Guest post pitch email template
Proposing an article to a site that publishes outside writers.
A guest post pitch should propose two or three specific titles, not ask whether the site accepts guest posts. Editors reject generic availability questions instantly. Show you read the site by naming a published piece yours would sit next to.
At a glance
| Use it when | The site publishes outside contributors and you have a real idea |
|---|---|
| Length | 120 to 180 words |
| Tone | Professional, specific, no flattery |
| Ask for | A yes to one of the titles you named |
The template
Subject lines that work with it
- Guest post idea: [specific title]
- Pitch for [site name]: [angle]
- Article idea following your piece on [topic]
How to write this email well
- Never ask "do you accept guest posts". It shifts all the work to the editor and marks you as untargeted.
- Pitch titles, not topics. "How X works" is a topic; "Why X breaks at scale, with three fixes" is a title an editor can picture.
- Link one previous piece of writing. One good sample beats a portfolio link.
Questions
How many ideas should I pitch?
Two or three. One looks like a single guess, five looks like you have no view on which is best.
Should I write the article first?
No. Writing on spec wastes your time and signals you have not checked what the editor wants.
Is it worth pitching big sites?
Yes, but expect silence. The response rate scales with how specific and well matched the idea is.
More link building templates
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Broken link outreach
Telling a site a link is dead, and offering a replacement.
Link building
Resource page request
Asking to be added to a curated list of links.
Use this template in Gmail
Copy the HTML above and paste it into Mailplate, the free Gmail extension that inlines the CSS so the layout survives sending. Or edit the wording directly in the preview and insert it into your message.
See Mailplate