Pitch Slams Are My Conference Jam
Pitch slams are my absolute favorite part of ASJA’s annual conference. That includes the pitch slam that’s part of ASJA: Always in Fashion, NYC2025, Feb. 24-26, hosted at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
ASJA pitch slams might not have fancy red chairs like the ones judges whip around in on “The Voice.” But there’s a similar amount of suspense, not to mention talent, in the room.
If you’ve never seen a pitch slam at a writing conference, it is a session where people braver than me step up to the mic and, in as little as a minute, pitch a story idea to a panel of top editors. Even if you’re not pitching, sitting in the audience is akin to being a fly on the wall. You get to hear editors explain why a story will work, or the reasons it won’t. This is invaluable feedback for developing pitches back at our home offices. Getting inside of editors’ heads for 50 minutes is, in my view, more than worth the conference registration fee.
2025 Journalism Pitch Slam Details
Panel editors for this year’s pitch slam include George Mannes of AARP The Magazine and Nicole Pasulka of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Journalism track co-chair Jennifer Billock and I are inviting only editors from high-paying markets that are household names across the country, to try and get a read on what constitutes the perfect pitch.
The conference pitch slam takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 10:45 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. I hope to see you in the audience! Stay tuned for more info about how to submit your pitches.
Pitch slams aren’t the only way to impress editors at ASJA conferences. As an ASJA member since 2005, I’ve landed many clients just by attending. Once, in a Client Connections networking meeting with the editor of an in-flight magazine, I casually talked about how, at the previous night’s dinner out, my side order of bacon came clipped on a mini clothesline. That resulted in an assignment for the magazine about innovative plating techniques. This was the first time I’d sold a story face to face, not in an email, and it allowed for a conversation in real time, so important when working with an editor.
Journalism Sessions at the 2025 Conference
The pitch slam is one of five conference sessions in the journalism track. Here’s a sneak peek at the other, including descriptions, speakers, and times.
Creating a Podcast 101
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 9:45 a.m. to 10:35 a.m.
If, like me, you listen to a lot of podcasts and more than once thought ‘Hey, I should launch a podcast,’ then you need to attend this session. Hear from Holly Rizzuto Palker, Ashley Cisneros Mejia, Jennifer Fink, Estelle Erasmus, and Brianna Avenia-Tapper about how producing a podcast furthers their brand and allows for more creative control. They’ll also cover the nuts and bolts, including what kind of person makes a great podcast guest.
Working with PR: Best Practices for Building Relationships
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.
No matter what beats and topics you cover, you’re likely working with public relations pros to connect you with data or an interview source. When Jessica Farthing, an ASJA member and award-winning travel, food and lifestyle writer, pitched this session, we liked it immediately and knew it would find a home on the conference schedule. She’ll talk about how to stop the email spam and how publicists can save you time, as well as tips in asking for what you need, particularly when on deadline.
Bringing Historical Stories and Figures to Life
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.
ASJA member Deborah Blumberg will guide this session with an eye on nailing down what makes a powerful historical story or profile of a historical figure—from interviews to research to writing. The Washington Post’s Retropolis section is devoted to history and just one example of how this genre is currently trending. And did you know that there’s a market in being a content writer who offers obituary writing as a service? Stories about people from history help remind us that we’re alive, while lessons learned from their lives can inform our own.
Hard Lessons Learned from Writing Our Books That Made Us Better Journalists
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
As an author of three non-fiction books who also writes articles, I’m moderating this session and excited to share how for Estelle Erasmus, Megy Karydes, and Evan Moore, the monumental task of writing a book made them better article writers. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and attend this session so you don’t make the same mistakes they did.
True Crime Reporting
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
If you’re thinking of digging deeper into true-crime reporting, this is a season you don’t want to miss. T.J. English is an author who’s not afraid to ask tough questions to get to the heart of a story. He’s published 10 non-fiction books. Four of his books have been New York Times best-sellers, and four have been nominated for Edgar Awards in the category of Best Fact Crime. His latest published this month, The Last Kilo: Willy Falcon and the Cocaine Empire that Seduced America, is a 500-ish-page title from William Morrow & Co. that examines one of America’s most notorious and successful cocaine-trafficking organizations.
If you haven’t registered yet, ASJA is running a flash sale on conference registration. Through Dec. 20, rates are $429 for members and $529 for nonmembers. For professional members, the flash sale price for the conference plus Client Connections 2025 is $578, also through Friday, Dec. 20.
Register and find out more about sessions, speakers, activities, and Client Connections clients that have already signed up here. The 2025 conference takes place at the Fashion Institute of Technology — find out more about the school and its New York Chelsea neighborhood surroundings here.
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Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kristine Hansen is a long-time member of ASJA and writes about food, travel and design. She’s also co-chair of the journalism track for ASJA’s 2025 conference. Her latest book is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin: How America’s Most Famous Architect Found Inspiration in His Home State, published by Globe Pequot Press.