arkaos 4.26.0 → 4.28.0

package/departments/marketing/skills/public-relations/references/journalist-pitching.md

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+# Journalist Pitching — Proactive PR Workflow
+
+Building a media list, scoring journalist fit, and crafting pitches that actually get opened. This is a 4–8 week practice, not a one-shot.
+
+## Contents
+- Building the media list
+- Scoring journalist fit
+- Pitch templates by angle
+- Subject lines that get opened
+- Voice and structure
+- Embargoes, exclusives, and follow-up etiquette
+- Pitch killers
+- Tooling
+
+---
+
+## Building the Media List
+
+The goal: a list of 20–40 journalists who actually cover your beat. Not 500 names from a database.
+
+### Discovery checklist
+
+For each candidate journalist:
+
+- [ ] Read their **last 5 articles** — are they covering your beat right now?
+- [ ] Note their **publication** — does it reach your ICP?
+- [ ] Check their **bio** on the outlet site — what topics do they own?
+- [ ] Check **X/LinkedIn** for what they're posting about this week
+- [ ] Note their **email** (usually on outlet author page, Muck Rack, or company About page)
+- [ ] Check **Muck Rack** if available — it shows recent topics and pitch preferences
+
+### Where to find candidates
+
+| Method | How |
+|--------|-----|
+| **Reverse lookup from coverage you want** | Find 5 articles about competitors / your category, note bylines |
+| **Topic search on Muck Rack** | Free tier shows journalists by topic |
+| **X / Twitter lists** | "[your niche] reporters" lists already exist |
+| **LinkedIn search** | "Journalist" + "[your category]" — filter by recent activity |
+| **Newsletter author pages** | Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit creators are pitchable |
+| **Podcast host research** | Listen to 1 episode before pitching — non-negotiable |
+
+### Don't waste time on
+
+- **Mass media databases** (Cision, Meltwater) for early-stage — overkill and expensive
+- **Journalists who haven't posted in 6+ months** — they may have left
+- **"Editor-in-chief" generic addresses** — pitches there get ignored or routed to interns
+- **Journalists who explicitly state "no PR pitches" in bio** — respect it
+
+---
+
+## Scoring Journalist Fit
+
+Score each journalist 1–10 across four dimensions. Sum and rank. Focus on top 20.
+
+| Dimension | What it measures | Weight |
+|-----------|------------------|--------|
+| **Beat match** | Do they cover your category specifically? | 3x |
+| **Reach** | Outlet's audience size + their byline traction | 2x |
+| **Engagement** | Do they respond to pitches publicly / on X? | 2x |
+| **Recency** | Have they written about a related topic in last 30d? | 1x |
+
+**Tiering:**
+- **Tier 1 (8–10):** Personal pitch with original angle. Custom each time.
+- **Tier 2 (5–7):** Standard pitch, lightly customized.
+- **Tier 3 (below 5):** Skip or pitch only when story is exceptional.
+
+---
+
+## Pitch Templates by Angle
+
+Six structures that work. Pick the one that matches your story.
+
+### 1. Data story
+
+```
+Subject: [Specific stat] — [implication]
+
+Hi [name],
+
+I noticed you covered [recent article] — wanted to share data that might
+be relevant.
+
+We [analyzed N / surveyed N / tracked N] and found:
+• [Stat 1 with surprise factor]
+• [Stat 2]
+• [Stat 3]
+
+The most interesting pattern: [one-sentence insight].
+
+Full data + methodology here: [link to one-pager, not your homepage]
+
+Happy to share the raw dataset, jump on a call, or connect you with
+[customer who's relevant].
+
+[your name + 1-line credential]
+```
+
+### 2. Exclusive launch / milestone
+
+```
+Subject: Exclusive: [specific milestone] at [company]
+
+Hi [name],
+
+I have an exclusive on [milestone] that I think fits your [beat] coverage.
+
+The story: [one sentence]
+Why it matters: [one sentence — for their readers, not for you]
+What's new: [the actual news, not the marketing line]
+
+Embargo until [day, time, timezone] — would love to give you first
+window. Press kit + assets: [link]
+
+Free to talk [two specific time options].
+
+[your name]
+```
+
+### 3. Op-ed / contributed piece
+
+```
+Subject: Op-ed pitch: [provocative thesis]
+
+Hi [name],
+
+I read your piece on [recent article] — sharp take on [specific point].
+
+I'd like to pitch a 700-word op-ed: "[Thesis as a headline]"
+
+Core argument:
+• [Point 1]
+• [Point 2]
+• [Point 3 — the surprising one]
+
+Why me: [1 sentence — credential or unique vantage]
+Why now: [1 sentence — the news hook]
+
+Can have a draft to you by [date]. Happy to adapt to your house style.
+
+[your name]
+```
+
+### 4. Customer story
+
+```
+Subject: Customer story for [their beat] — [specific outcome]
+
+Hi [name],
+
+For your [beat] coverage, I have a [customer type] willing to talk on
+the record about [specific outcome].
+
+The hook: [customer] [did something specific] and [measurable result].
+
+The interesting part: [the surprising or counterintuitive detail].
+
+Customer details:
+• Name: [name, title, company]
+• Available: [windows]
+• Willing to share: [data points / screenshots / metrics]
+
+Happy to coordinate the intro.
+
+[your name]
+```
+
+### 5. Trend piece / connector
+
+```
+Subject: Trend forming in [space] — three signals
+
+Hi [name],
+
+Three things in [space] this month that I think connect:
+
+1. [Signal 1 with link]
+2. [Signal 2 with link]
+3. [Signal 3 — yours, briefly]
+
+The pattern: [one sentence].
+
+This might be early for a piece, but if you're tracking the space I
+wanted to flag it. Happy to share data we've collected or connect you
+with others seeing the same.
+
+[your name]
+```
+
+### 6. Newsjack response
+
+```
+Subject: Re: [their article headline] — quick data point
+
+Hi [name],
+
+Saw your piece on [story] this morning — wanted to add a relevant
+data point in case you do a follow-up.
+
+[One-sentence stat or insight].
+
+Source: [our data / our customers / our analysis]
+Methodology: [one sentence]
+
+Quotable: "[a sentence you'd be comfortable seeing in print]"
+
+If useful for a follow-up, I'm around all day at this number: [phone].
+
+[your name]
+```
+
+---
+
+## Subject Lines That Get Opened
+
+Journalists open pitches based on the subject line alone. Rules:
+
+- **Under 50 characters** — mobile preview cuts off
+- **Lead with the specific** — "73% of devs deploy to prod on Fridays" beats "New data on developer workflows"
+- **Promise a story, not a product** — "Why [trend]" beats "[Company] launches [thing]"
+- **Use prefixes that signal value** — "Exclusive:", "Data:", "Op-ed pitch:", "Re: [their article]"
+
+**Test against this question:** would *you* open this in a 200-email inbox?
+
+**Patterns that work:**
+- "[Specific stat] — [implication]" — "73% of agents fail this test"
+- "Exclusive: [milestone]" — "Exclusive: Anthropic launches AgentOS"
+- "Re: [their headline]" — direct response to recent coverage
+- "[Provocative thesis]" — "Why VC funding is bad for AI safety"
+
+**Patterns that get deleted:**
+- "Press release: [boring]"
+- "[Company] announces [thing]"
+- "Story idea for you!"
+- "Following up on my previous email"
+- Any subject line with "innovative," "disruptive," "revolutionary"
+
+---
+
+## Voice and Structure
+
+### Length
+
+**150 words max for the pitch.** If you can't say it in 150 words, you don't know what your story is yet.
+
+### Structure
+
+1. **One-line context** — why you're emailing them specifically (their recent article, their beat)
+2. **The story** — what it is, in one sentence
+3. **Why it matters to their readers** — not why it matters to you
+4. **Proof** — data, customer, quote, link
+5. **The ask** — interview, embargo, quote, link
+
+### Voice
+
+- Sound like a person, not a press release
+- Reference their actual recent work — proves you read them
+- Don't use emoji unless they do
+- Don't open with "I hope this finds you well" — burn it
+- Don't ask "did you get my email?" follow-ups (see [Follow-up](#embargoes-exclusives-and-follow-up-etiquette))
+
+### Banned vocabulary
+
+Revolutionary, disruptive, game-changing, paradigm shift, leverage, synergy, robust, seamless, holistic, world-class, best-in-class, next-generation, cutting-edge, AI-powered (unless that's the actual differentiation), at-the-end-of-the-day.
+
+---
+
+## Embargoes, Exclusives, and Follow-Up Etiquette
+
+### Embargoes
+
+An embargo is "you can write this story, but don't publish until [time]."
+
+- **Only offer embargoes to journalists you've worked with** or have strong reputations for honoring them
+- State the embargo time clearly: day, time, timezone
+- If they break embargo, your relationship with them is over
+
+### Exclusives
+
+"Only you get this story" — powerful tool, use sparingly.
+
+- **First-tier outlet only** — exclusives to tier 2/3 outlets waste the lever
+- **Be honest about scope** — "exclusive to [outlet] in the US" is fine
+- **Have a parallel plan** — what you publish/pitch the next day after the exclusive runs
+
+### Follow-up cadence
+
+- **Day 0** — initial pitch
+- **Day 3** — one follow-up if you have new information ("Just talked to [customer] who can join us")
+- **Day 7** — final check-in with a fresh hook ("This came out today, still relevant?")
+- **After day 7** — let it go. Re-pitch when you have something genuinely new.
+
+**Never:**
+- "Bumping this up" / "Did you see my email?"
+- Multi-day silent follow-ups with no new value
+- Same pitch reformatted
+
+---
+
+## Pitch Killers
+
+Things that instantly disqualify your pitch:
+
+- Wrong name / wrong outlet (autoreplace fail)
+- Pitching topics they explicitly don't cover
+- Press release attached as PDF (just paste the key bits)
+- Long signature with logos and disclaimers
+- CC'ing 5 other journalists on the same email
+- "Per my last email" energy
+- Asking them to sign an NDA before talking
+- Pitching a story you can't actually tell (no customer willing to talk, no data ready to share)
+
+---
+
+## Tooling
+
+### Finding journalist contact info
+
+```bash
+# Most journalists' emails follow patterns:
+# firstname@outlet.com
+# firstname.lastname@outlet.com
+# flastname@outlet.com
+# Use Hunter.io, RocketReach, or just guess and bounce-check
+```
+
+### Researching their recent work (browser-driven)
+
+Use `dev-browser` (persistent session, no rate limits) to:
+- Open the journalist's outlet author page → scrape last 5 article headlines + dates
+- Open their X/Twitter profile → note recent topics
+- Open their LinkedIn → confirm current role
+
+Output what you find as:
+
+```
+JOURNALIST PROFILE — [name]
+Outlet: [name]
+Beat: [topics from last 5 articles]
+Recent angle: [pattern you noticed]
+Recent X activity: [what they're posting]
+Score: [X/40 from rubric]
+Best pitch angle: [from template library]
+Email: [confirmed]
+```
+
+### Maintaining the media list
+
+Store in `.agents/media-list.md` (or `.csv` if you prefer). Update monthly — journalists move jobs constantly.
+
+```markdown
+## Tier 1 (top 20)
+| Name | Outlet | Beat | Last contact | Last coverage | Email | Score |
+|------|--------|------|--------------|---------------|-------|-------|
+| ...  | ...    | ...  | 2026-05-15   | none yet      | ...   | 9/10  |
+```
+
+### Pitch tracking
+
+Track in a simple spreadsheet:
+- Date sent
+- Subject line
+- Journalist
+- Outlet
+- Response (open / reply / pass / coverage)
+- What they said
+
+After 30 pitches, you'll see which subject patterns and which angles work for you specifically.

package/departments/marketing/skills/public-relations/references/media-outlets.md

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+# Media Outlets — Where to Pitch
+
+A curated, opinionated list of *where* to pitch for software/SaaS PR. This is the media-outlet slice of resources like submit.co — the journalist-driven half. For startup/SaaS/AI directories (Product Hunt, BetaList, Futurepedia, etc.), use the separate `directory-submissions` skill — different intent, different audience.
+
+## How to use this list
+
+- **Don't pitch a publication. Pitch a journalist at that publication.** See [journalist-pitching.md](journalist-pitching.md) for the discovery workflow.
+- **Tier signals quality, not effort** — a small tier-3 outlet might be perfect for your niche
+- **Submission/tip URLs are listed where they exist** — but a journalist's email beats a tip form every time
+- **This list ages fast** — verify the outlet still exists and the journalist is still there before pitching
+
+---
+
+## Tech & Startup Press (Tier 1)
+
+The big names. High bar to clear, high payoff when you do. Pitch the specific reporter, not the tip line.
+
+| Outlet | Best for | Tip URL |
+|--------|---------|---------|
+| **TechCrunch** | Funding, product launches, startup news | techcrunch.com/got-a-tip/ |
+| **The Verge** | Consumer tech, product reviews, policy | theverge.com/contact |
+| **Wired** | Long-form tech, culture, business | wired.com/about/feedback |
+| **Fast Company** | Innovation, design, business strategy | fastcompany.com/contact-us |
+| **VentureBeat** | AI, enterprise tech, gaming | venturebeat.com/contribute |
+| **Ars Technica** | Deep tech, science, policy | arstechnica.com/contact-us |
+| **The Information** | Subscription-gated, scoops on tech industry | theinformation.com/about |
+| **Bloomberg / Reuters** | Business, finance, big-picture stories | bloomberg.com/feedback |
+| **WSJ Tech** | Enterprise, business angle | wsj.com/tips |
+| **NYT Tech** | Mainstream tech, culture | nytimes.com/tips |
+
+---
+
+## SaaS & B2B (Tier 1–2)
+
+Lower-profile than the consumer tech outlets but often higher ROI for B2B SaaS.
+
+| Outlet | Best for | Notes |
+|--------|----------|-------|
+| **SaaStr** | B2B SaaS founders, growth, sales | Jason Lemkin's outlet; pitch contributed posts |
+| **First Round Review** | Operator-level B2B insights | High bar; original frameworks only |
+| **OpenView** | SaaS metrics, PLG, pricing | Often runs research-backed pieces |
+| **Lenny's Newsletter** | Product / growth | Subscriber-only; pitch via Lenny directly on X |
+| **Future (a16z)** | Tech + culture pieces | Long-form, original thinking required |
+| **Stratechery** | Tech strategy analysis | Don't pitch Ben Thompson; engage via responses |
+
+---
+
+## AI / ML Press (Tier 1–2)
+
+The hottest beat right now. Reporters here are inundated — your angle has to be sharp.
+
+| Outlet | Best for | Notes |
+|--------|----------|-------|
+| **The Decoder** | AI news, fast-turn | Daily AI news cycle |
+| **Import AI** (Jack Clark) | Weekly AI newsletter | Pitch research-backed angles |
+| **The Batch** (Andrew Ng) | AI industry analysis | Submitted by deeplearning.ai team |
+| **MIT Technology Review** | AI policy, capability, ethics | Higher bar, slower cycle |
+| **Hugging Face blog** | Open-source AI tools | Contributed posts welcome |
+| **Latent Space** | Practitioner-focused AI/ML | Podcast + newsletter |
+
+---
+
+## Developer & DevTools Press
+
+Where to pitch if your audience is engineers.
+
+| Outlet | Best for | Notes |
+|--------|----------|-------|
+| **The New Stack** | DevTools, infra, cloud-native | Active contributor program |
+| **InfoQ** | Enterprise dev, software architecture | Long-form technical pieces |
+| **DEV.to** | Self-published, community-driven | Build credibility before pitching |
+| **Hacker Noon** | Tech blogging platform | Easy to publish but low signal |
+| **Console** | DevTools newsletter | Curated weekly; submit projects |
+| **DevTools FM** | Podcast | Pitch as guest |
+
+---
+
+## Business & Marketing Press
+
+For pitching the business / marketing angle of your story.
+
+| Outlet | Best for | Notes |
+|--------|----------|-------|
+| **Inc.** | Founder stories, business advice | Contributor program available |
+| **Entrepreneur** | Small business, growth | Volume publisher; quality varies |
+| **HBR.org** | Original research, frameworks | High bar; long lead time |
+| **MarketingProfs** | B2B marketing | Contributor-friendly |
+| **Marketing Brew (Morning Brew)** | Daily marketing newsletter | Reporter-driven, pitch directly |
+| **Marketing Land / Search Engine Journal** | SEO, SEM, channels | Niche but high-intent audience |
+| **Reforge** | Growth, product, retention | Original framework required |
+
+---
+
+## Newsletters (Reporter-Driven)
+
+Newsletters are increasingly the most valuable PR placement — small audiences, but high-intent.
+
+| Newsletter | Audience | How to pitch |
+|-----------|---------|--------------|
+| **Lenny's Newsletter** | Product/growth, ~600k readers | DM Lenny on X with sharp angle |
+| **The Pragmatic Engineer** (Gergely Orosz) | Software eng leaders | Pitch via email; original engineering insights |
+| **The Generalist** (Mario Gabriele) | Tech business analysis | Pitch via email; deep angles |
+| **Stratechery** (Ben Thompson) | Tech strategy | Don't pitch; engage in replies |
+| **Newcomer** (Eric Newcomer) | Tech business + scoops | Tips welcome via email |
+| **Platformer** (Casey Newton) | Tech + policy | Pitch via Substack |
+| **Big Technology** (Alex Kantrowitz) | Big Tech analysis | Pitch via Substack |
+| **Not Boring** (Packy McCormick) | Tech + culture | Tough to crack; original takes only |
+
+**For B2B SaaS:**
+- **SaaStr Daily**
+- **Demand Curve**
+- **Growth Unhinged** (Kyle Poyar)
+- **Trends.vc**
+
+**For AI:**
+- **Import AI** (Jack Clark)
+- **The Batch** (Andrew Ng)
+- **The Algorithm** (MIT Tech Review)
+- **Interconnects** (Nathan Lambert)
+- **AI Tidbits**
+
+---
+
+## Podcasts
+
+A podcast appearance is often higher leverage than a press hit — longer engagement, evergreen replay, audience trust transfer.
+
+### Top SaaS / startup podcasts
+- **Lenny's Podcast** — product/growth
+- **My First Million** — founder stories, business ideas
+- **The Twenty Minute VC** — funding angle
+- **SaaStr Podcast** — B2B SaaS
+- **Acquired** — deep-dive company stories (don't pitch unless you're a unicorn)
+- **The All-In Podcast** — broad tech/business (very hard to get on)
+
+### Top AI podcasts
+- **No Priors** (Sarah Guo, Elad Gil)
+- **Latent Space**
+- **Practical AI**
+- **The TWIML AI Podcast**
+- **The Cognitive Revolution**
+
+### Top dev / engineering podcasts
+- **The Changelog**
+- **Software Engineering Daily**
+- **DevTools FM**
+
+### How to pitch a podcast
+
+1. **Listen to 3 episodes** — non-negotiable
+2. **Find the host's preferred channel** (X DM, email, guest form)
+3. **Pitch a topic, not yourself** — "I'd love to come on and talk about [specific angle]" not "I'd love to be a guest"
+4. **Bring evidence** — links to other appearances, your unique angle, what listeners will learn
+5. **Make it easy** — bio, headshot, suggested questions in the pitch
+
+---
+
+## Industry / Vertical Press
+
+Don't overlook trade press — smaller audience, much higher intent.
+
+| Vertical | Outlets to investigate |
+|----------|----------------------|
+| **Marketing** | Adweek, Marketing Brew, AdAge, Search Engine Land |
+| **Sales** | Sales Hacker, Modern Sales Pros |
+| **HR / People Ops** | HR Brew, SHRM, HR Dive |
+| **Finance / Fintech** | The Block, CoinDesk, Finextra |
+| **Healthcare tech** | STAT, MobiHealthNews, Healthcare IT News |
+| **Education tech** | EdSurge, EdScoop |
+| **Real estate tech** | Inman, The Real Deal |
+| **Legal tech** | Above the Law, Law360 |
+| **Climate tech** | Heatmap, Canary Media, Latitude Media |
+| **Devtools** | The New Stack, InfoQ, DevOps.com |
+
+For your specific vertical: Google `"top publications" + "[your industry]"` and run the same scoring exercise from [journalist-pitching.md](journalist-pitching.md).
+
+---
+
+## Regional / Local
+
+If your company has a regional angle (HQ location, customer concentration, government contract), local press is underrated.
+
+- **Local business journals** — Bizjournals network covers 40+ US cities
+- **Local NPR affiliates** — high-quality, business angle welcomed
+- **Local TV business segments** — high reach, easy to get
+- **State / regional tech news** — e.g., Built In (Chicago, Austin, etc.), TechBuzz (Utah)
+
+---
+
+## What's NOT On This List (And Why)
+
+- **Product Hunt, BetaList, Indie Hackers** — these are directories, not press. Use the `directory-submissions` skill.
+- **Press release wires** (PRNewswire, BusinessWire, GlobeNewswire) — overpriced for early-stage; journalists ignore them. Skip until you have IR / SEC requirements.
+- **"As featured in" badge mills** — paid "media coverage" services. Worthless and damaging.
+- **Random "guest post" SEO link networks** — Google penalizes these. Don't.
+
+---
+
+## Maintaining This List
+
+This list will go stale. Recommended cadence:
+
+- **Quarterly:** verify your tier-1 contacts are still at the outlet
+- **Monthly:** add new outlets/newsletters relevant to your category
+- **Per pitch:** confirm the journalist is still there before sending (check X / LinkedIn for "joined [new place]")
+
+Store your live, working version in `.agents/media-list.md` (per [journalist-pitching.md](journalist-pitching.md)).