Pitch Like A Honey Badger

Writer, photographer and instructor Amanda Castleman, a middle-age white woman with pale skin. Her hair is brown with silver growing in and is pulled into a fat high bun. She's wearing black pearl earrings and a black v-neck t-shirt. She has blue eyes and is smiling slightly — looks friendly!A smiling white woman, Blane Bachelor, with blonde-streaked hair and blue eyesJessica Poitevien, a Haitian-American writer (smiling black woman against a cityscape – probably New York)

 

 

 

 

Instructors: Amanda Castleman, Blane Bachelor, and Jessica Poitevien
Next date: 9/17
Duration: four weeks
Price: $290, full scholarships available + the Tripti Bhuyan Writing Award
Genre: any
Level: any
You may also like: Journalism Pitch Master Class
Enroll now!

Learn to pitch editors like the world’s most fearless animal with this four-week writing course online. No excuses. No mercy. No apologies. Get the work you want.

We’ll drill down into the mechanics of selling your articles and essays, from how to research markets to marketing yourself. We’ll also talk about how to overcome query-block, from imposter syndrome to perfectionism, fear of failure, and the etiquette of networking for referrals.

Pitch Like a Honey Badger will also explore how the pandemic and decreased ad revenues are changing the industry — and strategies for rolling with those punches.

Over two decades of full-time freelancing, Lead Instructor Amanda Castleman has cold-pitched into publications ranging from Wired to BBC Travel and USA Today. Like many freelancers, she has survived peaks, troughs and long periods of pitch-procrastination. But she has learned to bootstrap out of the plateaus, by asking “I am 100% content with my current outlets, income and creative output? Because if not, the quickest way to change that is by querying.”

You’ll submit up to six pitches during the course, receiving comments from your fellow students and developmental line-edits from Amanda, Blane and Jessica. We all develop patterns — of querying, phrasing and pre-reporting — that can bear revisiting from time to time. These detailed critiques will accelerate your skills and help you strengthen the weak spots and unconscious habits holding back your sales and progress as a writer.

Recently this process has helped alumni break into outlets like SELF, Bon Appétit, BBC Travel, National Geographic, CNN Travel, Sierra, Outside, Health, Smithsonian, American Way, The Daily Beast, Al Jazeera English, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The New York Times, Yahoo News, The Kitchn, Civil Eats, Buzzfeed, Rumpus, Data Journalism, The Nosher, GIA Reader , The Huffington Post , AARP’s The Ethel and The Washington Post’s Lily among others.

Personalized feedback allows everyone to work at their own level and (hopefully) jump up a few rungs… and it also helps experiential learners get better traction.

Alumni describe Amanda as a “a dream teacher, just the right balance between a knuckle-rapping tutor and a mom full of hugs.” Her feedback has been celebrated as amazing, funny, insightful, confidence-boosting, and “exceptional in terms of quality, detail and sheer usefulness.” One student commented, “A fine-toothed-comb edit like this is hard to find. I can’t wait to get started revising: it’s like being told the cheat to a Sonic the Hedgehog game at school and rushing home to test it out!” (Read more reviews about Amanda, Blane and Jessica.)

Please note: Honey Badger’s pitch instructors contribute to titles like AARP, Bon Appétit, The BBC, CNN, Condé Nast Traveler, The Daily Beast, Hemispheres, Outside, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, The New York Times, Robb Report, Travel + Leisure, and The Washington Post, among others. They have all built distinguished national-level writing careers and teach to pay it forward. So expect weekly direct feedback and zero upsell to purchase books, memberships, coaching, etc.

This workshop has deadlines, but no fixed time you must be online.

  • Lectures — Tuesdays (written, read at your convenience)
  • Assignments — due by midnight on Sundays wherever you are
  • Critiques — post Wednesdays by midnight Pacific
  • Peer feedback: due by midnight on Wednesdays
  • Special projects, like bios at the start — Fridays

Suitable for emerging and experienced writers alike — in any journalistic genre — this month-long workshop will push you to think about the freelancing career you want… and to start reaching for it. 

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PITCH LIKE A HONEY BADGER CURRICULUM

Please note: PLHB has written lectures, feedback, and chat forums. There is no fixed time requirement to be on the classroom site.

Week One: The Art Of The Ask
Exploring different types of stories. The essential ingredients of a good query. Selling the story and yourself. Pushing past the fear.
Assignment: write one new pitch (max 300 words)

Bonus primer: Getting started — how and when to submit completed article (“on speculation”). Researching writers’ guidelines. Simultaneous submissions. Setting up a quick and easy web portfolio.

Week Two: Timing Is Everything
Understanding editorial lead-times. Devising timely angles.
Assignment: workshop your best idea, exploring the “why THIS story NOW by YOU” components and how your piece will build on previous coverage (max 600 words).

Week Three: Telling The Stories Only You Can
Highlighting your expertise, unusual access and insider sources. Interviewing 101.
Assignment: turn in one pitch, either new or revised (max 300 words).

Week Four: Opening Up New Markets
Networking. Cold-pitching. Researching and breaking into suitable publications.
Assignment: turn in two pitches, either new or revised (max 500 words)

Optional Add-on ($125)
A critique of your biography and online portfolio. Advice on tactics and your authorial persona. This includes two rounds of questions by email or a half-hour call. Enroll here.

Coaching sessions are also available, along with a full portfolio-build package that includes editing and instruction on maintaining your site.

ALUMNI REVIEWS

“Thank you so much again for your invaluable feedback and all the energy and specificity you gave to the class. It really shines through!” — Rin Hart

“Consider me a success story. I’ve already sold three ideas I explored in the workshop. Two pieces touching on personally important topics like racism, misogyny and bias against Asian-American women; and an interview with an emerging poet who writes about grief and loss through the experience of miscarriage. These are obviously very niche topics! Amanda walked me through how to write concise and effective pitches for a range of publications, opening the doors to new opportunities that I lacked the confidence to previously pursue.” — Shin Yu Pai

“Amanda’s class is the best investment I’ve made in my writing career. A former newspaper and magazine staffer, I had an inkling I could have some success with freelancing, but felt super intimidated by pitching and breaking into bigger name outlets. The course was a wealth of information, beyond just pitching, really, with resources on imposter syndrome, sourcing, the business side of freelancing, etc. And though the personalized feedback was invaluable, it was also really illuminating to learn from other students’ pitches and writing interests and Amanda’s years of experience. She was able to edit and push us to grow while being incredibly supportive and boosting the group’s confidence. Back to that great investment: Not only did some of the pitches I worked on in class lead to bylines at some of my dream outlets, such as Bon Appétit and CNN Travel, but the class also paid for itself a few times over with those commissions. I’ve continued to take the lessons learned with me, Amanda is still cheering me on and I will very likely take another course soon. Thank you! ” — Sophia Gottfried 

“This class is dope! It was the most INSANELY COOL, AWESOMELY PERFECT, WONDERFULLY BRILLIANT course I’ve ever taken (and I must say, I’ve taken some really bangin’ prof dev courses of late). I’m so incredibly grateful to you and your brilliant kick-ass team. The feedback has been so beyond helpful, so thorough, so supportive. I want to both shout your praises from the rooftops because you and the course are SO good, but also keep you and the course completely to myself to stay ahead of the competition!” – J’nai Gaither

“I learned so much in Amanda’s class. Her lectures contain a wealth of practical, insider information helpful for the newbie as well as the experienced freelancer. The class was worthwhile for the pitch help alone — Amanda and her team provided expert, detailed feedback on six!

“Blane’s feedback was right on target. She helped me hone in on a unique, sellable angle, and she knew where to cut extraneous language to get to the heart of an idea. I’ve read her feedback often as I’ve crafted new pitches. Jessica’s critiques were also positive and encouraging — vital for those of us building confidence about pitching — but also constructive. She knows what it takes to land an assignment with an editor, and her expertise came through in her thoughtful line edits and comments.” — Alyssa Kagel

“This isn’t just another pitch feedback class; the lessons are thorough and Amanda’s dedication to helping writers takes it to a whole new level.  She answers all your questions in detail and never leaves you feeling lost in the middle of this big bad freelancing world. If you’re struggling to get started or find yourself in a pitching rut, this might be the push you need. Thanks, Amanda!” — Sakshi Udavant

“I am an Amanda groupie. After three classes with her, my confidence as a writer has grown thanks to her encouragement and mentoring. I started to believe in my voice through her generosity, thoughtfulness and constructive feedback. Her  confidence in my abilities helped me persevere and create a framework for a query that is garnering responses like “great pitching here” from editors (and also a series of assigned stories!).” — Elena Sonnino

“I absolutely loved Amanda’s class. Not only did she give the most specific and constructive writing feedback I’ve ever received (and I spent 6+ years in graduate school), she showed us how to transfer specific comments to future projects. As a former academic, I found the class especially useful for recognizing and letting go of jargon and distilling complicated ideas into something interesting and palatable. As I work the tools I learned, I’m starting to get more takes on my queries and recently had an editor refer to one of my pitches as “one of the best” she’s seen. What a great day!” —Stacey McKenna

“Writing for several years, it was never something I made a living off of but more a hobby. Determined to change that, I took Amanda Castleman’s class. Her critiques are thorough, with insightful edits. Plus she’s kind and considerate in her critiques while helping writers get closer to landing an assignment. In the midst of the class, I even landed an assignment with Fodor’s, something I don’t think I could have done without the skill and confidence I got from Pitch Like a Honey Badger. Another excellent thing about the class is the exhaustive resources of where to pitch stories.”  — Malika Bowling

“What an amazing gift you’ve given us: personalized attention plus huge generosity in sharing practical knowledge from the trenches. Far better than courses at traditional institutions.” — Anne Anderson

Read more reviews here.

SELECT WORKS BY PITCH LIKE A HONEY BADGER ALUMNI

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where are the classes held?
We’ll be working on Google Classroom, a browser-based teaching platform. This allows files to be shared easily, without cluttering your inbox, and gives you classroom access from any net-wired terminal, anywhere in the world. But you’ll still have options to push alerts to email, if that appeals.

When does the bell ring?
Never! Go online whenever you please — the classroom is open 24/7.

Is there a video component or live chat?
No. The lectures, feedback and chat forums are all done in writing, so we can accommodate students traveling and living in many different time zones.

What’s with the goofy name?
We’re honoring the animal named most fearless by the Guinness Book Of World Records – and also this hilarious 2011 viral video by Randall (warning: explicit language).

Pitching can be stressful. We hope our tribute to the Honey Badger reminds you to be tenacious – and also to smile a little too.

What if I write in another genre than the instructor?
No problem at all. This workshop explores the best practices of pitching, which are universal across journalism, and draws on successful queries on a variety of topics.

Didn’t Julie Schwietert Collazo teach a class like this?
Yes! Amanda created Pitch Like A Honey Badger in 2015 and handed it off to the amazing Ms. Collazo, when she took a break from teaching. Julie is now busy captaining Immigrant Families Together, but still offers coaching and consultations via her website.

Can I travel during class?
Students — and the instructors — frequently travel during the course. The lessons and discussions remain online, and late submissions are welcome by special arrangement throughout the four-week period. The decision should hinge upon your work habits: can you work and focus well on the road? Will you have the discipline to make up assignments back home?

 Is the course suitable for experienced writers?
Absolutely. Amanda’s taught full-time journalists and professionals jumping genres or reviving skill-sets (including former staffers for Shape, The Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal). Pitch Like a Honey Badger usually attracts about 60-75% established freelancers, but all levels are welcome.

Can unpublished or emerging writers benefit from this workshop?
Yes. Wherever you are on the ladder, we can help you climb higher.

How much time does it take?
The time commitment varies, of course, but each week, students average 30-60 minutes to read the lecture and at least 60-90 for the assignments, plus another half hour for peer feedback. So plan for a minimum of two to three hours.

Ambitious readers can delve deep via links and articles: some study is self-guided and entirely optional.


What sort of success can I expect?
Students have published in outlets from Sunset to National Geographic and The New York Times. One had to pause, then restart the class later, because she landed so much work off the first pitches she ever sent. A handful have now won travel writing’s most prestigious prize, the Lowell Thomas, and been featured in Best Travel Writing.

But placement depends on timing, connections and marketing savvy, as much as talent. We work to boost each student up a few ladder rungs from where he or she began. For some, that’s publishing a first clip, for others breaking into A-list publications.

 I live outside the U.S. Is this a problem?
The class is entirely online with no fixed hours. All you need is a word-processing program, Internet access, a browser and a credit card. A recent session included students from Ireland, Scotland, Prague, India and New Zealand, as well as across North America; such a mix really invigorates the class. Amanda has staffed in the US and UK — and continues to work for publications around the globe. Thus she’s sensitive to Anglophone dialects and how they might affect publication-ready prose.

 I’m not sure I want to publish…
This is not the class for you, then.

Will this course help a blogger?
Yes, if you’re eager to sell work to the mainstream media. You’re welcome to work on letters negotiating ads, sponsorships, ambassadorships or fundraising, but the course material won’t focus on these topics.

What stops other writers from stealing my ideas?
The world teems with story concepts and writers often stumble across the same ones: overlap tends to be coincidence, not theft. But this workshop will inoculate you, by focusing on the stories you’re most suited to tell, and digging deep for original angles, access and sources to make them shine. Between your unique take — and the 10,000-odd English-language publications worldwide — there’s room for students to explore the same topics, working together, rather than being at odds.

Will other students steal my contacts and outlets?
No. We encourage people to pool intel, as a rising tide lifts all boats. But you’re under no obligation to divulge publication details or editors’ emails, if that doesn’t feel comfortable.

What if I have another question?
Please ask us! Email amanda@writelikeahoneybadger.com. (Please note: we supply this address so we can assist students and alumni. We do not accept proposals to improve SEO or app/web-dev proposals. All off-topic emails will be reported as spam.)

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