| name | expert-roundup-pitch |
| description | Writes pitches for inclusion in expert roundups with quotable responses and authority-building positioning. Use when seeking backlinks and thought leadership exposure. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Expert Roundup Pitch
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Pitch yourself as an expert source for roundup articles and listicles
- Write quotable responses to journalist or blogger queries
- Craft authority-building answers for HARO, Qwoted, or similar platforms
- Prepare pre-written expert quotes on topics in your niche
DO NOT use this skill for press releases, guest post pitches, or full interview responses. This is for short, quotable expert contributions to roundup-style content.
Core Principle
EXPERT ROUNDUP RESPONSES MUST BE IMMEDIATELY QUOTABLE — SPECIFIC, OPINIONATED, AND SHORT ENOUGH THAT AN EDITOR NEVER NEEDS TO TRIM THEM.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Topic or query | "What is the roundup question or topic you are responding to?" | No default — must be provided |
| Your expertise | "What qualifies you to answer this? Role, experience, results." | No default — must be provided |
| Your name and title | "How should you be credited? Name, title, company." | No default — must be provided |
| Desired link | "What URL should be included in your bio or attribution?" | Company homepage |
| Tone preference | "Should the response be data-driven, story-driven, or contrarian?" | Practical and data-informed |
GATE: Confirm inputs before drafting the response.
Phase 2: Plan
Determine the response angle that will stand out in a roundup of 10-20 experts.
Angle Selection
Choose ONE of these differentiation strategies:
- Contrarian take — disagree with the common answer and explain why
- Specific number — lead with a precise stat, result, or metric
- Personal story — anchor advice in a specific experience
- Framework or method — name a process the reader can adopt
- Prediction — make a bold, specific forecast
Present the chosen angle to the user for approval.
GATE: Confirm the angle before writing.
Phase 3: Write
Draft the response following these rules:
- Length: 75-150 words. Never exceed 200. Editors cut long responses.
- First sentence: The most quotable line. Lead with your strongest point.
- Structure: One main point, supported by one example or data point, ending with one actionable takeaway.
- Voice: Confident and direct. Avoid hedging ("I think," "maybe," "it depends").
- Attribution line: Include name, title, company, and URL in a standard format.
Response Template
[Strong opening statement — your core point in one sentence.]
[Supporting evidence — a specific example, stat, or brief story in 2-3 sentences.]
[Actionable takeaway — what the reader should do with this advice in one sentence.]
— [Full Name], [Title] at [Company] ([URL])
Write Three Variations
Provide three versions of the response:
- Concise (75 words) — for editors who want short quotes
- Standard (125 words) — the default submission
- Extended (175 words) — for roundups that allow longer contributions
Phase 4: Polish
1. Pitch Email Template
Draft a brief email for submitting the response:
Subject: Expert response: [Topic]
Hi [Name],
[One sentence on why you are qualified to answer.]
Here is my response to your query on [topic]:
[Paste standard version]
Happy to adjust length or angle. Bio and headshot attached.
[Your name]
2. Quality Checklist
## Expert Response Checklist
- [ ] First sentence is immediately quotable without context
- [ ] Response is 75-150 words (not over 200)
- [ ] Contains at least one specific number, example, or result
- [ ] No hedging language (removed "I think," "perhaps," "it depends")
- [ ] Attribution includes name, title, company, and URL
- [ ] Angle is different from the obvious consensus answer
- [ ] Response makes sense standalone (not dependent on the question being visible)
Example
Query: "What is the biggest mistake solopreneurs make with email marketing?"
Standard response (120 words):
"The biggest mistake is treating every subscriber the same. I watched my open rates jump from 18% to 41% when I stopped sending one newsletter to my entire list and started segmenting by how people found me — organic search subscribers get educational content, social media subscribers get behind-the-scenes stories, and product page subscribers get case studies. Most solopreneurs have 3-4 natural segments already sitting in their data. Start by tagging new subscribers by their entry point and writing two versions of your next email. The lift from even basic segmentation is dramatic and compounds over time."
— Alex Rivera, Founder at InboxGrowth (inboxgrowth.com)
Anti-Patterns
- Generic advice — "Be consistent with your marketing" adds nothing to a roundup. Be specific or stay home.
- Too long — 300+ word responses get cut or skipped entirely. Respect the editor's format.
- No credentials — if you do not explain why you are qualified, the editor has no reason to include you.
- Hedging — "It depends on the situation" is not a quotable answer. Take a clear position.
- Self-promotion — your answer should provide value, not pitch your product. The attribution line handles promotion.
Recovery
- No hard metrics to cite: Use a specific anecdote instead. "When I switched from X to Y, the result was Z" works without formal data.
- Topic is outside core expertise: Decline or narrow the angle to where your experience intersects the topic.
- Editor wants shorter: Use the 75-word concise version. Cut the supporting evidence to one clause.
- Multiple roundup queries at once: Create a response template with swappable examples for each topic variation.
