Pitchin' and Sippin' with Lexie Smith

Writing and Landing Features with Maria Streshinsky, Executive Editor of Features at WIRED

Mar 21, 2024

41:34

Maria Streshinsky is the executive editor of features at WIRED. Before joining WIRED she was the editor-in-chief of Pacific Standard, a magazine she launched in 2012. In its first year Pacific Standard was nominated for a National Magazine Award for general excellence; in 2014 the publication won the National Magazine Award for public service for a story that Streshinsky edited. Streshinsky also served for many years as the managing editor of The Atlantic, where she won the Atlantic Media Company award for editing excellence. She has also worked for the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC, and a stint in New York as a freelance editor and writer.

In this episode, Lexie and Maria discuss all things feature. They discuss what makes a great feature and how it’s different from other types of stories, how to pitch features as both a freelancer and publicist, and what a coveted publication—such as WIRED—looks for when selecting their next feature topic. They also review Maria’s personal pitching preferences, the best title to pitch at WIRED if you’re hoping for coverage, and much more.

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

Maria Streshinsky’s career journey and how she developed her love for feature writing
How Maria ended up as WIRED’s executive editor of features, and what her role entails
What differentiates a feature from other stories
The difference elements that make a great feature article
Tips on how to pitch a feature as a freelance writer
How to pitch a feature as a publicist
What she is specifically looking for as an executive editor
Current stories and ideas she’s working on
Tips on pitching feature stories with WIRED
And more!

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