Following up vs. letting it go

Following up vs. letting it go

You pitched, and silence. Do you nudge the reporter or move on? This is a real tradeoff between persistence and patience.

1. Follow up — a single short note can rescue a pitch that got buried, especially if you're adding something new (a fresh stat, an offer to send a photo).
2. Move on — reporters are flooded, and a second message that just says "any update?" can annoy more than it helps.

Think of it like a knock at a door. One firm knock is fine. Pounding away makes people not want to answer.

The gentle rule: follow up once, only if you can add value, and only after the deadline has passed without your quote appearing. Otherwise, spend that energy on the next query.

Try this today: draft one polite follow-up that adds a new fact, not just a reminder, and save it as a template.