One of the hardest things to do as a writer is finding the right contact for a publication. But over the years I’ve developed a sort of system for acquiring them.
Twitter: This is an easy one. You can search publication + editor and sometimes it comes up. Sometimes the editors even have their email addresses in the bio.
Print magazines: You can always find the right name in the masthead, if not the contact information. Sometimes I buy the magazines, writing them off as a business expense. Other times, I pick up a copy from my public library to peruse or find online on Issuu.
Google: Searching for pitch guidelines + publication is also helpful. Not every outlet has this information publically available, but some do. They also tell you who to pitch which stories to.
Hunter.io: If I know the editor’s name but not their email format, I use a website called Hunter, which finds the most common email address formats based on the domain name. Sometimes it’s a shot in the dark and the email bounces back, but other times it works.
Membership groups: I’m a member of a few professional organizations and Facebook groups where people share calls for pitches and editor contacts. Study Hall is a good one to start with.
Colleagues: I generally find it to be bad form to reach out to strangers to ask for editor contacts. But if you’ve developed relationships with fellow writers and are happy to share contacts you have, it’s okay.
Caroline Eubanks 