What makes a good pitch?

So you have a good story and you want to pitch it to Snap.  We love good stories, and we love to help people tell their stories, but how does a story go from an idea to being on the radio?  It starts with the pitch. That tells us what your vision is for your story and whether it’s good for Snap. There are many storytelling styles – this is what works for us. Submit your pitch below!

Find A Character

• Who tells the story?

• Are they a good talker? If so, why?

Brevity

• Tell us the basic bones of the story. Keep it short. Around half a page.

• If it’s audio, keep it under 8 minutes or so, or excerpt a great part to give us a sense of tone.

• If you feel it’s necessary, include a couple of lines about why you believe in the story.

 Detail

• Let us know a couple of small details about why this person is so interesting.

• Don’t have your pitch be so brief that it is dry. It should be fun to read.

Plot Points

• Hit Beginning, Middle and End.

• Don’t give cliffhangers, make sure we understand the entire arc.

• At Snap, we make “cinema of sound.”  Pitch us stories that unfold like a film.

The Twist

• Unexpected plot points.

• The character should not be a stereotype. This person should behave surprisingly at some point in the story.

A Solid Ending

• Disclose how you want the story to end, or at the very least, questions that will lead to the ending.

• How have things changed from beginning to end?  How has the character changed.

• Often, for our purposes, it’s best to end on “action” as opposed to “reflection.”

Tropes to Avoid

• Something really sad or tragic happened to me and I got over it by doing something positive.

• I am an American and I met a bunch of impoverished foreign people and they taught me about privilege or appreciating what I have / zen / etc.

• Anything that relies heavily on sex, violence or shock factor in order to be a good story

• This person or organization does an amazing thing helping people in this amazing way!

• This almost happened to me, but then at the last minute it didn’t! My reflections on that!

• My reflections on pretty much anything that isn’t event-based!

The Truth

• The story should be true to the best ability of the person telling the story.  Many stories rely on the recollections of the storyteller, but the story should be true.