Note: Below is a sample pitch letter intended to generate a feature story on a fictional local bookstore, using a tenth-year anniversary as a "media hook." We encourage you to personalize this letter by substituting in information specific to your bookstore and sending it to your local media as appropriate.
Joe Reporter
The Daily Gazette
123 Main Street
Lucky, IN 46300
Dear Joe:
When MegaBooks opened across the street from my store, Mighty Eruditee, last January, many Lucky residents thought it was only a matter of time before their beloved local bookstore went the way of other mom-and-pop businesses along Prospect Street. One year later, a much different picture has emerged. Next week I will host a special celebration marking ten years of prosperity in Lucky. In honor of the store's anniversary, Bill Hoosier, a local resident, Mighty Eruditee supporter, and critically acclaimed author, will be on hand at the store from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Friday, January 7, to sign copies of his new book, Lucky Town.
In light of our 10th anniversary, I would be glad to work with you on a story about how my bookstore has not only survived, but thrived. Over the past decade, independently owned Mighty Eruditee has weathered :
* the economic downturn of the early 1990s;
* the invasion of the national chain stores that has altered the character of many towns throughout central Indiana;
* the national decline in sales at independent, locally owned bookstores, which dropped from a healthy 32% of the adult book retailing market in 1991 to only 17% today; and
* competition for the national, corporate chain MegaBooks, which moved in directly across the street last year.
I took a number of approaches to overcome these challenges, including:
* increasing the number of books in my inventory;
* starting reading lists for my customers as well as reading groups in the store.
* increasing our long-standing sponsorship of literacy programs with local elementary schools.
In sum, I am proud of what I have accomplished at Mighty Eruditee. I will call you in a few days to determine your interest in doing a story on Mighty Eruditee. In the meantime, I can be reached at (555) 555-5555.
I am looking forward to working with you.
Very truly yours,
Mary Merchant