I know there's much more successful/talented writers than myself that've made threads like this, but a few tips for freelancers pitching stories to editors:

Introduce yourself quickly with a couple of your best clips, that are relevant to the website

Make the editor really want your story and it seem like you're easy to work with. This is literally a sales pitch.

Look specifically at headlines on the site, think about how yours can mimic them, and present at least one with your idea.

There’s a difference between topics and angles. Dating in the pandemic is a topic. Dating an AI girlfriend app for a week is an angle (and I don’t recommend it). Come with an angle.

Don’t feel bad if your pitch isn’t accepted. I always viewed any reply from a new editor as a win, because it means I’m now on their radar and they’re more likely to reply to the next pitch.

Send actual story ideas off the bat. Just a simple introduction and ask to write for a site will get ignored by most editors.

Editors want to cover new ground, but it has to make sense for them. If you have an unexplored subject, explain why it makes sense in the context of the site’s other stories.

A trick I used to use is to DM the editor on Twitter with a one-line pre-pitch that makes them want more, ask for their email and then hit them with the full pitch.

Keep a spreadsheet of editors you know so that you can easily reference where else to pitch next.

Read the website that you’re pitching to, and show that by mentioning a story you liked