Help with proposal for Skyword

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Abderian

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Are there any Skyword writers on here?

I've been accepted to write for Angie's List on Skyword, and recently submitted this proposal:

Are you one of those homeowners who cleans the house before the cleaner arrives? Staying on top of cleaning chores isn't easy nowadays with work commitments, family responsibilities and leisure pursuits vying for your attention. Hiring a cleaner to handle the toughest, most boring chores makes sense, but what should you be asking your cleaner to do? And what smaller tasks can you fit into your everyday life to keep your home looking fit for guests any time of day?

This article, titled 'How to make the most of your cleaner,' will cover tips on working simple housework tasks into your everyday routine and how to use a cleaner's time most effectively. Subheads include -

Cleaning as you go (did you know that wiping water off a shower wall with a squeegee prevents limescale build up? What's your bedtime clean up routine?)

Biggest impressions for the smallest effort (Ever spent hours cleaning your house top to bottom because you're holding a dinner party? You can probably get away with doing less. Will guests notice the lampshade is dusty? Probably not, but putting clutter out of sight and vacuuming make huge difference to your home's
appearance.)

Leave it for the cleaner (Ideas include asking your cleaner to deep clean a different room each visit; weekly, heavy-duty tasks such as vacuuming skirting boards and under furniture throughout the house or cleaning the oven; and the things you never seem to have time for, such as cleaning light switches and fittings.)


Readers will be able to improve the day-to-day appearance of their home and have more time to spend doing the things they love.

The proposal was declined, with the comment: Your pitch needs more focus. How about something like: What chores does a housecleaner usually do and what do you (or should you) handle yourself?

I was trying to follow Skyword's request to provide as much detail as possible. Have I overdone it? Should I just write single line titles as suggested by the comment?
 

Ralyks

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Sounds like they want more specifics and less vague generalizations in the pitch itself. I don't really get a detailed pitch for a short article, though.
 
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Abderian

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Thanks Ralyks. I think that possibly they don't want such a long pitch for a short article, and I have overdone it. I can see that I haven't stated specifically what I would write, though I have given some examples. I don't know. I wish they had a forum. Maybe I'll try to slim it down, give more specifics and resubmit. Thanks for your thoughts.
 
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