Preparing for PitchFest and tips for making the most of Health Journalism 2022
AHCJ Overall health Journalism 2022 is close to the corner, with many options aimed specially at freelance journalists. Sign-up by March 28 to take gain of the early bird amount.
Editors fulfill with impartial journalists at PitchFest at Overall health Journalism 2016. (Image by Pia Christensen)
One of the most interesting alternatives is PitchFest, which is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, April 29. Sixteen editors from major publications are coming to the convention to listen to your story ideas. They incorporate editors from AARP, WebMD, National Geographic, Everyday Wellbeing, Kaiser Health and fitness Information and NPR. Far more specifics about each editor can be located on the Friday function plan web site on the AHCJ internet site.
You should signal up in progress for just about every 10-moment appointment with an editor. The on the web indicator-up time period opens on Monday, April 4, 10 a.m. CST, enabling for a highest of 3 appointments. I would counsel blocking out that time on your calendar now and setting up to indicator up that early morning. Some editors are incredibly popular and appointments with them go fast. The connection to indicator up will seem on the PitchFest site on the AHCJ web site that early morning.
There is no promise that you will get an assignment on the spot at PitchFest, but it does come about. You raise your prospects of acquiring an assignment on the working day or via abide by-up emails by coming to just about every appointment with a well-investigated pitch.
The PitchFest website page has far more facts about planning for the celebration, such as five basic guidelines for PitchFest etiquette:
- Exhibit up. If you fail to clearly show up for any of your appointments, you will not be allowed to indicator up in advance for subsequent year’s PitchFest. In addition, be informed that the booked editor will have your title, perhaps harming your status with that publication for many years to come.
- Prepare appropriately. We’ve posted blurbs from editors describing what they want, so read through individuals to customize your pitch to what every editor desires. For case in point, news editors will not want to listen to a pitch for a element. Examine the publication to ensure your pitch is a excellent match.
- Arrive in a great deal of time. We will operate on time and we will operate like clockwork. If you are late, you forfeit your pitch.
- Regard the time restrict. When you listen to the a single-minute warning, start out to wrap up. When you hear time called, thank the editor and notify them that you will follow up with an e mail.
- Understand the restrictions. You should recognize that attending PitchFest does not ensure you a sale. It does guarantee you an chance to pitch encounter-to-encounter to editors who are really hard to access, even by e-mail.
Of course, impartial journalists never arrive to the meeting just for PitchFest. There are panels geared in direction of freelancers and panels to enable all journalists develop their techniques. You are going to hear from expert journalists and editors about how to craft a effective pitch, negotiate charges, uncover resources, incorporate narrative writing into your tales, and a great deal more.
The panels at this year’s convention about vital well being subjects, this sort of as local climate adjust, racial justice, the pandemic, most cancers screening and far more, will aid you generate tale concepts. And each and every working day, there will be alternatives to network with fellow journalists, panelists, editors and representatives from hospitals and trade teams.
Karen Blum, AHCJ’s main subject chief on overall health IT and an unbiased journalist in the Baltimore place, has written a idea sheet for receiving the most out of the conference. I extremely advise reading through it in advance of arriving in Austin.
I seem ahead to observing you at Health Journalism 2022!