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A guest post pitch email that actually gets read
Editors skim. A pitch that is short, specific and clearly written for their site has a much better chance than a copied one.
18 October 2026 · 4 min read
An editor of a busy site may see dozens of pitches a week. Most are generic. The ones that stand out are short and show that the sender has looked at the site.
The parts of a good pitch
- A plain subject line. "Guest article idea: [topic] for [site name]" is fine. Avoid capital letters and exclamation marks.
- One sentence that proves you read the site. Mention a real recent article and say something specific about it.
- Two or three topic ideas. One line each, written as the headline the reader would see. Topics that fit what the site already covers get accepted faster.
- Who you are, briefly. Your role, your site, and one earlier piece of writing if you have it.
- A clear next step. "Would any of these suit your readers?" is enough.
A template you can adapt
Subject: Guest article idea for [Site name]
Hi [Name],
I read your recent piece on [real article title], particularly [one specific point]. It made me think your readers might like an article on one of these:
1. [Headline idea]
2. [Headline idea]
3. [Headline idea]
I work on [your field] at [your site]. Here is something I wrote before: [link].
Would any of these suit [Site name]? Happy to send an outline first.
[Your name]
What to leave out
- Requests for a specific number of links before you have an accepted idea. Read the site's guidelines first.
- Claims you cannot back up, such as traffic or rankings.
- A pasted full article with no introduction.
- The same message sent to fifty sites with only the name changed. Editors can tell.
After you send it
Wait about a week, then send one short, polite follow-up. If there is still no answer, move on. When a topic is accepted, send the article with a brief, using our note on what to put in a guest post brief, and read how to write an article an editor will publish.
Pitching dozens of sites is slow work. If you would rather we handle it, see how our guest posting service works.
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