For some reason, most of us naturally drop into long drawn out story pitches, somehow thinking that something in our diatribe will attract the reporter's attention.

In reality, the exact opposite is true. The best story pitches are short and to the point.

Here's the outline for a successful story pitch:

Tell them the problem, and then tell them how you're the solution to that problem!

That's it, short and simple.

In doing so, you want to punch-line the problem, and you want to punch-line the solution: 15 words or less, even 10 words or less.

One good method is to pitch them the headline: the best headline is 10 words or less. So if the best headline is 10 words or less, the best pitch should be 10 words or less.

Try it!

For more information on how to successfully pitch stories, check out How To Create The Perfect 30-Second Phone Pitch For Your Story