Centre for Social Innovation (Annex)
720 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Hosted by David Silverberg
Pitch Like a Pro: A Workshop on Getting Published in Print and Online is a comprehensive guide on how freelance writers can get their queries noticed by editors in print and online. Pitching story ideas can be difficult work for journalists, especially if they're new to freelance, and in this workshop I'll help writers learn how to craft the perfect pitch.
This is an in-person seminar and workshop taking place on two dates, since I wanted to offer options to interested folks. You can select the Thursday March 28 session at 720 Bathurst, 2nd floor, taking place at 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m, or the Sunday April 14 workshop running from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., also at 720 Bathurst. The same content will be covered in each session so there's no need to attend both.
The venue is fully accessible thanks to elevators in the building, which is the Centre for Social Innovation, otherwise known as CSI Annex.
The cost for each session is $30 and can be paid via PayPal (davidsilverberg@rogers.com) or via e-transfer to my other email address of davidsilverberg@gmail.com
A cheque can also be mailed to me so please contact me for those details. Please note you will only be refunded the session fees until 24 hours before the workshop begins. If you cancel within 24 hours of the session, there will be no refunds.
Please email me once you've sent the payment with a note on which date (March 28 or April 14) you'll be attending.
Note I will cap each session at 10 participants, and will offer a waiting list for March 28 and April 14. Refreshments will be provided.
You MUST register in advance because I won't be accepting in-person day-of registrants, unless otherwise noted on this Event page.
There won't be any live-tweeting or live-video filming taking place, although that will be considered for summer sessions of Pitch Like a Pro.
What you'll learn in the workshop will be advice and tips I've never shared with anyone before, revealing the process I go through from idea generation to research to pitch, offering real examples of queries that editors accepted. Questions to be answered will include: "What makes a strong pitch? How long should it be? What kind of publications would be perfect for this or that idea? Should I submit simultaneous queries? What common mistakes should I avoid?"
Attendees can also expect to write their own pitches based on ideas I will share with the class, but if you have your own pitches (that haven't been accepted by publishers) than please bring them along.
Attendees should also bring pen, paper, laptops, etc for that writing portion of the workshop.
What are my qualifications to run this workshop? I've been freelance writing for more than 15 years, and I've gone full-time as a freelance in the past three years. I've been published in The Washington Post, BBC News, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Buzzfeed, Ars Technica, Vice, NOW Magazine, Canadian Jewish News, Canadian Business, Rue Morgue, Princeton Alumni Magazine, Ryerson Alumni Magazine and many more.
Between 2016 and today, I've published more than 250 articles in various print and online outlets. I also worked as an editor, who fielded dozens of pitches weekly, when I helped run the online news network Digital Journal.
Questions? Let me know via davidsilverberg@gmail.com