At Fstoppers, we want our readers to contribute articles to the site. There is a dedicated link on our contact page that makes it easy to submit pitches. Your proposal is sent to all Fstoppers writers and this gives you more chances for someone to find your pitch interesting and have it published on the site.
Although I have been a writer at Fstoppers for less than a year, I have seen a lot of unconventional approaches to article recommendations. Let’s take a look at some practical offers and how they can be accepted. We’ll start with the obvious – without compromising the integrity of the site.
No matter how large your audience is, Fstoppers is not interested in collaborating with you just so we can reach that audience. Likewise, we are not interested in any kind of link exchange or mention exchange. What we’re looking for are fun themes that showcase the amazing ways you approach your craft. We’re looking to share new techniques with our readers that can help them create images that are even more powerful than they’re currently creating. Many of you instinctively understand that a scam just to exchange links will not be of interest to Fstoppers. However, you may not realize that if your article recommendation is too self-serving, writers may be wary of pursuing it as we are not interested in copywriting for your photography business. . Check out the throw below to see what was done right and how wrong it was. Start pitching by consulting an article by Alex Cooke is good because it shows that the pitch sender is familiar with the content on Fstoppers and is a real fan of the site. That person went on to offer to write an article related to Alex’s article. It is reasonable to assume that readers who liked the original article will also like this article. The problem with the pitch, however, is that it is designed to promote a particular photography business. The person who submitted the pitch has a relationship with that business and is trying to use Fstoppers to drive more customers to that business.
If the author of the pitch spoke to several photographers and offered to submit an article about the techniques that are working for top photographers in the wedding industry, it would feel more organic and be interested editors and editors at Fstoppers. Or they suggest an article titled, “How you can apply the techniques and tactics of today’s top wedding photographers” it might have been of interest to Fstoppers.
At the risk of being blunt, I would say that our readers care more about themselves than they care about you. They were intrigued by an article titled “How You Can Create Amazing Images in a Rainstorm” because it could help them improve their skills. They are less interested in “How I create interesting images in a rainstorm”.
Recently, we received an article from the photographer Kristie La Rochelle who submitted a post she wrote for her blog about her approach to industrial photography. I reached out to her and explained that the article in its current form is best suited for her blog and not the Fstoppers platform. I suggested that I interview her to create an article with broader appeal. Her submission was not suitable for Fstoppers, but I could create an article with broader appeal if I interviewed her. That article was titled, “The Shooting Years You Need When You’re An Industrial Photographer“. Here’s another example of a pitch that looks more like an advertisement for a photographer than an actual article suitable for an online photography magazine.
Often, we get a pitch that is simply too short for us to understand what makes this article so interesting. Consider including a sentence or detail to make your pitch unique. A pitch that lacks emphasis might say, “How I photographed 10 dogs to create a new portfolio.” A sentence that correctly reads as “How I photographed 10 dogs in 10 minutes to create a new portfolio”. The trailer below mentions “the world’s brightest drone-based lighting rig,” but that hook would have been more powerful with some more information about the rig. The entire pitch is only 2 sentences. An opening sentence, “This lighting system includes…” might be enough to generate interest in the topic so that the writer of Fstoppers tried to watch the video on YouTube. When your pitch is video-based, it’s important to summarize the pitch in writing. Many YouTube videos require a time investment that I’m not always willing to provide. These days, a photography video typically begins with an introduction to the subject, followed by a compelling cinematic opening credits sequence, followed by another introduction to the same topic introduced in first video . I’ll click away from any video that hasn’t reached the point after 45 seconds or so. Likewise, if the person speaking is unusually slow or if there’s loud music underneath the speaker, I won’t watch the video. It’s okay to include a pitch video, but make sure the main point of interest is explained in the text. Don’t just send a link to your video as your complete pitch.
While we all live on the same planet, we are also living in a microcosm of that larger world. And in that microcosm, we have things that are normal to us, but alien to others. As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, terms like side control, x protection, and seat belt fastening are common to me and I talk to dozens of people every week who know what I mean when I use these terms. At Fstoppers, we receive pitches where the speaker thinks we understand the importance of the product, person, or event they’re talking about.
In the yard below, yes. Reference to a fugitive photographer. I’ve never heard that term. Using context clues, I can infer that the term refers to a photographer who captured people who had fled in Colorado. For the yard, the photographer might just use the term wedding photographer as we all understand what that means. The fact that this photographer shoots elopements instead of weddings has nothing to do with the pitch.
In the offering below, there is mention of the Nikon Coolpix 990 but there is not enough information about the significance of this particular camera. It’s good that the person mentioned that the camera is 22 years old but including some additional information about the camera would have been better. Perhaps this camera has been very popular for a very long time and is a Nikon bestseller. Or, maybe the camera has only been in production for 6 months and already has a huge following.
If the camera was the most expensive camera at the time, maybe that should be included in the pitch. A stronger ad for this article might be: “22 years later, Looking back at the Nikon Coolpix 990, a camera overlooked by the very users who should have benefited most from the features its.” Or, “22 years later, look back at the Nikon Coolpix 990, a camera whose features are still lacking compared to today’s professional models.”
At this point, it should be clear that the more specific you can be about your presentation, the better your chances of being accepted. Note the ambiguity of the offer below. The person is giving advice on landscape photography but without the context. I don’t do landscape photography, but I can write an article on the subject if needed. My tip is to use a tripod, shoot at low ISO, take photos at the ideal time of day, use a sharp lens, and test shoot at different angles. That article won’t be very interesting because those tips are general and can be applied to any type of photography.
To attract readers, the article needs to offer something unique or out of the ordinary that only an expert in that field of photography knows. A better presentation might be “How to Take Better Landscape Photos Without Using Expensive Tools” or “How Taking Photographs of Elderly People Made Me A Better Landscape Photographer”.
This is another pitch that is so vague that it makes no sense. There’s no such thing as an itch to entice a reader to click a link.
Let’s end with a look at a well-executed pitch. Here’s an excerpt from that pitch, and you’ll note that lawyers understand that an article needs to have an audience. The pitch lists 4 different types of photographers who might find value in writing.
If you pitch with Fstoppers, think of your audience first. It is okay if the article benefits you in some way but always ask yourself, how will the reader benefit from this article? Also, be specific about the topic your article will cover. Whenever possible, include a quotation mark that will make the post memorable. And finally, don’t be discouraged if your first offer is dropped. As you keep coming up with ideas, take a moment to reach out to Fstoppers with a strong persuasion. You will eventually find yourself contributing to this site in a meaningful way.
