The Pitch

"Don't start from the grant; start from the story," says reporter Ylenia Gostoli

For 30 years, the International Women's Media Fund has helped fund women journalists and ambitious projects around the world

Following form doesn't have to limit creativity, and shows you are a professional

Researching the basics of the site you're pitching to — story length, purpose and tone — reveals respect for the work of reporting

Rejections aren't personal: “70 percent of why pitches don't work has nothing to do with the writer”

"Ephemeral" true stories that inform, surprise and delight

Senior editor Kayla Webley Adler scouts for both hard-hitting and fun stories with women at the center. Helpful hint: pitch a story – not a topic

In the second of a two-parter, the former LA Times reporter scrutinizes the first pitch – and then the revision – that earned her a cover piece in Wired

Journalist, professor, author, mother – How does she do it all? With passion, persistence, another paycheck and perspective: "I'm not just one story."

The editor's advice: Study what's been published before. Be authoritative, fresh and "arresting." Dare to send a (good) cold pitch