Most guest post pitches fail for the same reason: the editor can tell within two lines that the sender has never read the site. Editors at blogs that accept contributors get dozens of these a week, and they skim. A pitch that names a real gap in their archive, offers one clear idea and makes saying yes easy will get a reply far more often than a polished template sent to a hundred inboxes.
Below are five guest post pitch examples you can adapt, the structure behind them, and the mistakes that get pitches deleted unread.
What a good guest post pitch does
A pitch has one job: get the editor to say “send me a draft” or “tell me more”. It is not the place to prove you are a great writer or to list every topic you could cover. Strong pitches share four traits.
- It is short. Five to eight sentences. If the editor has to scroll, you have lost them.
- It shows you know the site. Mention a specific article, a recurring theme or a question their readers keep asking in the comments.
- It offers one strong idea, with a working title. Two or three ideas are fine as a fallback, but lead with the best one.
- It proves you can deliver. One or two links to published work, ideally on similar sites.
The basic structure
Every example below follows the same skeleton, so you can see how little needs to change between them:
- Subject line with the proposed title or topic
- One line on why you are writing to this site in particular
- The idea: working title plus two or three sentences on what the reader gets
- Why you: a short credential and links to past work
- An easy next step
Guest post pitch example 1: the content gap pitch
Use this when you have found a topic the site clearly cares about but has not covered in depth.
Subject: Pitch: How small Shopify stores can fix duplicate content without an agency
Hi Maria,
I read your piece on technical SEO for new stores last month. The section on duplicate product pages got a lot of questions in the comments, but there is no follow-up on the blog yet.
I would like to write a step-by-step guide on fixing duplicate content in Shopify using only the built-in settings and two free tools. It would include screenshots and a checklist readers can work through in an afternoon.
I run SEO for a handful of ecommerce brands, and I have written for two sites in the same niche (links below).
Would this be a fit? Happy to send an outline first.
Thanks,
Daniel
Why it works: it points to a real conversation on the editor’s own site, so the editor already knows readers want it.
Guest post pitch example 2: the data pitch
Original data is the easiest thing to pitch, because nobody else can offer the same article.
Subject: Original data for your readers: what 400 B2B landing pages have in common
Hi James,
Your audience seems to love hard numbers. Your benchmark posts are some of the most shared on the site.
Our team reviewed 400 B2B landing pages and recorded form length, headline style and page speed for each. I would like to turn that into an exclusive article for you, with three charts and the full dataset available to your readers.
It has not been published anywhere else, and I can have a draft with you within two weeks.
Best,
Priya
Why it works: it offers something exclusive and makes the delivery date clear.
Guest post pitch example 3: the experience pitch
Editors increasingly want first-hand experience, not rewritten advice. Lead with what you actually did.
Subject: Pitch: What I learned moving a 2,000-page blog to a new domain
Hi Tom,
Your readers are mostly bloggers running sites on their own, so I think this would land well.
Last year I moved my cooking blog to a new domain. Traffic dropped by a third for six weeks, then recovered. I would like to write up exactly what I did, what I would do differently, and the redirect checklist I now use.
No affiliate links, just the process. My site is linked in my signature so you can see the work.
Would you be open to a draft?
Cheers,
Leah
Why it works: the story is specific, honest about what went wrong, and clearly useful to the site’s readers.
Guest post pitch example 4: the follow-up
Editors are busy, and many replies only come after a polite nudge. Wait five to seven working days, then send one short follow-up. Do not send a third.
Subject: Re: Pitch: How small Shopify stores can fix duplicate content
Hi Maria,
Just checking this reached you. If the topic is not right for the blog, I would be glad to suggest something closer to what you are planning for next month.
Thanks,
Daniel
Guest post pitch example 5: the brief for a marketplace order
If the site lists guest posts for sale, you do not need to win the editor over with a cold email. The terms are already agreed, so your brief should focus on making the article easy to approve.
Topic: Five ways to cut energy bills in an older home
Anchor and URL: “home insulation grants” linking to the product guide on our site
Notes for the publisher: Please keep the link in the body of the article, not the author bio. I am happy for you to edit the intro to match your house style.
On a marketplace like Contlinks, this brief goes straight to the publisher with the order. They can accept, ask for changes or decline before anything is published, and your payment is held until the post is live.
Mistakes that get pitches deleted
- “Dear Sir/Madam” or the wrong name. It takes thirty seconds to find the editor’s name on the about page or a recent byline.
- Pitching a topic they covered last week. Search the site before you send.
- Asking what they want you to write. That hands the editor work. Bring the idea.
- Leading with the link. If the first thing you mention is a link to your client’s page, the editor will assume the article is an excuse for it.
- Attaching a finished article to a cold pitch. Most editors will not open attachments from strangers. Offer the draft instead.
How to find sites worth pitching
Search operators still work: try your topic plus “write for us”, “guest post guidelines” or “contribute”. Then check each site before pitching. Look for real organic traffic, recent posts, comments from actual readers and an editorial standard you would be happy to be associated with.
If cold outreach takes more time than you have, a guest post marketplace shows you sites that already accept contributions, with their traffic, niche and price listed upfront. You can buy guest posts on sites with verified traffic and skip the back and forth entirely, or use the marketplace as a shortlist for your own outreach.
Quick checklist before you hit send
- Editor’s name spelled correctly
- One specific reference to their site
- One clear idea with a working title
- One or two links to published work
- Under 150 words
- Follow-up date in your calendar
The best guest post pitch examples are not clever. They are specific, brief and written for one editor at a time. Use the templates above as a starting point, then rewrite every line so it could only have been sent to that site.