How To Follow Up on Your Pitch
Jul 02, 2025 12:00 pm
Good morning, !
Last week, I got together with members of my Writing Practice community for a pop-up session designed to help us find and organize the half-finished writing projects hiding in our files.
For each project, we identified the working headline, objective, and theme. We also evaluated its status, labeling each piece as a rough draft, working draft, or polished draft. We then identified each piece as a high, medium, or low priority, and assigned deadlines where necessary.
Our goal for the session was to start moving those neglected pieces from partially finished to published.
I found several articles hidden in the dusty corners of my Google Drive, and so I'll be offering this pop-up session to my community twice a year so we can make sure that we all finish what we start.
Today, I'm sharing one of the polished pieces I unearthed during this pop-up session. The piece offers some advice (and scripts) to help you follow up on your pitch without being a nuisance.
Read on!
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How To Follow Up on Your Pitch
You pitched an article to a business magazine or association publication, and you’re eager to get the piece published so you can share it with the prospective client whose question inspired your article.
But now you have to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
With each passing day, you lose a bit more confidence. You start to question whether you should even bother following up with the editor, since they clearly aren’t interested.
But following up is an essential part of the pitch process.
Unfortunately, knowing it is essential doesn’t make it any less stressful. How do you follow up? How often? When? If the editor hasn’t gotten back to you already, doesn’t that mean that they aren’t interested? Do I really need to follow up?
Why do you need to follow up on your pitch?
When you pitch your article, I recommend including a line at the bottom that says you will follow up with the editor in 10 days if you don’t hear back from them.
Now it’s time to keep that commitment.
By doing so, you demonstrate to your editor (and yourself) that you keep your word and take your commitments seriously.
But following up on your pitch it isn’t just about keeping your word.
If you’ve ever had an overflowing inbox, you know how easy it is to miss or forget about an email. You get busy or bombarded with even more emails than usual, and the emails you intend to respond to today are pushed further and further down the page. It’s something all of us have experienced at one time or another. And editors? Well, they get a ton of email.
Even the most responsive editors sometimes need a reminder or two or three. Give them the benefit of the doubt that they are acting in good faith and doing their best. After all, they could be sick, on vacation, or on leave. In a situation where you can tell yourself all sorts of stories to explain their behavior, choose a kind one — and never shame an editor for not responding to you.
How do you follow up?
Following up does not make you a nuisance. When done well, following up is a way to build a relationship with your editor. Be polite, persistent, and respectful. Forward the original query to ensure the editor has all the information they need at their fingertips. Don’t make them dig through their inbox to find your pitch. Keep your follow-up succinct. You already pitched them, so you don’t have to do it again. Finally, let them know when you will follow up next — typically a week later.
Here’s a simple script for your follow-up email:
“Have you had a chance to review my pitch? I’ve included it below for your reference. Please let me know if you have any questions. I’ll check in again if I haven’t heard back by [DATE].”
Aggressive follow-ups, whether they are too frequent, across too many platforms, or with too many people (like the entire masthead) will get you blacklisted. Treat your editor the way you would want to be treated.
When do you stop following up?
How many times you follow up will depend on how important the publication is to you. For a publication you really want to write for, you may want to send the pitch and then follow up four times. For other publications, send the pitch and follow up twice. There’s no wrong answer, so use your discretion.
On the final follow-up email, include a deadline:
“If I don’t hear back from you by [DATE], I’ll assume you’re not interested and will pitch the piece elsewhere.”
That gives you and your editor an easy out — and it keeps the door open so you can pitch the editor again at a later time.
Following up is an important part of the pitch process, and if it isn’t something you’ve had to do a lot, it can feel a bit intimidating. If you follow the steps above, you’ll be able to follow up with confidence and use the process to build a relationship with your future editor.
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AI Disclosure Statement
I used LanguageTool, an AI-based grammar checker, to review this email newsletter. In the future, I will use Claude to repurpose the article into a video script, carousel, and text-based post for LinkedIn.
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Upcoming Events
Pitched to Published™
Interested in learning how to write, pitch, and publish articles for high-visibility publications? Join me next week, Wednesday, July 9, at 11:55 AM Eastern, for a mini-training on how to overcome writer's block, followed by a Q+A. I host this free, public event every month. Register here.
Master Class: How to Write for High-Visibility Publications
In this free 60-minute master class, I will share the SILVA Method™ and walk you step-by-step through the process I use to help my clients secure bylines in publications like Harvard Business Review, Inc., and TD Magazine. I host these events every other month. Join me for the next master class on Wednesday, August 13, at 2 PM Eastern. Register here.
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Drop me an email or book a call if you'd like to explore working together. I'd love to learn more about you and your business and how I might be of service.
Take good care,
