Advanced Pitch Generator for Freelance Journalists — Subject Line, Hook, Sourcing and Rights
The detail that decides a commission — how soon you can file, whether it is exclusive, what rights are on the table — is usually the detail that gets left out of the pitch. This one will not let you skip it, but it also commits you to whatever you select.
Last reviewed: Next review due:
Advanced Pitch Generator
Build a structured, professional pitch email with all the detail commissioning editors expect.
0/80
0/200
Tip: Keep your headline under 80 characters so the subject line displays fully on mobile. Editors receive dozens of pitches daily — lead with your strongest angle and be specific about what makes this story urgent and exclusive to their readers.
How it works
- Inputs: pitch type, publication type, publication name, editor, headline, the angle or why-this-now, a one-line elevator pitch capped at 200 characters, word count, delivery timeline (six fixed options), urgency, exclusivity, rights offered (five fixed options), sources one per line, your credentials, name and contact.
- It produces two separate outputs. The subject line is PITCH: your headline, an em dash, then the first 60 characters of your angle, with [BREAKING] or [TIME-SENSITIVE] appended when you pick one of the top two urgency settings. The body carries sections headed THE STORY, WHY NOW, WHAT I HAVE, PROPOSED and ABOUT ME.
- The sources box is split on line breaks and rendered as a bullet list, stripping any leading dash or bullet you typed yourself.
- Urgency and exclusivity each inject a fixed extra paragraph. Selecting Exclusive offered adds a sentence stating that you are offering the story exclusively to that publication and will hold it for your selected timeline; First-look offered adds a milder version.
When to use it
- A time-sensitive story where the editor needs to see the filing window in the subject line, not three paragraphs down.
- Pitching an investigation where the sources you already have are the strongest part of the offer.
- Offering an exclusive, where the terms need to be stated in writing rather than implied.
- A first approach to a national desk, where a vague pitch will not get a reply.
What it does not do
- The headline field is capped at 80 characters, the counter and the tip underneath both agree on that limit, and the subject line is built from the headline plus up to 60 more characters of your angle. That means a full-length headline and a full 60-character angle still produce a subject line well over 80 characters — neither number bounds the combined subject line. Trim it by hand if it runs long.
- Choosing Exclusive offered writes a commercial commitment into the email on your behalf — to hold the story for the timeline you selected and not pitch it elsewhere. Read that sentence before you send it.
- Naming rights in a pitch licenses nothing. The wording is not a contract and does not bind either side; agree rights in the commissioning agreement.
- String templating only, with no AI and no saved drafts. Blank fields are copied out as square-bracket placeholders.
More tools
This is one of the free tools on UK JournoHub. See the full tools index for the rest.