Modern Life Is Complicated

This week’s burning question: are pitches becoming more complicated? Like everyone, my inbox is a cesspit of unanswered, unseen and unwieldy emails: a quick glance at my phone shows 288 unopened ones alone, which is lower than it has been, but still not low enough. On particularly busy weeks, I don’t even bother opening emails that aren’t addressed to me personally, because this seems as good a filter as any when trying to square the circle of hundreds of pitches v 24 hours in a day. 

As for those I do open, well, let’s just say that sometimes, the pitch is hard to grasp. The subject fields – the first line the recipient reads, and arguably, the most important in terms of making a good impression – can seem obtuse, to say the least. I’ll read it twice. I’ll read it a third time. Secure Surprise Drops? Biodiverse sustainability? Release the spirit animal of your home? Why is everyone speaking in tongues? 

Modern life is complicated. Fashion, tech and sustainability pitches in particular can be complex and multi-nuanced. The ability to summarise succinctly is a gift, and a very welcome one at a time when information is coming thicker and faster than ever. Tricky as it might be, my advice would always be to keep your pitches short and your headers simple.