Seeing your byline in a magazine you've read since childhood or an online outlet all your friends devour is the pinch-me moment many freelancers dream about. But you can help make it a reality by taking some strategic steps, some AHCJ freelance members said during the March Lunch and Learn. Here's a summary of what we've found works - and doesn't - when pitching to your ideal publication.

The perks of pitching

Without a high acceptance rate, pitching can be pretty thankless - zapping time, creative energy, and resources with no guarantee that an editor will open your email, let alone pay you for your work. Many people start to associate the process with rejection.

But one freelancer, who calls herself "the queen of pitching," said she likes pitching because it allows her to write about what she's interested in, rather than accepting commissions she's more ambivalent about.

"Sometimes we forget we're in an industry of ideas and execution," she said, noting that freelancers tend to focus on the latter while forgetting that publications are "ideas factories." "It's part of our job to come up with ideas, and editors love help with that."

I, too, love pitching because it exercises my creativity and allows me to work through ideas while breeding new ones. Even "no's" put my name on editors' radars. And, I find it exciting to never know when I just might get a "yes."

Identifying your ideal publication

When it comes to identifying your next dream byline, the "queen" - who receives most of her assignments via pitches - said she looks for outlets that have a strong health focus. While everyone's strengths and values vary, she prefers publications that approach and explain science thoroughly and to an educated audience, but without getting too wonky.

In general, she said, "It doesn't have to be the best publication in the world," but rather one that's a great match for your ideas, level of writing and voice. For some people, it's one that represents breaking into a new beat, for others it might just be one that pays well. It can and will change, too. Sometimes what you think is your dream publication ends up being a nightmare.

While the pitching queen tends to pinpoint her next dream outlet and then formulate story ideas to suit it, others (including me) usually do the reverse: crystalize an idea, and then seek out the perfect fit. There's no one "right" way.

Sending the pitch

Once you have a great idea for your ideal publication, you need to figure out the best person to pitch. Most freelancers said their success stories have come through connections - maybe an old colleague's editor or someone they met at a conference.

You can also look to AHCJ's freelance Market Guides for specifics on what various outlets look for and how they prefer to receive pitches. AHCJ's Freelance Pitchfest - the annual conference's signature event for freelancers, coming up May 30 - is another great and rare opportunity to meet editors and pitch them face to face.

Subject lines matter, too, participants emphasized, since editors these days can get upwards of 1,000 emails a day. Often, a pitch isn't accepted because it's simply not read. To break through the noise, include the name of your mutual connection, if appropriate, in the subject line and be sure to write "freelance pitch" so recipients don't mistake your email for a marketing or public relations pitch.

Preparing the pitch

When it comes to the pitch itself, length can vary from a few sentences (if you already have a relationship with the editor) to a page (if the story itself is long and complex). It's important to do some research and interview a source or two first, freelancers said. And write the pitch in the voice and style you'd write the story in.

Lunch and Learn participants agreed they don't reveal names of sources in pitches, but rather identify people they have or will interview more broadly, like by saying "a top epidemiologist."

If you have strong credentials, it can help to include those at the top of the email. For example, I usually say something like: "Hi, so-and-so, I'm a Brooklyn-based journalist with 15 years of experience writing narratives, features and trend stories for publications including The Cut, the Washington Post and Women's Health magazine." I link out to whatever clips are most relevant to that publication and pitch. If you've won prestigious journalism awards, include them, too.

For those newer to the profession or who have a particularly compelling idea, it's OK to start your email with the pitch and leave your credentials for the end. Regardless of your experience and who you're pitching, always be sure to answer: Why this? Why now? Why us? Why you?

Persistence

Rather than just following up a few times to be sure an editor saw your pitch, the queen said she follows up with a fresh pitch a few weeks after her first one. Then, a few weeks after that, she follows up with a third pitch. Often, it's at that point that she lands an assignment. Persistence shows the publication you're determined to work for them but can also accept that not all ideas are a go.

Finally, freelancers agreed that while it's easier said than done, writers shouldn't take it personally if they're rejected or ignored. It's not that a group of people hemmed and hawed over your idea, and decided they didn't like it or you. Most likely, they never saw it at all.

For more pitching advice, check out my tip sheet for accidental freelancers and other AHCJ resources related to pitching. And, join our next Lunch and Learn on April 17, when we'll discuss negotiating freelance contracts.