Virtual Client Connections
Client Connections’ little sister, Virtual Client Connections, offers even more opportunities to land new clients.
Virtual Pitch Slams
Virtual Pitch Slam
Pitch Slams are exciting opportunities to share your ideas with editors or agents — and learn effective pitching techniques.
Get Ready for the Next Virtual Pitch Slam on May 18 with HuffPost editor Noah Michelson
On Monday, May 18, eight ASJA members will get the chance to pitch their story ideas to HuffPost editor Noah Michelson during one of our most popular benefits: the well-regarded Virtual Pitch Slam client networking event.
HuffPost covers “news, politics and other stories you can’t ignore,” Michelson says. “Millions of people trust HuffPost to deliver the unvarnished truth about the powerful, the popular and the personal.” Michelson is specifically interested in talking with ASJA writers in his search for personal essays, for which HuffPost pays $200.
May’s VPS takes place on Zoom at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. VPS events are free. The only requirement to pitch is being an ASJA Professional member in good standing — and signing up on time. Pitching slots are first-come first-serve. However, any ASJA member may attend the event to watch and learn.
How Virtual Pitch Slams Work
If you’re not familiar with Virtual Pitch Slam–VPS for short–it’s an hour-long online pitch session. An editor from a specific, pre-announced writing outlet starts things off by talking about the kinds of stories the outlet is seeking. Then, one by one, each ASJA professional member who’s registered for the slam in advance has two minutes to pitch no more than two story ideas. The editor offers instant feedback, which could include a request for a follow-up email. Then it’s the next writer’s turn to pitch.
VPS is open only to ASJA members at the professional member level. However, ASJA members at any level–including associate and retired members–can listen in on pitch sessions. Listening in is a great way to learn about pitching. Members who attend but don’t pitch can also use what they learn to pitch outlets after the fact.
For more on VPS, read the FAQ, here.
How to Register for the May 18 VPS
If you want to participate in the May 18 VPS, visit this page as close to May 12 at noon ET as possible. The online registration form will become available (below) at that time.
While registering, you will be directed to provide the following information. Because slots may fill up quickly and registration is first-come-first-served, it’s a good idea to write out all the information in advance so you can cut and paste it into the registration form.
- Name
- Phone number
- LinkedIn profile
- Website or portfolio
- Short bio (120 characters)
Signups will close once all slots are filled. Members who get a pitching slot will be notified by May 13. Two standby registrants will be chosen; standbys should save the date and time on their calendars and have pitches prepared in case a registrant drops out.
ASJA members who want to listen in on the pitch slam can join on May 18 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time using this link. Attendees who are not pitching will be muted during the VPS, and the Zoom chat function will be disabled so they cannot ask questions.
VPS sessions are recorded and free for all ASJA members to listen to on demand; recordings of past VPS sessions are available here.
2026 VPS events will take place in June, September, and December.
Registration Form
Registration for the May 18 VPS event is now closed, since all eight main slots and the two alternate spots have been filled. However, we hope that you’ll still attend as an observer. It’s a great opportunity to learn from other members’ pitches and the editor’s feedback. Plus, you can always use the knowledge you gain about the participating editors’ needs to pitch their publication. That said, if you can’t attend live, you’ll be able to watch the recording once it’s posted to ASJA’s website. Thanks for your interest in VPS. Hope to see you there!
What to Know About HuffPost
HuffPost is a digital publication that ‘covers news, politics and other stories you can’t ignore.’ They typically pay $200 per piece.
The editor who will be taking part in the May 18 VPS shared the following information about the types of pitches they are seeking.
Assignments. We’re looking for pitches for 600-1,000 word articles with a two-week turnaround on assignments. I don’t assign pieces–I accept pitches on spec. I will always need to see a draft before I can assign a piece but I’m happy to weigh in on a pitch first. Needless to say, I’m looking for an angle/specific story rather than pitches on broad topics.
Pitch topics. I really am just looking for good personal essays — doesn’t matter to me if you’ve published in the top outlets or never published before as long as you have something compelling to share and you’re open to feedback/edits/working with an editor.
Personal essays (mostly narrative but with some takeaway / perspective at the end); they can be lightly reported but I’m not looking for fully reported pieces / no interviews / no third person pieces / no straight service pieces (but there can be a light service element to essays). 1,000 to 2,000 words are our sweet spot but we’ll take longer if it’s necessary and the piece keeps the reader’s attention all the way through.
Fees. Typically $200 per piece.
Other information. The pieces that tend to do the best for me are ones where someone learns something / discovers something / has a change of heart / grapples with some tough lesson / finds joy in an unexpected place / can give some hope or share a difficult truth.
Links to a few articles that have been a smashing success:
Meet the Editor
Noah Michelson has worked at HuffPost since 2011, when he was hired to launch and oversee the site’s first vertical dedicated to queer issues, the award-winning Queer Voices. He went on to direct all of HuffPost’s community sections before pivoting to create and run HuffPost Personal in 2018. He has conceived of and hosted several podcasts at HuffPost and is currently the co-executive producer and co-host of the site’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast. Noah, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his husband and their dog Jumanji, received his MFA in Poetry from New York University, and has served as a commentator for NPR, the BBC, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, and Sirius XM.
Did you miss a VPS? Watch a recording!
On March 4, Leah Prinzivalli, editor from Slate Magazine, took pitches from 8 professional members. The recording is available for Professional and Associate members to view here (you must be logged in to view this page).
Other past VPS recordings are accessible through the Resource Finder. Search for a publication or client using the keyword search, or scroll down to the pink box, click Client Networking, and scroll down to find past VPS recordings you’d like to watch.
These recordings are available to Professional and Associate members of ASJA. If you are not a member, read about ASJA’s many benefits and join today!
What are Virtual Pitch Slams?
Held a few times a year, Virtual Pitch Slams (VPS) provide professional members with an opportunity to pitch story ideas to an editor in a group setting.
Previous Virtual Pitch Slam participants include: Trails Magazine, AARP, National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens, Cosmopolitan, Boston Globe, Costco Connection, MIT Technology Review and Business Insider.
These one-hour events take place in a virtual group setting. Each VPS begins with an interview-style conversation between an ASJA host and the editor about the kinds of stories their outlet is seeking. After the introduction, VPS gives professional members two minutes to pitch to the editor no more than two story ideas as other members listen. This format provides an opportunity not only for members to pitch their ideas (and follow-up directly with editors by email if requested), but also gives members an opportunity to hear how other freelance writers craft a pitch while hearing detailed explanations from the editor about what works or doesn’t work for their particular outlet. Recordings are available for those who cannot attend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a Virtual Pitch Slam?
Held several times a year, Virtual Pitch Slams (VPS) are one-hour, events during which a moderator hosts a client and ASJA members share live pitches. The client then provides constructive feedback on each story idea.
Who can participate in VPS, and how do you sign up?
Professional ASJA members sign up online on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration for VPS will be announced well in advance, via email, the ASJA Weekly and on social media, so members can take note of the date. Once signups open, members can click on the live link on the ASJA website’s VPS page to register.
How does VPS work?
Each participant gets two minutes to pitch one or two story ideas while other registered members listen in.
Will I definitely get a pitching slot?
No. It is first-come, first-served. We take a maximum of 10 participants.
If I get a pitching slot, how should I prepare?
A week before the VPS, each participant will receive detailed information provided by the editor outlining what they’re looking for. Use this as a guideline to carefully prepare your pitch, making sure that it meets the client’s criteria.
• Do not bring non-relevant pitches to VPS! Clients are expecting our members to bring on-target, on-brand ideas.
• No need to introduce yourself or recite your biography. Editors will get a list of participants and a link to their websites in advance.
• To make sure all members have time to pitch, you will be muted after two ideas are pitched or after your two minutes are up.
What if I miss the signup period?
We post VPS recordings on the website shortly after the event, so all ASJA members can have access. Listening to fellow writers pitching is a great way to learn what an editor is looking for, which can help you pitch future stories to their publication or organization. Access VPS recordings from the ASJA Resource Finder.
What if I have a client that would work well for VPS?
We welcome suggestions for clients to approach! Contact Client Networking Chair Cari Shane at Cari@CariShane.com.
Tips for pitches
- Make sure that your idea suits the publication and its audience. Research the publication or agent before developing your pitch.
- Pitches are time-limited, so practice before the meeting. Make sure you can get your idea across as concisely as possible.
- Include word count and potential sources in your pitch. Be sure to mention if your idea is timely or corresponds with a particular season or holiday.
Learn more
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