example.com
Free swipe file

The Guest Posting
Outreach Swipe File

The exact emails I use to land guest posts on sites that ignore everyone else, plus a tracker and a pre-send checklist. Copy, fill the brackets, send.

01The 5-step outreach flowHow it fits together
02Email 1 — The cold pitchSwipe copy
03Email 2 — The follow-upSwipe copy
04Email 3 — After they say yesSwipe copy
05Email 4 — The no-for-now saveSwipe copy
06Outreach trackerFill-in sheet
07The "gets a yes" checklistBefore you send
By Your Name. From 18 years of pitching, publishing, and editing guest posts.
Start here
The 5-step outreach flow

Outreach fails when it's a cold blast. It works when it's a short sequence: pick fewer, better sites, prove you're worth a reply, then follow up once. Here's the whole loop these templates plug into.

  1. 1
    Shortlist, don't spray
    Pick 15–25 relevant sites, not 300. Real traffic, on-topic, and they actually publish guests. Vet before you pitch.
  2. 2
    Find the real person
    Get the editor's name and address, not info@. One human, one relevant email beats ten generic ones.
  3. 3
    Send Email 1 — the cold pitch
    Short. Prove you read the site, offer three specific angles, show one relevant sample. No attachments, no flattery.
  4. 4
    Follow up once with Email 2
    Wait 4–6 business days. One polite bump that adds a new angle. Then stop. Silence is a no; move on.
  5. 5
    Close the loop
    Got a yes? Send Email 3 to lock the topic and terms. Got a "not now"? Send Email 4 to stay on the list for later.
Rule of thumb. Reply rate lives and dies on relevance, not volume. Twenty tailored pitches beat two hundred templated ones, every time. The brackets in these emails are there so you never send a generic one.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   02
When: after you've read 2–3 of their recent posts
To[Editor first name] — the real person, not info@
SubjectGuest post idea for [Site]: [specific angle]

Hi [First name],

I read your piece on [recent article title] last week. The point about [one specific detail from it] is something I run into constantly, so it stuck with me.

I'd love to write a guest post for [Site]. Three angles I could cover, each first-hand, not rehashed:

  1. [Angle one — specific, with a number or outcome]
  2. [Angle two]
  3. [Angle three]

Here's a recent sample so you can check the writing: [one relevant link]. Original, on-topic, and I'll match your format and word count.

Worth a draft? Happy to send an outline first.

Thanks,
[Your name] — [one-line credibility: what you do + one proof point]

Why it works: It proves you read the site in the first line, offers choices instead of demanding a slot, and de-risks the ask with a real sample. No attachment, no "Dear Webmaster," no 600-word life story.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   03
When: 4–6 business days after Email 1, no reply
ReplyIn the same thread — keep the original subject
SubjectRe: Guest post idea for [Site]

Hi [First name],

Floating this back up in case it slipped past. I know the inbox is brutal.

Since I wrote, I had one more idea that might fit [Site] even better: [new angle, one line]. I can pull real numbers from [your data / test / experience] for it.

If guest posts aren't a fit right now, no worries at all, just say the word and I'll stop cluttering your inbox.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Why it works: One bump, not five. It adds a fresh angle instead of just "just checking in," and it gives an easy exit, which paradoxically lifts reply rates. After this, stop. A non-answer is your answer.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   04
When: immediately after a positive reply
SubjectGreat — locking in the [Site] guest post

Hi [First name],

Brilliant, thank you. Let's make this easy on you. Here's what I'm proposing so we're aligned before I write:

  • Topic: [chosen angle]
  • Working title: [title]
  • Length: [word count], matched to your recent posts
  • Delivery: draft to you by [date]

Two quick questions so I nail it the first time: is there anything you specifically don't want covered, and how would you like the author bio and any links handled?

I'll send a short outline first if that's useful. Excited to write this one.

Cheers,
[Your name]

Why it works: It turns a "yes" into a clear scope before a word is written, which is exactly what editors wish more contributors did. Confirming links and bio up front avoids the awkward back-and-forth that gets posts quietly dropped.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   05
When: they pass, or say "maybe later"
SubjectRe: Guest post idea for [Site]

Hi [First name],

Totally understand, and thanks for the honest reply. That's rarer than it should be.

I'll keep reading [Site] either way. If a slot opens up later, or if you ever want a specific piece on [their topic], I'm an easy yes. I'll check back in a couple of months rather than pester you before then.

In the meantime, if there's a topic you're struggling to fill, tell me and I'll see if I can help.

Thanks again,
[Your name]

Why it works: Most people vanish after a no. Staying gracious and genuinely useful keeps you on the shortlist, and editors remember the contributor who offered to solve their problem. A surprising number of these turn into a yes on the second pass.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   06

Print one per campaign. The whole game is following up on time and not pitching the same site twice. This sheet does both.

Site / URL Editor & email DA / traffic Angle pitched Sent Follow-up Status
Sent Followed up Yes No / no reply
One discipline that beats every tool: set the follow-up date the moment you send, and never pitch a site that isn't logged here. Duplicate pitches are the fastest way to get blocklisted by an editor.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   07

Run every pitch through this. If you can't tick all nine, it's not ready.

Last thing. Send from a real, branded email on your own domain, not a free address. It's the quietest trust signal in the whole sequence, and the one most people skip.
Guest Posting Outreach Swipe Fileexample.com   ·   08