Thread: Mail on Sunday

I pitched an article idea to the Mail on Sunday today. They're really nice there, very friendly, but they're thinking about it (newspaper speak, I guess, for, um, no!).

Has anyone been successful pitching to any of the national newspapers recently?

The newspapers in the UK may be different from the newspapers in the US, so this may not help at all.

Newspapers, even the national ones, generally are not interested in ideas. They want articles. Did you tell them you were ready to send the completed article immediately? That's what they want to hear, and the completed article is what they want to see. Then they will tell you plainly yes or no.

You don't say how much experience you have writing for newspapers on the local level. That's where you learn.

Yeah, I see what you mean, though I'm lucky that i know them well enough to pitch ideas - I've a lonnngggggg apprenticeship behind me, lol.

It was more a general chat to see how receptive people feel national newspapers are for articles right now.

My experience may have no relevance to your situation at all. In over 50 years I've never sold an idea to a newspaper, but thinking about it I realise I've never pitched an idea to a newspaper. I've pitched ideas to magazines, successfully, but it never occurred to me to send anything but finished product to a newspaper or wire service.

If you have an inside track with the Sunday Mail I'd say you are ahead of the game, but I also suggest you don't sit idly by and wait for them to call you. Turn your idea into hard copy, preferably with photos attached, and hit them with that. For me the visual has always been of near equal importance to writing in telling a story. Develop your eye for photography, and learn the craft of rapid but accurate pencil sketching.

Don't stretch that apprenticeship out too long, otherwise you'll hear people say 'he's the hope of the future - always has been, always will be' and that can be deadly for the success of your own future. The best apprenticeship is to go to a place where people are shooting at one another. From there, if you have any writing ability at all, you'll find someone to buy your stuff. Or go to a place like Japan and write about disaster, but don't write what everyone else there is writing. Find your own angles.

And dismiss, if you like, the ramblings of an old man.

I don't for one moment believe they are ramblings, you're very astute!

I enjoy writing for newspapers (they do pay well), but I'm no journalist. I pitch to newspapers about once a month, and sometimes I'm lucky, and sometimes I'm not. But that's okay. It's kind of comfortable that way.

In addition, I write a long running weekly lifestyle column in the local paper, have further columns and articles in magazines, a regular spot on BBC local radio, a book out and I'm just signing a contract with a publisher to write a second.

I think, for the time being, I'll avoid places where people are shooting at one another and just plod on here. It's probably safer

No doubt safer, but not nearly so much fun. You've not really lived till you're caught in the crossfire between the freedom fighters and the troops belonging to the President for Life.

But you make a good point, and obviously have a well-ordered and successful writing life without all the noise. That's good.