#4 Overcoming Perfectionism When Pitching Big Publications with Amber Petty

For 13 years, Amber was a professional actress in New York and Los Angeles. She starred Off-Broadway in 50 Shades! The Musical performed and taught at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. She also did improv around the world with Baby Wants Candy. But mostly, she played the role of “getting ignored by agents.”

Growing tired of waiting for auditions, she switched careers completely to freelance writing. Today, she is a regular contributor to The New York Times, MTV, Thrillist, IFC, Bustle, Greatist, Healthline, Parade, and more.

She also teaches Freelance Writing for Creatives, a 10-Week Course to take you from “where do I even start” to “I just got paid to write about podcasts.” Her students have been seen in Huffington Post, McSweeney’s, Vulture, Thrillist, Polygon, Insider, Vox, and a whole bunch of other publications.

After working with students for over a year, one thing that Amber sees hold back many writers is when they procrastinate and don't send pitches because they're not "perfect." So in this episode, she talks about overcoming perfectionism and all you need to know about the pitching process. 

Don't leave empty-handed! Check out Amber's awesome resources below!

Instagram
Free Writing Job Listings Newsletter
List of 250+ Publications That Pay and Take Pitches

Chapters

• 1:17 How does perfectionism hold back writers?
• 6:33 How powerful are big bylines for writers?
• 9:19 How to get started and pitch publications
• 13:51 How much rejection should you expect?
• 16:45 What are common mistakes writers make when pitching publications?
• 18:39 How to think up ideas for pitches
• 22:36 About Amber's list of 250+ publications
• 24:25 Where to find Amber online
• 25:31 Final words of encouragement for writers on pitching publications