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Getting started

Sign in, pick a broadcaster, write a pitch — what to expect on day one.

You've been invited to the beta. Your account is set up, you've got pitches reserved, and the pipeline is waiting. This is the page that tells you how to spend the first thirty minutes.

1. Sign in

Your invitation email contains a magic-link button. One click, you're in — no password, no codes. The link is single-use and expires after thirty days. After that first sign-in, your session stays open on the device you used. To switch devices later, request a magic-link via /forgot-password.

2. Pick a mode

Click New pitch. You'll choose between two modes:

  • Format-Bound (recommended for your first pitch). Pick one of ninety-eight broadcaster profiles — BBC Storyville, ZDF 37 Grad, Channel 4 Dispatches, PBS Frontline, NHK World Documentary, the rest. The pipeline writes the exposé to match that broadcaster's editorial expectations — tone, length, structure, the conventions their commissioning desk reads for.
  • Free. No broadcaster target. The pipeline writes an open exposé without a specific format constraint. Useful for early-stage material where you haven't decided who you're pitching to.

Tip: pick the broadcaster you'd actually pitch. Format-Bound delivers a sharper read because the format constraints push the output toward the desk's real conventions.

3. Describe your idea

One paragraph is enough. Three things should land:

  • What's it about: theme, conflict, what's at stake.
  • Who's the protagonist (if you know — leave blank if not).
  • Why now: what changed, what makes this current.

Optional fields: existing access ("we have the family's blessing", "the trial starts in March"), visual approach, prior research notes. The more you give, the sharper the output. The pipeline checks topic-thinness up front — if your input is too vague, you'll get a coach-prompt before the twelve-minute pipeline runs.

4. Watch the pipeline

Ten stages run in sequence. You'll see them light up in real-time:

  1. Planner — turns your input into a brief.
  2. Researcher — pulls background, sources, public record.
  3. Fact-Checker — verifies before story development.
  4. Story-Finder — narrative spine.
  5. Protagonist-Finder — the person who can carry the story. Not just any character: the one whose arc gives the topic a body, a clock, a stake the audience follows.
  6. Plausibility-Checker — production reality check.
  7. Expert-Scout — speakers and access.
  8. Dramaturg — pacing, structure, beats.
  9. Composer — writes the exposé prose.
  10. Critic — scores it across six dimensions and flags weak spots.

Twelve minutes on average. You can leave the page — we'll email you when it's ready.

5. Read the exposé

The exposé renders on a cream-coloured island in the UI. Two things to check:

  • Confidence tags on every claim. [CONFIRMED] means cross-referenced against at least two independent sources. [PROBABLE] means one strong source, plausible. [TO VERIFY] means the pipeline couldn't ground it strongly enough — please check yourself before sending.
  • Critic score. Zero to ten across six dimensions (specificity, dramaturgy, hallucination, format-fit, producer-readiness, freshness). 8.5 or higher reads as broadcast-ready in our framing — your own judgement always overrides.

If the score is below 8.5, the Critic will tell you specifically what's missing — usually protagonist access, visual approach, or stake-clarity.

6. Iterate or export

Hit Revise to give the pipeline feedback ("sharpen the opener", "drop the second act", "more UK-resonance") and re-run. Keep revising until the exposé is where you want it.

Export as PDF, DOCX, or Markdown. Broadcaster-specific layouts (e.g., a PDF sized for the desk you're pitching) live under the export menu.

Tips for your first pitch

  • Use material you're actively developing. Off-the-cuff test inputs come back weaker because there's less for the Researcher to ground against.
  • Read the [TO VERIFY] tags carefully. They're the spots where you should double-check before the exposé leaves your inbox.
  • Don't read the Critic score as gospel. It's a calibration tool, not the commissioning desk. If your gut says the exposé works at 7.8, send it.

Stuck?

Use the Support button at the bottom-right of any in-app page, or write directly to support@thepitchdoctor.io. Replies land with Sebastian personally during the beta.

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