Pitching: Graeme Scallion, W14

Like many of my blog-mates, I began this week's research by typing "How to pitch a podcast" into Google. I was surprised to find that, while there are many blogs on the topic, it was slightly more challenging to uncover what I would consider reliable, inside information from industry professionals. I came away from the venture with advice from the following sources:

1.       CBC Radio’s Pitch Guide. As the leading broadcasting company in Canada, CBC is the national authority on the radio industry, and their official website shares in that authority. The guide to pitching on this website emphasizes, above all else, that the pitcher must communicate their topic’s relevance to the show they’re pitching to, a fact I was already cognizant of. What I didn’t consider until I found this source, however, was the importance of tone in a podcast, and for the pitcher to articulate the mood the show will carry.

2.       This American Life. Though technically a radio show and not a podcast, This American Life is a real-life example of the sort of show we aspire to emulate in this class, so where better to look for a guide on pitching? The website has a page devoted to successful pitches like the ones Professor Bell showed us last class. Though varied in topic, all these pitches are short, to the point, and aware of the questions the pitcher intends to raise.

3.       San Francisco Book Review. As a prominent a fairly new publication, The San Francisco Book Review claims to receive over 300 submissions of books to review every month, and the pitches they read are likely very similar to the sort we are working on. The website’s guide to pitching a podcast instructs the reader to list five things the podcast will reveal to the listener, which ties into the previously listed point about acknowledging questions the podcast will raise.

Before accessing these sources, I assumed it would be enough to stand in front of the class and briefly summarize what my podcast will be about, but I now realize that I must take much more into consideration. My pitch needs to emphasize what my listener will be taking away from my podcast, in terms of information, mood, and state-of-mind. I will also need to have a basic understanding of what my completed podcast will look like, what technology I’ll be using, and any outside elements I will include, which is difficult to say this stage in the game.

Below are proper citations for the sources I accessed for this blog post:

Barko, Stephanie. "How to Pitch a Podcast." San Francisco Book Review. 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

"Radio Pitch Guide." Pitch to CBC Radio. CBC Radio Canada. Aug. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

"Sample Pitches." This American Life. 2014. Web. 25 Jan. 2014