Mediabistro.com Lecture: Pitch Letter Essentials

Mediabistro contacted me yesterday to book an encore "Pitch Letter Essentials" class slotted for Thursday, May 7.

This will be my fourth semester as a Mediabistro.com instructor. For the seminar, I plan to go into pitch letter strategies for marketing professionals as well as integrating social media to spice up your query.

Click here to sign up for my Pitch Letter Essentials class 7-10 p.m. Thursday, May 7 at BCA, Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.

My seminar last October was a huge success. I have a lot more to add this time around--especially material geared toward marketing professionals looking to craft the perfect pitch letter that will generate buzz from editors.

Here's the lowdown:

For a freelance writer, pitches are everything. They're your personal introduction, writing sample, and article outline all in one. They're how you break into a magazine and how you keep the assignments coming in once you do. Write a compelling query and you're on your way to an assignment, or at least an ongoing relationship with the editor; write a lousy one and you'll disappear into the slush pile.

Whether you're pitching a celebrity profile or a travel feature, there are some key techniques and strategies you need to know to come up with a killer query. This seminar will walk you through the most important ones, from researching your target publication to structuring the pitch to selling yourself as the perfect writer for the job.

In this seminar, you will learn:

*How to surprise editors with fresh ideas
*Techniques to come up with salable story ideas
*How to tailor your query letter to the publication you're pitching
*What editors look for in a query and what turns them off
*What makes an effective -- and not-so effective -- query letter
*Online query letters vs. print query
*How to package yourself as the ideal writer for your idea
*How to turn a query into an ongoing editor-writer relationship

Click here to sign up for the class.

Also, here are a few testimonials:

"I attended the class to help refine my story-pitching skills and - most importantly - to demystify what happens on the other end of a query submission. The class answered all my questions and even opened up a new channel of freelance opportunities." -- Wendy Booher

"Sam Baltrusis was excellent, and had a broad range of experience to draw on, including in new media. I especially appreciated his individualized suggestions and followup." -- Kimberly Davis

"Pitch Letter Essentials was the perfect course and Sam Baltrusis had all the answers I needed to put together my letters. This course is highly recommended!" -- Colleen Perry B.savvy Marketing Mashpee, MA

"Sam was terrific, knowledgeable, supportive, and interesting. He's already lived up to his promise to follow up with us by viewing and commenting on my blog and offering potential publications for my writing. Thanks to his direct and humorous approach, experience and knowledge, Sam offered much more than information ... he offered camaraderie and support for freelancers, new and experienced." -- Kate Daly

"The instructor was just terrific. He was fun, relaxed, and had tons of experience. We covered lots of territory. A very successful evening." -- Miriam Weinstein