At the 2013 StartupBus Accelerate unconference, I spoke very specifically about how to craft an startup email pitch, focusing on my three-sentence formula for getting a journalist's attention. As a tech journalist myself, I receive thousands of startup pitches annually. My advice is based on that personal experience of seeing only a handful of great pitches among a ton of horrible ones. Here's a look at how to pitch with concision and effectiveness.

1. Getting Press
How To Craft a Startup Email Pitch

2. Buzz About My Startup

3. Three-Sentence Pitch Email
• Why
you’re relevant to the journalist
• What
your startup does
• What
you want the journalist to do

4. Pitch Example
Hi John,
I enjoyed our conversation about robotic housemaids at
TechCrunch Disrupt today. As I briefly mentioned, I’d love to chat
with you about my startup, Deliverish, a peer-to-peer delivery
marketplace where users can get anything delivered anytime
anywhere.
Would you be free for coffee this Friday afternoon?
Cheers,
Erica

5. The
One-sentence
Pitch

6. Skillshare is a community
marketplace to learn anything
from anyone.

7. Airbnb is a trusted community
marketplace for people to list,
discover and book unique spaces
around the world online or from

8. Lot18 is a membership by
invitation website for wine and
epicurean products from coveted
producers at attractive discounts.

9. Startup Institute Formula
My company (company name),
is developing (a defined offering)
to help (a target audience)
(solve a problem)
(with secret sauce).

10. My company, Flat-Club, is developing an
online marketplace to help students and
alumni of top universities find short-term
accommodation by leveraging existing
social networks to create trust.

11. Three-Sentence Pitch Email
• Why
you’re relevant to the journalist
• What
your startup does
• What
you want the journalist to do

12. Go Forth and Pitch!