Let's Talk About: The WORST Phrase You Could EVER Put in Your Pitch
Honestly, this phrase is an ethical issue above all else, but also a big red flag
Happy Monday, all!
It’s time for my first press trip of the year … I’m on my way to Riviera Maya/Cancun as we speak, to spend the week with my favorite cousin (who lives in the Bay Area and I haven’t seen in 4 years!). Since I worked all through the holidays, you have no idea how badly I need this getaway!
As such, I won’t be sharing pitching opportunities this week, but rather some insights based on some recent pitches I’ve received.
But first, an amusing Tweet I thought you’d all appreciate (the post has a lot of funny contributions, too):
Ok, now back to the serious stuff.
I’ve been noticing an unfortunate new trend in pitches … and while the language may seem innocent enough to you as you write it, it’s actually a massive turn-off to writers (most especially, freelancers). In fact, I’ve discussed this problematic phrase with numerous writers/editors over the past 6 months (once I began noticing an uptick in its usage) and we all agree: when we see this phrase, we either push back (which isn’t an ideal start to the conversation) or delete the pitch.
The phrase — which I see used most often in offers for product samples and in press trip invitations — is a problem from several standpoints, but the biggest is that what you’re requesting is actually entirely unethical. I’ll explain why in a minute. But first, let me clue you in on the PR phrase that needs to be canceled: