Freelance writers often conflate two very different kinds of urgency. Confusing them impacts pitching and following up.

First is the urgency of the story itself. This includes identifying why the story needs to be told now. It can be any kind of news peg or timely aspect that compels the editor to assign and publish the piece, and the reader to prioritize reading it.

Second is our own personal/professional sense of urgency. This can be when you’re telling yourself that you need to place a piece ASAP, and are operating from anxiety or panic in a way that leads to poor decision making.

Note that you might have a strong desire to place a piece with a short shelf life, and that it’s possible to do this while feeling focused, curious, confident, or calm.

When it comes to following up on a story pitch, you want to know the difference between a story that needs to be told urgently (in this case, you’ll want to follow up sooner than normal) and your own urgent need to line up your next assignment.

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