Pitch letter

What is a pitch letter and why do I need to use it? The purpose of the pitch letter is to present or sell a story idea that may be of interest to the media. The key is to give just enough information to tease the media and spark their interest.

Who gets the pitch letter? Pitch letters can be sent out to your local daily and community newspapers, magazines and television stations. They can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to the appropriate editor depending on the story idea and the editor's preference for receiving pitches. If you are not familiar with the local media outlets in your area, you can find most contacts online or by calling the media outlet directly.

What should a pitch letter look like? Below is a sample pitch letter. For the purposes of this sample, a story on the USPTA's role as a leader in modern tennis certification and education is the topic, but it can be used for a variety of story ideas. Also keep in mind this can be modified as a phone or an e-mail pitch depending on the media member's preference. When sending out a pitch letter, always try to keep it to one page. It is wise to put the pitch letter on professional letterhead whether it is your own or your club's.

January 9, 2014

Jennifer Smith
Sports Writer
Houston Daily Pilot
1121 W. Queenston Ave.
Houston, TX 77041

Dear Jennifer:

I'm an avid reader of the Sports Section. The stories and events you cover are quite interesting and impressive. I found your article on "The State of Youth Sports" on December 29, 2013, very interesting.

I have a story idea on the United States Professional Tennis Association being a pioneer in modern certification and education that I think would fit perfectly into your sports section's 10-week series on the advances in sports through technology. The USPTA has done much to revolutionize the tennis-teaching industry. Since it was founded in 1927, the USPTA has been at the forefront in bringing its members certification and education through cutting-edge technology. The USPTA was the first to:

•Administer a tennis-teacher certification exam in 1970

•Offer modern tennis-teaching specialty courses in 1997

•Use its in-house multimedia department to produce an educational DVD series from its World Conference in 2002 (among many other firsts)

The USPTA has also vastly expanded its educational opportunities through its multimedia department, which has produced hundreds of DVDs and a TV show on the Tennis Channel called "On Court with USPTA." The USPTA's efforts in certification, education and member benefits have been matched by no other organization of its kind. The USPTA definitely leads the way in modern tennis-teaching certification and introducing modern tennis into everyday instruction. Readers who play or watch tennis and those who work in the tennis industry will definitely enjoy hearing about this.

I will follow up my letter with a phone call in a week to see if you have an interest in covering this story. If there is any other information I can provide you with before then, please don't hesitate to call. I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

USPTA Public Relations