How to Find the Right Publication and Editor
You have a pitch written, but you’re not done yet. Make sure you’re tailoring your pitch to a specific publication and editor.
Links Mentioned in This Episode
- https://wheretopitch.com/
- What Romantic Comedies Get Wrong About Brain Damage
- DM/Tweet at me on Twitter
Pitch Sent to VICE’s Tonic
Subject Line I Used
Timely Pitch: Stop Using Brain Injuries as a Plot Device in Rom-Coms
The Body of the Email
Hi, [Editor’s Name],
In 2015, I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury that left me disabled—it’s necessary to state that preemptively so you’ll believe me when I say this: hitting your head very hard does not result in zany, romantic adventures and I’m sick of seeing it used as a plot device instigating a journey to self-worth (I Feel Pretty) or love (Isn’t It Romantic). I feel this piece would work best while the latter is still in theaters.
According to the CDC, in 2013 (the last year data was collected), about 2.8 million traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths occurred in the United States. On top of that, non-fatal severe TBIs, such as the ones these romantic comedy leads are purporting to have, almost half (43%) have a related disability one year after the injury.
Ironically, the one rom-com that actually did a decent job with the results of head injuries (50 First Dates) was not referenced in quasi-satirical Isn’t It Romantic. A nod may have pushed the movie to the satirical heights it longed for but never reached—including a commentary on the trope of a woman having to suffer a head injury to shift her perspective. Instead of society addressing its problematic beliefs, the blame is shifted to women to have a (literal) mental “reframe.”
I wondered if VICE’s Tonic would be interested in a piece comparing these movies to the realities of traumatic brain injuries—and why accurate representation of these injuries matters instead of reducing them to simple plot devices.
Previously, I’ve written a piece about protecting unpaid interns for DAME and a personal essay for Elite Daily (about dating while disabled). I also wrote a piece about my traumatic brain injury for Folks that has been shared over 12,000 times according to the page’s social media bar.
I look forward to hearing back from you and appreciate your consideration!
Best,
Brooke Knisley
Annotation of the Pitch
