to approve a downtown rezoning that will allow a 12-story condo tower — three days after she received $5,000 in campaign contributions from the developer's wife.

Over the past year, I've found that Chen has accepted $42,000 from developers whose projects she's voted on, raising questions about whether the city's ethics rules are sufficient to prevent conflicts of interest. The state ethics commission is reviewing a complaint I helped file.

This fits [Publication]'s local government accountability coverage, especially your recent series on campaign finance. I've been following municipal politics for [Outlet] for two years and have Chen's voting record and contribution data in hand.

I estimate 1,800 words and can deliver in 10 days.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Your name]
Freelance reporter covering municipal politics
[clip link 1] | [clip link 2]
555-0123 | you@email.com

When NOT to use this skill

• The user is writing fiction, not journalism
• Requests for data analysis or statistical reporting without narrative
• Academic papers or scholarly publishing
• Technical documentation or how-to guides (non-journalistic)
• Press releases (use PR copywriting instead)
• Social media posts (unless news-related and tied to a larger story)
• Poetry or creative nonfiction that isn't news-driven
• If the user explicitly just wants a grammar check with no structural advice