So, you fired off a pitch email about your startup’s game-changing widget and got zero replies. Zilch. Before you curse journalists for being “too busy,” take a hard look in the mirror (or rather, at your pitch). Chances are, it’s not bad, it’s just boring. In PR land, forgettable = DOA.

In fact, most founders don’t send horribly wrong pitches; they send forgettable ones. And with journalists responding to less than 5% of the pitches they get, a “meh” pitch might as well be a death sentence. The good news? You can fix this. Here’s how to write a pitch that stands out, gets read, and makes a journalist actually hit reply.

Stop the Spray & Pray and Do Your Homework

If your idea of pitching is BCC’ing every journalist this side of the Atlantic with the same email, we need to talk. Mass-blasting your news is a great way to end up in the great Gmail graveyard. Journalists can sniff out a generic, one-size-fits-all pitch from a mile away, and nothing screams “I did zero research” louder than a copy-paste job. Remember, 86% of journalists ignore irrelevant pitches. They don’t have time for off target spam.

Instead, be strategic. Cherry pick the journalists and outlets that actually cover your industry or story angle. If you’re a fintech startup solving student debt, find the reporter who wrote “Student Loans Are Crushing Gen Z,” that’s your person. Start your pitch by addressing them by name (double-check spelling, please) and maybe even referencing their recent work. No one likes feeling like just another name on a list.

A little personal touch, “I loved your piece on XYZ…,” shows you’re not a robot blasting 1000 inboxes. It also increases your odds that they’ll actually read on. Quality beats quantity here: one tailored pitch to the right journalist trumps a hundred generic emails. As PR data guru Gini Dietrich notes, focusing on a short list of key outlets with exclusive angles can massively boost your success rate. In other words, don’t pitch to the entire world, pitch to the people who matter, and make them feel like you chose them for a reason.

Hook ‘Em Early. Your Subject Line & Intro Need to Pop

Picture a journalist’s inbox: it’s a warzone of dull subject lines like “Innovative Solution Revolutionizes X Industry”. If your subject line looks like a bland press release title, it’s getting skipped. You need a hook, and you need it fast. The subject line is your opening pickup line; make it count. Tease the most intriguing part of your story: “Ex-Gamer Turns EdTech Founder After College Scam (Interview?)” or “This Startup Founder Mortgaged His House to Fix Online Dating”. See the difference? Curiosity = opens.

And once they do open, don’t you dare start with “In today’s fast-paced digital landscape…”. If your first sentence could double as a TED Talk cliché, scrap it. Your intro’s job isn’t to sound “professional,” it’s to wake up the reader. Shock them, charm them, tickle their curiosity, anything but bore them. You have literally seconds to earn interest, so open with the most compelling nugget of your story, not a yawn inducing company mission statement.

Tell a Story, Don’t Sell a Product

Here’s a brutal truth: journalists don’t care about your product. They care about a story. If your pitch reads like a feature list or a mini whitepaper, it’s headed for the trash. Instead, find the narrative in your news. People remember 65–70% of a story, but only 5–10% of standalone facts. So, wrap your facts and announcements in a story that humans can relate to.

What does that mean? Paint a picture. Did your startup exist because you got fed up with some problem and decided to risk it all? Say that. “I built this after my boss fired me for an algorithm I created, now that same algorithm is now the core of my startup.” Give them drama, conflict, quirky characters: you. Journalists want a person, a heartbeat behind the brand, not just “Company X does Y.”

Remember, founder stories are media catnip. The crazy ex-beauty-blogger who launched a cosmetics empire from her bedroom, the college dropout who hacked his way to a million users, these are the angles that get coverage. Your journey is your differentiator. Don’t sanitize your tale. Own the chaos and the obstacles, the very things that make your story unique and worth telling.

Quick check: if your pitch could easily be about any startup by changing the names, you’re doing it wrong. Focus on what only you can say. Maybe your SaaS was inspired by a late-night panic attack and a dare. Maybe you’re a single mom founder who coded with a baby on your lap. Those specifics are gold. They make your pitch memorable and shareable. Lead with the story, and weave your product or service into it (not the other way around). The irony is, by not selling you’ll actually sell your story better.

Drop the Jargon and Sound Like a Human

If your pitch sounds like it was written by a corporate comms robot, we have a problem. Phrases like “leading provider of synergistic solutions” have got to go. Remember that journalist’s inbox? It’s full of cookie-cutter pitches that read like press release Mad Libs. To stand out, you need to sound like you, not a PR department on autopilot. Authenticity isn’t just nice-to-have, it’s your secret weapon. Raw and relatable always wins. Why? Because real humans connect with real stories and real voices.

Don’t be afraid to show some personality. Write as if you’re talking to a smart friend. It’s okay (encouraged, even) to be a bit cheeky or edgy if that’s your style. Journalists welcome a refreshing, honest tone amidst the sea of corporate BS.

As PR pro Marcus Denning says, reporters actually prefer raw and honest perspectives. They feel more genuine and relatable to readers. So ditch the polished PR-speak. If something in your story is a little messy or controversial, that’s exactly the thing to leave in, not edit out. (Did your first startup implode spectacularly, paving the way for this new venture? Mention it! That’s interesting.)

Also, maintain a consistent voice. Don’t start casual then suddenly throw in “enterprise-grade platform paradigm” out of nowhere. That just screams auto-generated jargon. Keep it real throughout. A good gut-check: read your pitch out loud. Does it sound like something you would actually say? If not, rewrite it until it does. A pitch that sounds human will instantly set you apart from the snooze-fest emails flooding the media’s inbox every day. Bold beats bland, every time. Safe doesn’t sell, so don’t be afraid to be a little daring in how you tell your story.

Make It Timely and Relevant

Even a brilliantly written pitch can flop if your timing sucks. PR isn’t just about what you pitch, but when you pitch it. Journalists live on the news cycle; if your story doesn’t tie into something current or seasonal, it better be extremely freaking interesting on its own. Whenever possible, anchor your pitch to a trend, event, or zeitgeist-y topic. Launching a new collaboration tool? Cool. Pitch it as “the Work-From-Home revolution’s new best friend,” ideally while that topic is hot. Did your product help someone in a pandemic context? Highlight that, because it’s timely. Essentially, answer the question: “Why does this story matter right now?” If you don’t, the journalist is asking themselves that, and if they can’t see it, bye-bye pitch.

Timing matters in a logistical sense too. Be aware of editorial calendars and typical lead times. If you have a holiday-themed story, don’t send it the day before Thanksgiving and hope for a miracle. Conversely, don’t pitch something too early either. If a journalist can’t figure out why you’re telling them about a product launching next year, they’ll likely forget about it by the time it’s relevant. The right message at the wrong time is still the wrong message in practice.

So, do a little recon: has the journo written about this topic recently? Is it on everyone’s lips this week? Align your pitch with the moments that make sense. When you hit that sweet spot of great story, perfect timing, that’s when you strike gold.

Pack It with Value, Data, Social Proof, and Answers

Think about the journalist’s perspective: their job is to find stories their readers will love and to back those stories up with facts. So help them out! A pitch that actually gets picked up often contains little gems the writer can use. We’re talking compelling data points, social proof, expert quotes. If you have a killer statistic that underscores your story, include it.

For example, if you’re pitching a health-tech app, a line like “According to our beta users, panic attacks dropped 40% in the first month” is gold. It’s specific and newsy. Or maybe you have an industry stat that sets context: “Mental health app usage jumped 200% last year”. These details can help a journalist craft the narrative and see the newsworthiness.

Social proof is another credibility booster. Do you have happy customers or notable investors? Any big-name clients or a waitlist 50k long? Mention it (briefly). “Already 10,000 people signed up in the first week without a dime spent on marketing” is the kind of line that makes an editor go, “Hmm, interesting.” Journalists love success stories, so if you’ve got some early wins or testimonials, sprinkle them in. It shows there’s real-world interest and impact behind your claims.

Also, be sure your pitch answers the key questions a reporter will have. We covered the 5 W’s (who/what/when/where/why) in your opener, but also think “So what?” and “What’s in it for the audience?”. Make it explicit why their readers will care about this. Did you solve a problem millions of people have? Are you challenging a giant incumbent or stirring up a hot debate? Highlight that.

Essentially, offer the reporter a ready-made angle on a silver platter. The easier you make their job, the more likely they’ll bite. Do some of the journalists work for them. Give them a story outline in your pitch that they could practically copy and paste (they won’t, but the easier you make it to imagine the headline, the better).

Finally, close out your pitch with a clear call to action and your contact info. Don’t just awkwardly fade out. Say something like: “If you’re interested, I’d love to set up a call or shoot over more info – whatever you need.” Maybe even suggest timing: “We’re announcing this on X date, but I can give you an early peek if you’re interested.” And always include your title, company, phone number, email, and even a link to your press kit or website. Make it stupid easy for them to verify who you are and follow up. You might also throw in a one sentence bio or credibility line in the sign-off (your mini boilerplate): e.g. “Jane Doe is a former NASA engineer turned founder of SpaceRocks Inc.” This reinforces why you are legit to speak on this topic.

Follow Up – Politely and Purposefully

Okay, you’ve sent your magnum opus of a pitch. Now, resist the urge to refresh your inbox every 30 seconds. Give it a few days. If you hear crickets, it’s time for a gentle nudge. Emphasis on gentle. A follow-up email can be as simple as forwarding the original with a short note: “Hi [Name] – just wanted to bump this in case it missed your radar. Happy to provide more info or an interview, if interested.” That’s it. No guilt trips, no “I expected a response by now.” And definitely no multiple follow-ups in the span of 24 hours. Remember, there’s a fine line between persistence and being a pain in the ass.

If you still get nothing, take the hint and move on. Maybe your pitch wasn’t a fit, or the timing was off, or the journalist is drowning in emails (likely all of the above). You can always try a different angle later or reach out to a different reporter/outlet. PR is a long game, and building a reputation as a considerate, on point communicator will pay off in the end.

On that note, don’t burn bridges. If a journalist replies with a “No thanks” or even some feedback, thank them for their time. Class goes a long way. Also, use what you learn: if you consistently hear “we’ve covered something similar” or “not newsworthy right now,” that’s intel to tweak your approach next time.

Finally, remember that journalists talk to each other. The last thing you want is to be known as that founder who harasses reporters or sends novel length manifestos that no one asked for. Be the founder who’s known for great stories and a human touch. That reputation will get your emails opened in the future.

Bottom Line: If you want to actually get press, you’ve got to do what 95 out of 100 founders won’t. Be bold. Be human. Tell the story only you can tell, and tell it in a way that makes an over-caffeinated, time-crunched journalist stop and say, “Whoa, this is different.”

Cut the fluff, ditch the jargon, and don’t be afraid to let your personality (and yes, even your flaws) shine through.

The real winners? They’re the ones dishing out the raw, unfiltered truth and making journalists fall in love with the human behind the brand. Do that, and you won’t just get noticed, you’ll get picked up, shared, and remembered. And if all else fails, hey, you know where to find us 😉.

Now go forth and pitch like the badass founder you are. Your story deserves to be told. Just make sure you tell it right, and the coverage will follow. Good luck, and happy pitching!

‍