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Understand my current beat and position, and make their pitch relevant to this
Proactive pitching: Preempt my writing with ideas/stories/data ahead of time – especially for events
Pitch me at the right time, when my beat is quiet, or when my brain is engaged
Give me exclusive access to the information/story/data/contact – or at least differentiate it from other publications they've pitched to
Make sure artwork, resources, and contacts are easily available
Give me the gold up front in a pitch, cut to the chase, and help me tell the story
Don't pitch me anything at first – offer themselves as a resource I can call upon
Try to build a genuine relationship with me first