Is there a story you are passionate about telling your local, national, or international community? Whether you are a freelance writer wanting to be published or an employed news reporter itching to write more personally meaningful articles, it is important to know how to pitch an article to a newspaper.

In order to successfully pitch an article or an idea for one, you must first know how to write a news article and how to write a query letter. Some basics will be covered in this article, but it is a good idea to become familiar with both methods before the pitch. Newspaper editors regularly receive pitches, sometimes in dauntingly high numbers, and it is important for a writer to present her writing in the best light possible with each pitch.http://www.freelancewriting.com/articles/freelance-journalism-pitch-ideas.php<ref>

There are three necessary steps to pitching an article idea:

1. Determine where the story should go.
2. Write an attention-grabbing query letter.
3. Follow up the pitch.

Are you interested in writing an expose on local drug trafficking or an opinion piece on recent health care reform? The first step for a writer is to determine which newspapers are most appropriate for his or her idea. If the article is to focus on local community issues, it probably will not find a place in a national or international newspaper. That is, unless the writer can tie a local incident to a national or international news story. Many local papers, however, tend to have a section on national and international news.

In addition, when considering which newspapers to pitch to, it is a good idea to do some background research into their style and content. Some questions to ask yourself would be:

1. Do they take submissions from non-staff writers?
2. How long are their articles typically?
3. In what style are the articles written (for example, short hard-news style, or longer feature-story style)?
4. Is the language formal or conversational?
5. Has the newspaper already covered the issue you want to write about? If so, would you be providing new information or points of view? http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/toolkit_resources/tipsheets/pitching_story.cfm<ref>

All newspapers have different sections that thematically categorize articles. Once you have determined which newspaper best suits your writing style and topic, then you must determine under which section the idea best falls. Typical sections of newspapers include:

1. News
2. Health
3. Lifestyle
4. Entertainment
5. Sports
6. Travel
7. Money
8. Opinion

Each section has its own editor, and it is important to contact the appropriate section editor rather than the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. The editor-in-chief typically leaves article decisions to the section editor because she is in charge of running and overseeing the entire paper and as such, has a much larger workload. Contact information for the section editors can usually be found on the front page of the specific section or somewhere within the newspaper. If not, call the newsroom and ask for the information yourself.

An effective query letter will cover three important points:

1. What the story will be about: The first paragraph is where you need to grab the attention of the editor in the first few lines. Many writers choose to include the first line of their article as their first line in the query letter because as a rule, most newspaper articles immediately answer the six major questions: who, what, where, when, why and how. http://www.bluemooncommunications.com/fiction_section/press_kits_and_pitch_letter.htm<ref> Continue the paragraph by explaining more specifics of the article, like who you could interview, what angle you will be writing from, and in what style you plan to write.
2. How the article relates to the readers: In the second paragraph, you want to take the time to explain why you think the readership of that particular newspaper would be interested in the article.
3. Why you are qualified to write the article: In the last paragraph, you want to explain any qualifications that make you the best person to write the article. Explain any relevant family, work, education, or volunteer history that coincides with your topic. By the end of the paragraph, it should be clear what you could bring to the story that perhaps someone on the staff could not.

Always remember to:

1. Keep query letters to a maximum of one page
2. Include your phone number, e-mail, website address, home address, and fax number, where applicable
3. Proofread the letter thoroughly before sending it out
4. Include 'clips'-- previous articles you have written-- to give an idea of your style and skill level.

After sending in the query letter, it is important to stay persistent and contact the editor after an appropriate amount of time. If you decide to e-mail or fax the query letter, then allow at least a week before the follow up call. If you send it through the post, determine when you think it will arrive at the newsroom and wait at least a week after that date.

The trick is to stay persistent without being perceived as pushy.

During this waiting period, it is a good idea to keep working on your article. Research more supporting information, interview more people, take photographs that could accompany the article, etc. You could even write the article or improve on what you’ve already written. Keep an open mind to different aspects of your article that might add depth and interest, and if you find something you think would make it more worthwhile to the newspaper you submitted to, follow up with the editor and tell him your fresh ideas.

Some people may not like the idea of putting in the effort before getting a guaranteed publishing agreement, but if you have a passion for the subject, this shouldn’t be an issue. Even if your original idea is rejected, your continued work on the article could have brought new aspects to life. And as always, it is good to build a writing portfolio if you are a fledgling writer.