Pitch a news or feature story to an editor — the angle, why now, and how you'll report it. Use when a reporter or freelancer needs to pitch a story, sell an editor on an angle, or write a query letter to a publication. Produces a tight pitch: the hook and angle, why it matters and why now, the reporting plan and sources, your access/credibility, and the format/length fit. Distinct from media-pitch (PR pitching a story TO journalists).
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Use story-pitch to write a concise editor pitch for [story lead] to [publication], including a specific angle, timely news peg, reporting plan, outlet-fit format, and follow-up line; offer 2–3 angles if the lead is still only a topic.
Required inputs
[story lead]
[publication]
User-approved starter prompt based on a pinned source version; check current skill requirements before running. Task evidence ↗
SKILL.md
name: story-pitchdescription: "Pitch a news or feature story to an editor — the angle, why now, and how you'll report it. Use when a reporter or freelancer needs to pitch a story, sell an editor on an angle, or write a query letter to a publication. Produces a tight pitch: the hook and angle, why it matters and why now, the reporting plan and sources, your access/credibility, and the format/length fit. Distinct from media-pitch (PR pitching a story TO journalists)."
Story Pitch Skill
Editors kill most pitches in ten seconds because they can't find the story — just a topic. A topic is "AI in schools." A story is "the district that banned AI, then quietly reversed after test scores dropped." This skill sharpens a topic into an angle an editor can say yes to, and shows you can actually report it.
Working from a brief
Given the topic or reporting lead, write the full pitch — find the specific angle and the "why now," and propose the reporting. If the idea is still a topic, say so and offer 2–3 angle options.
Required Inputs
Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):
The story idea / lead and the publication (or type) you're pitching
Why now — the news peg or timeliness
Your access — sources, documents, expertise, or reporting already done
Output Format
The angle (one line)
The specific story, not the topic — the tension, the turn, or the character at its center.
Pitch (the query)
3–4 tight paragraphs:
The hook — the opening that would open the piece.
The angle & stakes — what the story reveals and why readers should care.
Why now — the peg that makes it timely.
The reporting plan — sources you'll talk to, documents, access, and roughly how you'll structure it.
Fit
Proposed format (news, feature, investigation, Q&A), rough length, and section — matched to the outlet. A line on why you (access, expertise, track record).
Follow-up
A one-line note on timing and how you'll follow up if you don't hear back.
Quality Checks
It's an angle, not a topic — a specific story an editor can picture
"Why now" is explicit
The reporting plan names real sources/access, showing it's doable
Format, length, and section fit the target outlet
The hook could actually open the published piece
It's tight — an editor gets it in under a minute
Anti-Patterns
Pitching a topic ("something about housing") with no angle
No news peg or reason it's timely
All idea, no reporting plan (an editor can't tell if you can deliver)
Ignoring the outlet's format, audience, and length
Burying the story under throat-clearing before the hook