A guest post pitch is a short email that proposes one specific article to an editor. This page gives four copy-ready templates (first pitch, follow-up, broken link and link insertion), five subject lines, and the six mistakes that get a pitch rejected. Bracketed fields mark what to replace for each target site.
What makes a guest post pitch get accepted?
A guest post pitch gets accepted when it proposes one specific article, shows fit with the site’s existing audience and proves the author’s expertise in a few sentences. Pitch an article, not a link, because an editor accepts content that fills a gap on the site.
A pitch that names a gap in the site’s coverage saves the editor the work of inventing the assignment. Every template below follows the same order: reference to the site, article idea, proof of expertise, a clear close.
What does a first guest post pitch look like?
A first pitch has five parts: a subject line, a reference to one site article, the proposed title with a short summary, one line of author proof and a yes-or-no close. Keep the whole email short enough to read on one screen.
Subject: Guest post idea: [specific article title]
Hi [Editor first name],
I read your article “[title of their article]” and noticed [one specific detail]. Your readers who finished it have a natural next question: [question].
I would like to write “[proposed title]” for [site name]. It covers [point one] and [point two], with [original element: a worked example, a data table or a checklist] that your site does not publish yet.
I [author proof: role, years of practice or a published piece] and send a draft within [timeframe]. Here is a recent piece: [URL].
Would this fit your editorial calendar?
[Name]
The email names no link, no anchor and no price. Link placement is a conversation after the editor accepts the topic.
Which subject lines work for guest post pitches?
Subject lines work when they state the article topic and the site name, not the sender’s goal, so the editor sees an assignment, not a request. A topic line states the assignment in plain words, and five patterns follow.
- Guest post idea: [specific topic] for [site name]
- Article proposal: [question your readers ask]
- Missing from [site name]: [gap topic]
- Data for your [category] coverage: [topic]
- Follow-up on “[title of their article]”: a deeper section
Avoid “Guest post request”, “Collaboration” and “Partnership”, because those subjects describe the sender’s goal and not the article.
What does a follow-up email look like?
A follow-up email goes out once, seven days after the first pitch, restates the article title and adds one new piece of value, such as a revised outline or a second angle. Send one follow-up, not a chain of reminders.
Subject: Re: Guest post idea: [specific article title]
Hi [Editor first name],
A quick follow-up on “[proposed title]”. I added a short outline below, and a second angle in case the first overlaps with a piece in your queue: “[alternate title]”.
[Three-line outline]
Either topic is available, and I withdraw the pitch if neither fits.
[Name]
How do you pitch a broken link or a link insertion?
A broken link pitch reports the dead URL, names the page and offers one replacement resource; a link insertion pitch names the paragraph, states what the addition adds and leaves the decision to the editor. Both pitches change one line.
Subject: Dead link on “[page title]”
Hi [Name],
The link to [dead URL] in the section “[heading]” returns an error. I wrote a resource on the same topic: [your URL]. It covers [what it covers] and replaces the dead page.
Replace or remove the dead link, whichever fits the page.
Subject: Suggestion for “[page title]”
Hi [Name],
Your section “[heading]” explains [topic] and stops before [missing point]. My guide on [your topic] adds [specific addition] with [data or example]: [your URL]. Add it if it serves your readers.
Finding dead links on a target site is a task for a status check of that site’s pages.
Why do guest post pitches get rejected?
Six mistakes get a guest post pitch rejected: a generic greeting, no named article, a topic the site already covers, a request for a specific anchor, missing proof of expertise and a mass-sent look. Each one is avoidable before the email goes out.
- Generic greeting: “Dear webmaster” shows the email went to a list.
- No article named: the pitch asks to “contribute” without a topic.
- Duplicate topic: the site already publishes a page on the idea.
- Anchor demands: a keyword-rich anchor request signals that the goal is the link.
- No proof: the editor cannot confirm the author knows the subject.
- Template residue: a wrong site name or an unfilled bracket ends the thread.
Google’s spam policy lists links with optimized anchor text in articles, guest posts or press releases distributed on other sites as link spam. An anchor request therefore asks the editor to publish a pattern the policy describes.
How do you personalize a pitch at scale?
Personalization means three real details per target: a named article, a gap in the site’s coverage and a reason the author fits that audience. Three details per email replace a mail-merge field, and generic flattery does not count as a detail.
Detail quality depends on target quality, so qualify the site first. The guide to qualifying targets covers the checks that run before the first email. Teams that skip the research stage hand it to a manual outreach service, and teams that want placements on established sites without running campaigns order DA 30-60+ guest posts.
The full list of link building guides sits in the link building basics hub.
Related: broken link replacement outreach, outreach for software brands, and guest post or niche edit.