Getting featured by Techcrunch / Mashable

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone has had the good fortune and experience of being featured by Techcrunch or Mashable.

If so, could you advise on how you created a relationship, pitched your app to them and or managed to get them to feature you.

I know they receive thousands of pitches a day, so wanted to maximise my chances, however minimal.

Thanking you all