Pitch Clinic 2016

Pitch ClinicWe’re excited to welcome you to the 2016 session of Freelance Writers’ Pitch Clinic! We look forward to helping you craft kick-butt pitches that will get you great-paying assignments.

You can get started right now — you have access to all our pre-recorded trainings below. (Participation details for live Q&A are listed as a Unit under each course module, and we’ll also send a reminder notice via email 1 hour before each event — be sure we’re not in your spam or promotions folder! We strive to post our Q&A recordings and transcripts within 2 days after each event.)

You’re free to go through this at your own pace, but we have laid out a 4-week set of homework assignments to help you get ready for the Pitch Challenge month.

Summer 2016 Course Schedule

Please note that ALL our live Q&As for this course are taking place at 11am Pacific (California time) / 2pm Eastern (New York time). Just click on the bar to unfold the full schedule. Participation info for the live Q&As is posted in each course module below.

Open to view the course schedule and live event dates.


LESSON 1

Let’s Make Your Story Idea Not Suck! We show you what goes into an article idea that sells, including what editors are looking for and how to make sure your idea is timely and unique.
Lesson 1 Live Q&A: Wednesday, June 8 from 11am-12pm Pacific (California time) / 2pm-3pm Eastern (New York time). This is the time to ask any questions you have from Lesson 1 — also, feel free to bring your story ideas and we’ll help you refine them live! The recording and transcript of this Live Q&A should be available two days after the call.
Lesson 1 Homework: Come up with an article idea and tweak it based on what you learned in Lesson 1 until it’s as salable as possible!
LESSON 2
Anatomy of a Killer Query. In this recorded training webinar, you’ll learn the pros’ secrets to writing every part of a an irresistible query letter for consumer publications — one that will help you earn big bucks!
Lesson 2 Live Q&A: Wednesday, June 15 at 11 Pacific/2 Eastern. Bring us your questions about query writing, or any questions you have left over from the previous lesson! The recording and transcript of this Live Q&A should be available two days after the call.
Lesson 2 Homework: Write a query letter draft based on an idea you developed in Lesson 1. (You’ll revise and polish it in Lesson 4!)

LESSON 3

Writing a Kick-Butt Letter of Introduction. In this recorded training webinar, Carol and Linda share details on how to avoid common mistakes and write a standout letter of introduction (LOI) that gets you hired by editors at trade and custom publications. Bonus: We’ve also got some tips for you on how to use LOIs to pitch businesses.
Lesson 3 Live Q&A: Wednesday, June 22 at 11 PST/2 EST. Bring us your questions about LOIs, or any left-over questions from previous lessons! The recording and transcript of this Live Q&A should be available two days after the call.
Lesson 3 Homework: Write a hybrid LOI draft with 2-3 quick story ideas in it. (You’ll revise and polish it in Lesson 4!)

LESSON 4

Let’s Get Writing! Instead of a formal training, this week we have some super bonuses that will help you put what you learned in the previous three lessons into action.

Lesson 4 Live Q&A: Wednesday, June 29 at 11 PST/2 EST. Bring us your questions about query writing, or any questions you have left over from the previous lesson! The recording and transcript of this Live Q&A should be available two days after the call.
Lesson 4 Homework: You’ve had some time to set your pitches aside so you can look at them with fresh eyes. Now, revise and polish your queries and LOIs as you prepare to submit them via email for editor critiques during the Pitch Challenge month. This is where you put everything you learned into action!
PITCH CHALLENGE
During the whole month of July, you can send up to four queries and/or LOIs to our team of editors for a written critique! Email your query and LOI drafts to 4weekpitchchallenge@gmail.com.

BONUS MASTERMIND CALL — Live Q&A on Monday, Aug. 1 at 11 PST/2 EST

This ‘exit’ call is a chance to debrief and talk about how your query/LOI writing went. We’ll be talking goals and accountability. Did you reach your goal for Pitch Clinic? How can we help you? We’ll offer our expert advice for putting what you learned to work.


Class Materials

Module 1 Story Ideas That Sell: Let’s Make Your Story Idea Not Suck!
Pitch us your ideas and we’ll help you hone them right there on the call.
Unit 1 Getting Started in Pitch Clinic
Unit 2 How to Get the Most From Pitch Clinic
Unit 3 Module 1 training: Let's Make Your Story Idea Not Suck!
Unit 4 Idea critique handout: Let's Make Your Story Idea Not Suck!
Unit 5 Module 1 — Q&A Recording & Transcript
Unit 6 Bonus E-book--Getting the Gig: How Pitch Clinic Helped 11 Writers Land Great New Clients--And Get Paid (Way!) More
Unit 7 Bonus podcast: Story Idea Lab with Carol Tice & Linda Formichelli
Unit 8 Bonus podcast: How to Make Your Query Irresistible to Editors
Unit 9 Module 1 Homework

Module 2 Anatomy of a Killer Query
In this webinar, you’ll learn the pros’ secrets to writing every part of a query letter so that editors find it irresistible.
Unit 1 Module 2 Anatomy of a Killer Query – Webinar, Audio Recording & Transcript
Unit 2 Template: Query letter
Unit 3 Bonus webinar: Top 11 Query Mistakes
Unit 4 FREE E-BOOK: The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock
Unit 5 Module 2 interview handouts
Unit 6 Module 2 - Q&A Anatomy of a Query - Recording & Transcript
Unit 7 Module 2 Homework

Module 3 Writing a Kick-Butt LOI
Carol and Linda share details on how to avoid common mistakes and write a standout letter of introduction that gets you hired by editors at trade and custom publications.
Unit 1 Module 3 Training: Writing a Kick-Butt LOI – Recording & Transcript
Unit 2 Template: Query/LOI Hybrid
Unit 3 Module 3 Live Q&A - Kick-Butt LOIs Recording & Transcript
Unit 4 Module 3 Homework

Module 4 Let's Get Writing!
Write your queries and LOIs, and get final questions answered.
Unit 1 Bonus handout: Article Writing Glossary of Terms
Unit 2 Bonus podcast: How to Break into Writing for Trade Pubs with editor Connie Gentry
Unit 3 Bonus handout: 7 Ways to Get Editors' Emails
Unit 4 Module 4 - Live Q&A - Let's Get Writing Recording & Transcript
Unit 5 Module 4 Homework
Unit 6 Final Post-Pitch Challenge Mastermind Call — Recording & Transcript

Technical Support

Have a technical question about the class — for example, your login doesn’t work or you can’t access a Module? Please contact our troubleshooters at help@usefulwritingcourses.com.

 

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