Breaking into the media spotlight can be daunting. Depending on the market, the competition for story pitches can be intense. An editor or producer could get dozens of pitches a day via email or phone. Sometimes it seems like everyone and their grandmother has an idea for the evening news or the morning edition.
It is easy to get discouraged and think about giving up on public relations and what it can do for your business or organization. But, as the saying goes “Nothing worth having comes easy.” So, keep in mind that any rejections are not personally about YOU but your particular pitch may not resonate at the moment with the news outlets, the media may be covering hot, breaking news or you may need to do more research into what an editor or producer is looking to cover. At any rate, you must have patience and persistence until you get that first feature. How do you handle the “waiting game” until you become a media darling?
- Stay positive. It may seem like no one is responding to your submissions but continue to submit anyways. There are various reasons why media might pass but getting down about it or negative about the media won’t help you succeed.
