Pitch Perfect!
Photo: Ella Jardim @daniellajardim
How artists can reach out to galleries, the media, and brands with confidence!
Have you already thought about and written down your big goals for 2021? If yours include media features, exhibition invitations, gallery representation, brand collaborations, and more, you’re going to want to bookmark this article for future use! Since we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic and a fair amount of your networking may be done virtually this year, this month I’m focusing on tips to help you level up your pitching skills so you can continue to find new opportunities to grow your career.
Before I get into the specifics, however, I first want to remind you that even though it may feel intimidating to put yourself out there and reach out to an organization, curator, writer, or gallery you admire, it’s important that you don’t wait for others to come to you. Waiting doesn’t guarantee anything, while taking action at least gives you a chance for a successful outcome (think of the saying “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”). The more focused and specific you are about what you want, the more likely it is to eventually come to fruition. I’m a firm believer in the idea that you have the power to make amazing things happen for yourself and sometimes all you have to do is ask for them.
The Basics
1. To Whom It May Concern
Always try to find a direct contact whenever possible. When pitching a media outlet, find specific writers that might be interested in your story. For galleries, try to locate the information of a director or owner and in the case of a brand or business, look for the person in charge of partnerships if they have one. Double check the spelling of their name(s) and don’t make assumptions with pronouns. I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve gotten that begin with Dear Mr. or Sir.
2. The 5 Minute Rule
If you are not yet familiar with who you’re pitching, I highly suggest that you spend at least five minutes looking through their website, social media channels, etc. Let’s say you come across a new gallery on Instagram that you want to reach out to. Don’t send a lazy and unprofessional DM asking them to look at your work. It’s crucial to do a bit of research first in order to ensure it would actually be the right fit and to give you material to write a polished pitch email. Save yourself from time wasted on proposals that aren’t a good match! Even for those who you already do know, it might still be useful to do this to give yourself a refresher as it can help you make a stronger case about why you want to work with them.
3. Allow me to introduce myself
Use the subject line to catch the person’s attention and give them a hint of what you’ll discuss in your message. It’s likely the person you’re reaching out to receives a lot of emails so try to think of something a bit more engaging than “artist pitch” or “interview request” (unless they request that). It helps to be specific while still being concise: LA-based sculptor unveils new solo exhibition with X gallery or Abstract floral painter seeking gallery consignment opportunity.
Within the body of the email itself, start by reminding the person of how you’re connected. For example, “it was so nice to meet you at the recent opening of X exhibition” or “I’m glad we had the opportunity to connect while working together on X project”. For instances where you have a mutual contact, you can mention that if the other person has agreed: “my colleague X suggested I connect with you due to our mutual interest in…”. If you haven’t met previously, mention how you found out about them: “I discovered your writing via Create! Magazine and have been following your interview series on emerging artists”. Then, follow up with one to two sentences about your work as an artist so they get an idea of who you are and what you do.
The Elevated Essentials
4. Why me?
While the above three steps are important for formulating any pitch, these next two are what will take yours to the next level and where I find artists usually fall short. The first is to make sure to tailor each pitch specifically to every curator, writer, gallery, or brand you write to. Generic form letters are easy to identify and will quickly land your email right in the trash. You often only have one chance to make a great first impression, so provide a genuine statement about why you want to work with them. Do you love the gallery’s marketing techniques or the other artists they show, a brand’s charitable mission, or a writer’s blog that you’ve been following for months? This is the time to say it and demonstrate how you’re truly interested in what they’re doing. Honestly, adding this one simple thing will set you apart from the overwhelming majority of other pitches and it doesn’t cost you anything or take much extra time to do. I’m much more likely to read through a message in its entirety when it mentions at least one specific thing about my work as it shows that the person trying to reach me did research on my website before contacting me.
5. Call to Action
We all have our pet peeves of business speak and for me, it’s the phrase “Let’s collaborate”. It’s not that I don’t like working on new partnerships (I absolutely do!), but more often than not, a conversation that starts with these two words ends up leading nowhere. It takes two to make any partnership work, but in my book, if you’re the one reaching out first, it is your responsibility to also specifically outline what you want the other person to do. Make it easy for them to decide if they can or are willing to work with you. Be clear that what you’re looking for is a blog feature, to be considered for a future exhibition, or that you think your designs would be a perfect fit for a new product launch.
Then, do your best to take it one step further and support your ‘ask’ with solid evidence. For example, maybe you want to offer to do a giveaway with another small business, you might say something like “in a previous collaboration, both parties were able to grow our respective Instagram accounts by 5% in one week”. In the case of a gallery, you’ll likely speak about how you fit in their program with regards to where you are in your career, the type of work you make, or your price point. With media outlets, it’s best to think about who their audience is and how your story would be engaging for them: “since your blog covers various topics at the intersection of sustainability and culture, I’d love the chance to share my journey as a rising Philadelphia-based sculptor who turns upcycled materials into art” or “I’m such a fan of your ongoing series on creative female entrepreneurs and think that an interview with me about how I built my business as a full-time muralist would resonate with your readers.”
Now you should feel ready to draft your pitches! Crafting thoughtful and persuasive emails takes time, but is well worth the effort and gets easier the more often you do it. Knowing that you put your best foot forward will give you more confidence about hitting that send button and will also lead you to more successful responses.
Best of luck!
