PR pitch email tailored to each journalist
Journalists delete most pitches after the subject line because they are not news, or not for their beat. This prompt has your todo.is agent read a reporter's recent articles, find the angle that fits what they cover, and write a short PR pitch email with the news, why it matters to their readers, and what you can offer: data, a spokesperson or images.
The prompt
- Write a PR pitch email to [JOURNALIST NAME AND PUBLICATION]. Read their last 10 articles and summarize their beat in 2 lines. My news: [YOUR NEWS IN ONE SENTENCE]. Why it matters now: [TIMELY HOOK]. What I can offer: [ASSETS YOU CAN OFFER]. Write a pitch under 150 words: a subject line under 9 words that says the news, a first line that connects to one of their recent articles, the news and 2 or 3 key facts, and an offer of an interview. No attachments in the first email, just a link to [PRESS KIT LINK]. Also write a one-line follow-up for 4 days later. List 5 more journalists at other outlets who cover the same topic, with links to their recent articles. Save the pitch as a Gmail draft.
What to change
- [JOURNALIST NAME AND PUBLICATION]: E.g. "Rachel Adams, small business reporter at the Riverton Herald".
- [YOUR NEWS IN ONE SENTENCE]: E.g. "our bakery now runs on 100% food waste-free production" or "we launched a free app for tenants".
- [TIMELY HOOK]: E.g. "a new local law on food waste starts in January" or "survey results".
- [ASSETS YOU CAN OFFER]: E.g. "interview with the founder, our own data from 300 customers, photos of the kitchen".
- [PRESS KIT LINK]: A link to your press page or a shared folder with photos and facts.
Example result
- Journalist notes
- • Rachel covers small businesses and the local economy, often with a "how they did it" angle
- • Two weeks ago she wrote about rising food costs for local restaurants
- The pitch
- Subject: Bakery cuts food waste to zero before new law
- Hi Rachel,
- Your piece on rising food costs for Riverton restaurants made me think you might like this.
- Crumbly, a 12-person bakery on Mill Street, has cut its food waste to zero in six months, three months before the new city food waste rules start in January.
- • Unsold bread goes into next-day bread pudding and croutons, now 15% of sales
- • The rest goes to two local shelters every evening
- • The bakery saved enough on waste fees to hire a new apprentice
- Owner Grace Mensah is happy to talk about what worked and what did not, and other small food businesses could copy it.
- Photos and figures are here: crumbly.co/press
- Would an interview this week be useful?
- Best,
- Theo Banks
- 07700 900456
- Follow-up (4 days later)
- Hi Rachel, quick follow-up in case this is useful before the January rules. Grace is free Thursday or Friday.
- Pitch rules journalists appreciate
- • One pitch, one journalist. No mass CC, no "Dear Editor"
- • The news goes in the subject line
- • No attachments in the first email (they get filtered); links are fine
- • Never pitch the same story to two reporters at the same outlet
- • Note: the figures above are example numbers. Use your own verified facts
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the journalist, your news and your hook in the [brackets].
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on Slack or WhatsApp.
- Your agent reads the reporter's articles, writes the pitch and follow-up, and suggests 5 more journalists.
- Send the pitch yourself. For each extra journalist, run the to-do again so every pitch is personal.
Tips for a better result
- Ask yourself "why would their readers care this week?" If you cannot answer, it is not a pitch yet.
- Mention their own work in one line, honestly. It shows you are not mass-mailing.
- Offer something they cannot get elsewhere: your own data, an exclusive, a person to interview.
- Pitch Tuesday to Thursday mornings, and send news before it is old, not after your launch.
PR pitch email: FAQ
- How long should a PR pitch email be? Under 200 words, and often closer to 150. The subject line and first two lines need to carry the story.
- How do I find the right journalist to pitch? Look for reporters who covered a similar topic in the last few months. Your agent can search the web and list them with links to their articles.
- Should I attach a press release to a pitch? Usually not in the first email. Put the key facts in the email and link to a press page with the release and photos.
- How often should I follow up with a journalist? Once, a few days later, is usually enough. If there is no answer, pitch a different reporter or a new angle.
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