Writing guide
When to follow up on a pitch (and when to stop)
Timing rules for the follow-up: how long to wait, what to send, how many times, and when to walk.
Silence after a pitch is not an answer, but it is information. The follow-up exists to catch the pitches that were buried, and it works only when it is short, calm and rare.
The timing rule. One to two weeks, then one short follow-up. The publication's own submission page overrides everything - if it says four weeks or no reply, believe it.
What to send. Three or four sentences on the original thread: still interested, still available, and a no is completely fine. That last sentence makes the reply easy.
How many times. One follow-up, at a stretch two, a week apart. A third nudge is not persistence; it is a reputation.
Signals to act on. A real no with feedback is a door - pitch that editor again. Three straight silences is a wall - spend the next idea elsewhere. If the publication announced a restructure or an editor left, the pitch is not buried, it is homeless: freshen the hook and send it to the next name on your list.
The habit that beats luck. Pitch in batches. Five live pitches make one silence a statistic instead of a heartbreak.