How Revenge Pitching Landed Me a Story in a Dream Pub — And Why You Should Try It

The phrase “revenge travel” has been floating around online the past few months, referring to the movement of people booking travel post-vaccination this year as revenge on having that opportunity yanked away in 2020. (The official definition of “revenge” is “to avenge (oneself or another) usually by retaliating in kind or degree,” so in this case, we’re talking about “retaliating” against the pandemic.)

While I haven’t been thinking about my own trips in this way, this mindset crept into my pitching recently and earned me a commission from a top publication. Now, I’m sharing with you how what I’m calling revenge pitching landed me a story in a dream outlet — and what PR can learn from it, too.

The Idea

My story idea first began to form early this year, when my husband and I ordered new appliances for our home and learned they were on backorder for months (we’re still waiting on them, unfortunately). I realized this was a bigger issue when, during a call with a publicist friend about an unrelated story, I learned she and her family were struggling with appliance delays, too, living without an oven since Thanksgiving 2020. Doing a bit more research, I learned many were dealing with this same frustrating situation — so I formulated a pitch for a national outlet, for whom I’d written before, but never the food section.

I knew the pitch was aligned with the type of stories they produced. When I didn’t hear back from the editor a week after sending my carefully crafted pitch, I followed up again. Then, once more seven days later. Finally, a response! I held my breath as I clicked on the email, which turned out to be a less-than-pleasant rejection. I persisted, offering one more bit of information I hoped would change the editor’s mind, and was met with one final response that hurt my pride a little.

The Response

As journalists and as publicists, we all try to put forth our best pitches. Many times, these pitches are the result of hours of thought and research, so when they’re so quickly (or rudely) dismissed, it can feel personal. Even the most mentally tough writers can struggle with rejection. But, that doesn’t mean your pitch has to die.

When a pitch is rejected, it’s easy to file away the email and try to forget the response you didn’t want. It’s even better, however, to send a revenge pitch — and by this, I mean to turn around and immediately tweak your pitch and send it to another publication (or freelance writer) for consideration. Is there any better “revenge” than placing a story with a different amazing outlet?

That’s what I did with my story on backordered appliances. With a burst of adrenaline racing through my veins following the tough rejection, I typed in the email address for an editor at Food & Wine I’d long admired. Do you ever feel like you’re too scared to pitch a top outlet, editor, or writer? I’ve been there, too. It’s irrational thinking, however; you truly have nothing to lose by sending a simple email. (What’s the worst that can happen — a “no,” or no response, not life-altering.)

I sent the pitch to this editor on a Monday afternoon, and by mid-morning Tuesday, I had a thoughtful response — and an assignment! — in my inbox. She liked the idea and, though we’d never previously connected, took a chance on me. It made my entire week. So often that’s all it takes, giving someone a chance, to enable them to shine.

Long story short, my first feature published by Food & Wine, an outlet I’ve subscribed to and admired for years, came out in early May. You can read it here. The editor is so lovely to work with, and I’m already working on my next piece with her. I’m proud of this story not only because it stemmed from an original idea based on a personal experience, but because it signified a moment of professional growth for me, being able to turn negative energy into a positive outcome. It gave me courage and confidence to repeat this process the next time I get a pitch rejected.

The Takeaway

So, what can PR learn from this? Three big things:

If at once you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Just because you don’t get a response to a pitch from a freelance writer (or editor) once doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pitch them again. There are so many reasons a freelance writer may not respond to your pitch, and many of them may have nothing to do with you. Don’t take no response personal; simply follow up or try again with a better idea.

You, too, can revenge pitch.

Getting your pitch rejected by a freelance writer or editor is a disappointment. But instead of getting sucked into a space of negative energy due to a rejection, think about how you can channel that energy into repitching your idea to a writer or publication that may be a better fit. Do it right away, too.

Aim high.

The more established a freelance writer becomes, the more likely we are to fall into the routine of pitching the same outlets over and over again. It’s easy and comfortable, and PR do this, too, pitching the same writers. Today I encourage you to ask yourself, What (or who) is your Food & Wine? You know that incredible outlet in which you’ve always wanted to have a client featured, or that admired writer with whom you’ve long wanted to work? Go after it. No aim is too high, because the worst that can happen is they say no.

You know that cheesy line, “Shoot for the moon… even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”? It really is true here. In my case, an unpleasant rejection email ignited a fire in me to push for a story I believed in. There was a tiny part of me that wanted to share the published link with the original editor who rejected it — but in the end, I decided the personal satisfaction was more than enough. I’m perfectly happy keeping my “revenge” to myself and letting it help fuel future successes.

Tell me about a time you sent a revenge pitch. Does rejection fuel you to aim higher with your pitches? What do you think of this approach?