Hello! I’m the person most likely to receive your pitches at our wonderful site. If you want to get something unique published with us, that’s wonderful. However, I am a law student, a freelancer (like you!) and therefore need pitches to follow a certain route to make life better for us all!
Here’s are 3 things you should do prior to pitching.
1. Read the pitching guidelines carefully
The guidelines have their own page on the site. It’s probably how most people manage to email me in the first place, but some do not read it carefully. As an editor, that makes me think you do not respect the site, my time nor yours!
Some common errors involve people telling me their topics too broadly, without telling what their unique questions are nor how they’ll answer them; or too narrow and don’t flesh out how they’ll map out their answers. But if you follow the next 2 steps, that usually solves a lot of issues with the first.
Be sure to link to previous writings! And I prefer simple but effective writing to elegant but verbose.
2. Don’t pitch articles that could be Tweets
A common issue is that writers have a unique take that could be done in a Tweet or two. Fleshing it out more doesn’t make the argument stronger, it just takes up a reader’s time. Very rarely, the journey to reach that argument can be entertaining but usually that requires very talented writers. But we’re not all an NK Jemisin or an Arwa Mahdawi!
Ask yourself: Could my argument be made in a Tweet or two? If yes, would the argument be significantly stronger if fleshed out with a whole ass essay? If no, have I distilled my argument sufficiently?
3. Answer the “so what” question
The key focus for INDG is to give a platform to and perspective from voices often missing in critical writing on games and media. However, we still want those voices in themselves to have something unique, insightful and meaningful to say. Again: use the Twitter Test.
This is the most difficult part but that’s what makes you a good writer and critic: What angle, uniquely yours, arising out of your own experience and mind, can you bring to this angle? Yes, this game represents these kinds of characters in a unique/celebratory/respectful etc. way but so what?
Pointing at a game doing something well or badly doesn’t tell me why I should care. If you can answer the “so what?” question, and come up with a unique angle and answer, you have a strong pitch.
These are tips you can use for any pitching opportunities you encounter, but I hope this helps you when pitching to us.
Happy pitching and good luck.
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