Your email pitch hangs on eight words…or less.

The secret to gauging the interest of reporters and influencers who may want to interview you is complicated. The recipient must know from your subject line exactly what you have and why it’s relevant right now.  Your goal: immediate clarity. In eight words or less.

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A terrific pitch piques the interest of the reader because it’s about their audience. When pitching your story, forget cutesy. It's confusing and irritating to busy reporters. All they want you to do is make your point.

I’ve been on both sides of pitches, as a news reporter and anchor in a chaotic radio newsroom and as a publicity strategist working to get my clients media coverage.

Here are tips from the pros about what gets their attention when sifting through their inbox.

1. “The subject line must be clear so I know what...