Telisha Bryan is a managing editor for Crain's New York Business, where she oversees the editing of articles for Crain's print publication, website, and various newsletters. Telisha has been at Crain's New York since 2017, where she started as a copy desk chief. 

During the episode, Telisha talks about scanning through all the pitches she receives. Why subject lines should explain who you're pitching? When you should use bullets versus paragraphs in pitches?

Follow her on LinkedIn.

Click below to listen to the full conversation and read below for highlights from the interview:

Spend More Time Researching

[00:03:32] TB: The main thing that I would say that I see in my inbox and especially today right
before we all leave for the holiday break, I got so many emails today and most of them did not

actually even apply to me or to Crain's. And that would be my biggest tip, is those blind pitches
where you send it out to every publication, it shows.

If you know that your client really wants to be in the New York Times, then you should probably
take some time and spin that pitch forward and send it only to the Times. And then if they say
they also want to be in Crain's New York Business, then you're going to have to make a pitch
that speaks specifically to my publication as well. Because we cover different things. Very
different editors. Things that will instantly hit my eye won't hit the eye of someone at The
Financial Times, or Forbes, or Fortune.

Taking that extra effort and knowing who you're pitching. Maybe looking them up quickly on
LinkedIn or looking through what they focus on. Every website says which editors cover what.
Which reporters likely report to them. And just taking that extra time is going to make sure that
you get a response back. But the ones that just come through that clearly could have been sent
to anyone are very quickly deleted. Sometimes just from the subject line.

[00:04:59] BB: How do you tell a subject line is immediately deletable? When it's just generally
vague and just out there?

[00:05:05] TB: Yeah. If it says something that I know would be a long shot for Crain's New York
Business to cover, then I won't even open it. If it just seems like why did this come to me? I
probably won't spend time. Because, I mean, there are a lot of publicists, a lot of PR
representatives in the city. And you're all sending emails to a very small pool.

We have gotten very good at weeding out the ones that are worth our time in a newsroom
setting and which ones aren't. It's not so much about making the subject line sexy but it's about
making it specific. Even if something said Crain's New York Business needs to know about this
restauranteur, that would speak to me more than new chef making waves downtown. Because I
know that some thought was put into getting it into our publication as opposed to just whoever
clicks on it.

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Pitch Examples That Don't Work

[00:12:43] BB: You earlier mentioned, Telisha, that you had other thoughts and other tips and
things. Do you have another one you'd like to share with us just for publicists?

[00:12:43] TB: Yes. In the past two or three years, I would say, a lot of my emails from publicists
start with, "When can I introduce you to Telisha Bryan?" And that first sentence is always that
question. When can I introduce you to whoever, whoever?

[00:13:09] BB: What? As a pitch? As a pitch, that's the first line?

[00:13:13] TB: It's a lot of them. A lot of them start like that. I don't know if it's like a school that
is teaching that. Grab them by asking a question. But I always think never. I don't know who that
person is. Like I said, I try to read the first sentence. And if that's your first sentence, I have an
answer. Not now. Then I delete it. But that drives me absolutely nuts. I cannot stand it.

I get a lot of them especially for the people profile columns that I edit. It's always like, "When can
I introduce you to this jewelry maker who's doing big things downtown?" It's like don't ask me a
question. Can you just tell me who – just tell me who the person is and then I'll tell you if I want
to meet them or not. It just seems like such a weird way to start a conversation with someone
you've never spoken to before with a question. That is so direct.

[00:14:06] BB: Yeah. Okay. You got another one? That was good. I never heard that one
before.

[00:14:12] TB: I will get a lot of them that are very much formulaic where it's just a plug and play
of the name that will say –

[00:14:19] BB: I - Telisha?

[00:14:22] TB: Yeah, it'll say that. But a lot of them will say we really want to make sure we
have a good relationship. And then with and the name – there's another publication's name in
there that they forgot to take out. You have to scan what you're sending out.

I know that everyone is doing a lot of them. Everyone's trying to take advantage of technology to
make their jobs easier. But it is such a turnoff to read something that's like we really want to
make sure that our OpEd ends up in W Magazine. And it's like this is not W Magazine. So, send
it to W Magazine.

And I will often reply just because, like I said, I did that very brief stint in PR. I know how hard it
is. And I do try to reply to most of my emails anyway. I'd say I reply to maybe 65% of them. I will
call that out and I'll just say, "Listen, I think you sent this to the wrong place. I don't know if you
meant to send it to us. If you want to try again."

And usually, they're apologetic or they seem embarrassed. And I'm always like, "Don't worry. It's
not that big of a deal. Just make sure you're reading through things." I try to give tips. But it's
just not the best look. You can take advantage of these technological advances, but you have to
make sure that you're doing a clean job. Not just a quick job.

Rapid Fire Pitching Preferences

[00:15:38] BB: Okay. Telisha, I have a little run of questions to ask you. Quick-fire. And you
could tell me your preferences and we'll take it from here. How about that?

[00:15:49] TB: Okay. Sounds good.

[00:15:50] BB: Perfect. Video or phone interview?

[00:15:53] TB: If I were doing an interview, I think I'd want to do video so that I could see the
person's mannerisms. You can read more into body language than someone just speaking.

[00:16:04] BB: Mm-hmm. So true. Bullet points or paragraphs in a pitch?

[00:16:08] TB: Well, I personally read paragraphs if I'm interested. But I think for a lot of my
colleagues, I'll just speak on behalf of our entire newsroom. Bullet points are better. Get to the
point quickly.

[00:16:20] BB: Okay. But don't start with that dang question.

[00:16:22] TB: No. When can I introduce you to –

[00:16:25] BB: Well, it kind of answers the next question. But short or long pitches?

[00:16:30] TB: It depends on the pitch. If you know that this is really a good fit, be as long-
winded as possible. Because then I have as much information to take to a reporter to assign a
story as possible. And I know exactly what I'm getting. But if it's just like a vague "this thing
opened and you might be interested", you can keep that short.

[00:16:50] BB: Okay. Images attached or Dropbox zip file?

[00:16:53] TB: Neither. In newsrooms everywhere, we're just under attack from phishing and all
kinds of viruses. I do not click anything in an email unless I've had multiple conversations with
the publicists and I know that they're a real person and I trust them. But I don't open any
attachments. And I click on no links.

[00:17:13] BB: Okay. No links. One follow-up or multiple?

[00:17:18] TB: I would say none.

[00:17:19] BB: Okay. None.

[00:17:22] TB: For me personally, if you say you sent me an email and I was interested in it and
I just didn't have time, the mayor was doing something crazy, and I didn't have time to get back
to you, I will flag it in a folder and say I'm going to get back to you back later. I don't need you to
follow up.

When I have space for that article or when I have a reporter who's ready for that assignment, if
it's something I'm interested in, you will definitely hear back from me. It's never going to be the
case where I need a pitch where I just don't do anything. If I need a pitch, then I've seen yours
and I have it waiting. You should see my inboxes. All those little red Outlook flags. I know
exactly who I'm going to talk to. But when someone follows up two or three times, by the second
time, I just delete it. Even if I wanted to profile the person, it's I just feel as if it's too much.
Because I will get back to you.

[00:18:20] BB: Yes. That's how you think you had a story but then you lost it because too many
follow-ups.

[00:18:26] TB: Yeah. Just remember, I mean, I think the important thing is that journalist
inboxes are war zones. There's just so much going on. And we're trying to clear them out. But
we do see everything because we're in the ideation business. We're looking for stories. It's not
going to be a case where you sent something and I just didn't see it. I know what's going on in
my inbox.

[00:18:52] BB: It seems like you have a proficient level of control and command on it at a level
that not a lot of people do. Cheers to you, Telisha. Look at you. Okay. Direct or creative subject
lines? We kind of touched on this.

[00:19:06] TB: I would prefer direct. Because you can be too creative to the point where I don't
know and I don't know what you're talking about.

[00:19:13] BB: Time you usually read pitches.

[00:19:15] TB: Oh. I'm a nutcase. I really like to keep on top of my inbox. I pretty much go all
day long. I'm like looking for things and putting them into different folders. But I do know that a
lot of my colleagues will check their email the first thing when they get online and not again until
around lunchtime. And then not again to the end of the day. Not like a full-day thing. I don't think
it actually matters. If what you're asking in away is what time should you send a pitch? I think
you can send them whenever.

[00:19:49] BB: Okay. Whenever it is. And are there any sources you're particularly looking for
right now, Telisha? Or writers? Because you're a managing editor. So, hey.

[00:19:58] TB: Well, we have a nice staff of reporters now. I'm not actually looking for any
writers. But I'm always looking for people who are doing unexpected things in the five boroughs
who have an interesting story to tell. There are a lot of native New Yorkers especially who you
might not have gone to Harvard but you found your way into owning five chain stores or
something. And you're making good money. And you're making a good living. And you're doing
good things for your community. I love to tell those kinds of stories.

But also, we're also always looking for pitches from sources who have like the inside scoop on
things. Maybe behind the scenes, especially in the political arena. Or maybe someone who
knows a lot about real estate deals who maybe they don't want to be on the record, but they like
to talk to us. We're always interested in knowing about people who are in the know as well. I like
to know about people who are making a name for themselves in the city where it's hard to make
a name for yourself.

[00:21:03] BB: That's right.

[00:21:04] TB: I like to tell those stories on their behalf. But then, also, I'm willing to listen. If you
feel like you have something interesting to say, I'm always happy to listen.

________

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