Sample Cover/Pitch Letter to Newspapers/Magazines/Blogs – Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month®

[Date]

[Reporter’s name] [Media outlet] [Address] [City, State, Zip]

Dear [Reporter’s name]:

It is estimated that one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, and one person dies from melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – every hour. In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May, the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) is encouraging the public to learn how to SPOT Skin Cancer™ early, when it is most treatable.

As a board-certified dermatologist and member of the Academy, I hope that you will help teach this potentially life-saving behavior to your readers. As you work on upcoming articles, please share the following tips and resources with your readers about how to prevent and detect skin cancer. These include:

 How to find a free skin cancer screening: nearly 400 screenings are available nationwide in May  A downloadable body mole map readers can use to track changes in their skin and learn the ABCDEs of Melanoma  The How to SPOT Skin Cancer™ infographic containing tips on how to perform a skin cancer self-exam  The SPOT Skin Cancer™ Quiz to test how much readers know – or don’t know – about skin cancer

I also encourage you to challenge your social media communities and further raise skin cancer awareness by sharing the Academy’s SPOT Skin Cancer™ Quiz and using the hashtag #SPOTskincancer.

I will call you soon to determine your interest in a story teaching your readers how to SPOT Skin Cancer™. In the meantime, please visit www.SpotSkinCancer.org for more information, and please don’t hesitate to call me at [insert number] if you have any questions.

Thanks so much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your name], MD