Confessions of a tech journalist: my advice to startups pitching the media

From my perspective as a former tech journalist, Sean nails the key points. Keep it short, sweet and remember that journalists see dozens of pitches per day -- your startup doesn't deserve press because it's your baby. It needs to stand on its own merits.

I have one additional thing to add, and this is important: build relationships with journalists BEFORE you need them. Build a friendship, ask for their advice, meet them for coffee, comment on their work. When the time comes and you're pitching your startup...you're going to be in a far better position and be far more likely to get covered.

The other alternative: have somebody the journalist knows well introduce you.

This guy seems kinda full of himself. Although I suppose that comes with the territory when hundreds of people are constantly begging him to give them a bit of attention.

But I also think that the importance of the "tech press" is often overemphasized by startups. I was involved in a company a bit ago that spent a great deal of energy chasing after the TechCrunch coverage, when in fact its target customers were middle-aged middle-america types, who don't read TechCrunch.

Granted, the tech media may help just about any company get funding. But then, I imagine having plenty of customers is going to look better to investors than TechCrunch coverage.

You can skip the whole thing and simply jump to the last part "Questions you should be prepared to answer".

Journalists think a little bit too much of themselves and startups think a bit too much of their product. My advise is have a simple two three line pitch and below your signature copy and answer the question he has given. If the journalist is interested in your pitch they can read the additional info below. Second advise is keep at it. If you email a journalist and they do not respond, email again when you have made changes to your product, acquired more customers etc... In the end they will give in and give you a chance.

As someone who has been doing PR for a startup for over 2 years, this article was spot on. The only point I'd bring up is that the author is speaking from the perspective of a local tech beat. Getting the attention of national reporters is much more difficult and takes a lot of effort before you have any news at all. PR is a lot of work...which most startups don't realize.

Is it me or the choice of font in this website makes terribly hard to read the article. I m using google chrome btw.(I think it's http://www.google.com/webfonts/specimen/Oswald)

I like the choice of colors.. And the code is well done imo.