Pitching Guest Posts Without Groveling: My Strategy
I’m not proud to admit this, but when I first started pitching guest posts, I had the desperate energy of someone trying to return a half-eaten burrito for store credit.
It wasn’t cute. It was needy.
Editors can smell needy from 500 IPs away, like emotional bloodhounds.
Over time, after some trial, error, and heavy emotional damage, I figured out a system that helped me pitch guest posts without looking like I was begging for human attention.
Here’s how I did it, and how you can, too (assuming you have basic motor skills and a minimum of dignity left).
1. I Actually Read the Publication (You Should Try It)
Apparently, editors like it when you know what their publication is about. Who knew?
Before pitching, I spent time reading articles, stalking the About page, and quietly judging past contributors.
According to Pitching experts like those at Writer’s Digest, demonstrating that you understand the publication’s voice and audience dramatically increases your odds of getting a “yes” instead of the dreaded “lol no” reply.
2. I Didn’t Treat It Like a Marriage Proposal
In the early days, my pitches sounded like I was proposing lifelong devotion:
“It would mean the world to me if you considered my humble article idea…”
No. Bad.
Eventually, I learned to act like pitching is just business.
Publications want great content, not another emotionally codependent penpal.
Medium’s writing guidelines even say it: be brief, clear, and confident.
So I stopped gushing. I started suggesting.
My new tone was basically: “Hey, you want a pizza? Here’s a good one. If not, no biggie.”
Editors love pizza energy.
Not sure how to strike that balance? Cold email psychology teaches you how to frame it so it feels helpful.
3. I Gave Them Exactly What They Wanted (and Nothing More)
Editors are busy people.
They don’t want my life story.
They want to know three things:
- What’s the article about?
- Why will it interest their readers?
- Why am I the one to write it? According to this guide from Smart Blogger, the perfect pitch answers these questions fast, like, faster-than-you-refresh-your-email fast. So I kept it short. Clear. Focused. One idea per email. No attachments unless asked. No unsolicited life advice (shocking, I know).
4. I Didn’t Take Rejection Like a 14-Year-Old Getting Ghosted
Even when I did everything right, sometimes I didn’t even get a response.
Was it personal? Probably not.
(But tell that to my wounded inner child.)
I reminded myself:
- Rejection isn’t feedback.
- Silence isn’t feedback.
- Not everything is about me.(That last one hurt the most.) In fact, some stufies shows that rejection doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of your work—sometimes it’s just timing, taste, or the editor’s inbox exploding like a dying star. The mature thing to do? Pitch again elsewhere, better and smarter. The immature thing? Cry into my cat’s fur while refreshing Gmail. I may have done both.
5. I Remembered They Need Writers, Too
When I stopped seeing editors as all-powerful deities and started seeing them as regular humans who desperately need decent articles, pitching got easier.
Sure, they have a lot of submissions. But they also have a lot of deadlines, empty slots, and pressure.
It’s not charity. It’s an exchange.
And realizing that made me write better, tighter, less tragic pitches.
(And slightly improved my posture from “defeated shrimp” to “mildly alert human.”)
Final Thoughts: You’re Pitching, Not Auditioning for America’s Next Top Writer
At the end of the day, pitching guest posts isn’t about begging for scraps or selling your soul for a byline.
It’s about showing up like a person who has something valuable to offer, and who might even be fun to work with.
You’re not asking for permission to exist.
You’re offering help.
Keep it professional. Keep it human. Keep it moving.
And for the love of all things caffeinated, stop rereading your sent emails like they’re breakup texts.
Send the pitch, and then go touch some grass.
If you want pitches (and articles) that make editors say “yes” instead of “who is this and why are they yelling,” get in touch here.
Let’s make magic happen, with significantly fewer awkward emails.
Downloadables to Make You Slightly Less Annoying to Editors
Guest Post Pitch Templates
Ready-to-use pitches that won’t make you sound like a desperate robot. Copy, paste, tweak, and stop embarrassing yourself.
Subject Line Swipe File
A collection of subject lines that editors might actually open instead of immediately deleting your sad little email.
The Ultimate "Polite But Not Pathetic" Follow-Up Email Pack
Below you'll find templates you can shamelessly steal, customize, and pretend you wrote yourself. Because we both know you weren't going to figure this out alone.