Writing a great pitch is essential to success as a freelance writer. In this two-hour workshop, we will study successful (and unsuccessful) pitches to understand what makes a pitch great, and we will also reserve time to workshop your pitches. You will learn the basics of writing a pitch, how to refine the angle of your story, conceptualize a hook, and use narrative techniques to draw the attention of editors. I’ll discuss how to send a pitch, etiquette around following up, communication, and other topics related to freelance pitching. The first hour of this session will be a lecture, and then the second half we will be workshopping pitches in small groups. There will also be time at the end for follow-up questions that arise. Please bring in a pitch for a story you have in mind so that you can get feedback from other writers. This class is ideal for aspiring freelance writers who want to learn more about pitching as well as established part-time or full-time freelancers who want to up their pitching game.

PLEASE NOTE: Bring a pitch draft to class with you.

About Anisse Gross

Anisse Gross is an award-winning freelance writer and editor. She received her M.A. and M.F.A. from San Francisco State University, where she was honored with the Graduate Award for Distinguished Achievement. She’s a member of the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, and now The Ruby! Her work has appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, Quartz, The Believer, Lucky Peach, BuzzFeed, the San Francisco Chronicle, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Rumpus, the Brooklyn Quarterly, Edible Hudson Valley, and elsewhere.