|
Hruby: When the pitch itself is not well written … as if you've just kind of dashed off a quick email on your phone to somebody. You want to take time to make sure that your grammar is correct. Your sentences are clean. That all the information that I need to know is there but structured in a logical way. The way you write that pitch is giving me a little bit of insight into you as a writer. Also, don’t pitch me a topic. I’m looking for a story.
What kinds of pitches is Washingtonian magazine looking for?
Hruby: A pitch that has a clear story and has a connection to Washington, D.C., yet someone in Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, or Chicago would pick up and read. A story that has a connection to the city and D.C. region, but also has national resonance. So, not just a great topic or a great idea, but an actual story with narrative, characters, and voice. And something that will still be a great story in three months, because our lead time is about two months. We are also interested in stories about ‘small w’ Washington. I mean, set in Washington itself. So, for example, like a real estate story about a developer and a house that is terribly built, or a nightmare restaurant story.
Can you tell me a bit about your editorial process?
Hruby: My job is to help the stories be the best they can be, so that means helping writers solve problems. I’d rather a writer come to me and say, “Hey, I am having trouble figuring out this part of the story”, and talking them through it, rather than the person just handing me a draft and me staring at it and having to figure out how to solve whatever problems I am seeing. To me it is a collaborative process. We are in this together.
Read more: Learn more about the Washingtonian’s rates and pitching guidelines here.
| 
