How to pitch UK commissioning editors

The UK market is smaller than the US and more relationship-driven. Fewer desks, fewer commissions, and a stronger convention that you pitch an idea rather than submit a finished piece. The upside is that a good pitch reaches a real person more often than it does in the US.

The word "commissioning"

British publications talk about commissioning editors, and the word tells you how the market works. You pitch; if they like it, they commission the piece and you write it to an agreed brief, length and fee. Sending a completed 2,000-word feature unsolicited is unusual outside literary magazines and is often read as not understanding the market.

Find the commissioning editor for the specific section. The masthead lists them.

The pitch

Subject: a plain description of the idea. UK desks are less standardised on the "PITCH:" prefix than US ones, and either is fine.

Two or three paragraphs. The idea, why now, and why you.

Slightly more context is tolerated than in the US — but not much. The first sentence still has to carry the idea.

Say the length and when you can file.

Under 300 words.

Rates and the per-1,000 convention

UK rates are conventionally quoted per 1,000 words, which trips up writers used to per-word figures. £250 per 1,000 words is 25p a word — the same number expressed differently, and it is worth converting before you decide whether an offer is good.

Ask three things before filing:

• The fee, in writing. "We pay standard rates" is not a fee.
• When payment is made — on publication or on acceptance. On acceptance is better and some titles do it.
• Whether there is a kill fee if the piece is dropped.

Late payment is a widespread problem in UK freelance journalism. Invoice promptly, keep the correspondence, and chase without embarrassment — it is expected, not rude.

Style conventions to get right

Set your spellchecker to UK English before you file. Beyond `-ise` versus `-ize`, watch:

• Punctuation outside quotation marks unless it belongs to the quotation
• Single quotes in many house styles
• No Oxford comma in most UK publications
• Collective nouns take plural verbs — "the government are considering"
• Titles without full stops — Mr, Dr, Ms

A copy-editor will fix these, but a pitch written in obvious US style signals you have not read the publication.

Following up

A fortnight, once, politely, in the same thread. UK desks are often smaller and slower than US ones, and a chase after four days lands badly.

Common mistakes

Sending a finished feature nobody commissioned. Pitching the editor-in-chief rather than the section's commissioning editor. Not naming a fee expectation when asked. US spelling throughout. Assuming a per-word rate when the offer is per 1,000. Not invoicing promptly, then finding the fee has drifted three months.

Practical tips

• Read the section, not the front page, and name a specific slot if the publication has recurring ones.
• Ask for the fee in writing before you start. This is normal and nobody will think less of you.
• BRYME's UK listings show what each verified title states about pay, length and eligibility.
• The regional conventions page covers the spelling, date and punctuation differences in full.