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To counteract a lot of the negativity, exhaustion and general feelings of existentialism I'm seeing on the timeline—which I am mindful I also actively contribute to—I thought I'd share a lot an uplifting story about a pitch I received in late 2017.
This thread is partly inspired by @TheThirstyWench and @LilyWaite_ asking about what keeps folks motivated as writers. And part from being able to pay my rent, this is the kind of story that keeps me going. And this story is about Lily, so doubly relevant.
Not long after I'd been made UK editor @goodbeerhunting in Sept 2017—my first editorial position—I started receiving a lot of pitches. I had a pretty strong idea of what I wanted UK content to look like, so I passed on most of them.
Then one day I get an email from a blogger I was aware of, and had met very briefly, wanting to talk about her experience as a trans women in the UK beer scene. It was compelling, and I asked if we could commission it immediately.
It wasn't just the subject matter that captivated me though, it was that I was compelled to read on from the very first sentence. It was obvious that this writer had a deft way with words, and the best pitches almost always make sense after the first couple of sentences.
That story was published on @goodbeerhunting in January 2018. It's still incredibly vital and relevant, but even more importantly than that, the beer writing world was introduced to the talent of @LilyWaite_ https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2018/1/17/from-both-sides-a-transgender-experience-in-the-beer-industry
My first thought following its publication was why such a piece had to be a gateway for a trans writer wanting to talk about beer. Why didn't Lily just pitch us a story about a brewery she loved like everyone else? It was an "ah-hah" moment for me about my inherent privilege.
So one of the first things I did after that piece came out was ask Lily to pitch me beer stories. And she did. Loads of them. Many of which she spent months or years working on, like this, her opus on @marblebrewers. https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2019/11/26/castles-high-marble-bright-marble-brewery-in-manchester-uk
But she wasn't done there, she would go on the found @QueerBrewing, quit the rat race and go freelance, and deservedly pick up bylines all over the place with folks like @VinePair and several others. I am constantly in awe of her talent and influence.
After I left GBH and went on to found @pelliclemag, Lily was one of the first writers I asked to pitch. She's since become one of our most prolific contributors, and we already have more in the pipeline. Here's her work for us so far.
https://www.pelliclemag.com/?author=5c8f88a0e5e5f0515016f541
https://www.pelliclemag.com/?author=5c8f88a0e5e5f0515016f541
But more importantly than all of that, through this, Lily became one of my closest friends and peers. A kindred spirit in music, art, politics, food and—of course—beer.
None of which would have happened if she hadn't backed herself that day she decided to send me that pitch, which wouldn't have been and easy thing to do. So, to writers at any level—back yourselves. It takes one good pitch to get started.
I've barely been able to string a sentence together recently, but this is the kind of stuff that keeps me going. I hope this answers your question @TheThirstyWench. Now, without further ado, I am going to smash today's copy deadline into pieces.
Addendum: the fact there are typos in this even though I proofed it three times is a good reminder that EVERYONE NEEDS AN EDITOR.
