156 Days of Podcast Interview Pitches: My Boss Was Speechless

Last year, I sent 47 podcast pitch emails. I got exactly zero responses. Not even a "no thanks."

My pitches were terrible. I'd write things like: "Hi, I'm a writing coach and I'd love to come on your show to talk about writing tips." Groundbreaking stuff, right?

Then I got obsessed. I spent 156 days testing every variable I could think of: subject lines, opening hooks, value propositions, follow-up timing. I tracked everything in a spreadsheet that my coworkers started calling "The Pitch Bible."

The result? I went from 0% response rate to landing 53 podcast appearances in the following 6 months. Here's exactly what changed.

The Subject Line That Changed Everything

Most podcast pitch subject lines are forgettable: "Guest pitch for your show" or "Interview request." They blend into the inbox noise.

After testing 34 different subject line formats, one pattern consistently outperformed: the specific result plus curiosity gap.

Instead of: "Guest pitch about writing"

I used: "How I helped 200+ writers publish in 30 days (potential episode idea)"

The specificity (200+ writers, 30 days) signals credibility. The parenthetical creates curiosity without being clickbait.

My open rate jumped from 12% to 61% with this single change.

Stop Pitching Yourself, Pitch an Episode

Here's what most people get wrong: they pitch themselves instead of pitching an episode.

Podcast hosts don't need another expert. They need content that serves their audience. When I shifted from "here's my background" to "here's an episode your listeners will love," everything changed.

My winning format:

Paragraph 1: One sentence showing I actually listen to their show (specific episode reference)

Paragraph 2: The episode concept in one sentence, framed around their audience's problem

Paragraph 3: Three bullet points of what I'd cover (specific and actionable)

Paragraph 4: One line of relevant credibility + call to action

Total length: Under 150 words. Hosts are busy. Respect their time.

The 72-Hour Follow-Up Rule

I tested follow-up timing obsessively. Waiting a week? Too long—they've forgotten you. Same day? Too aggressive.

The sweet spot: 72 hours after the initial pitch.

But here's the key—the follow-up can't just be "bumping this up." I'd add one new piece of value: a recent article relevant to their audience, a stat that supports my episode idea, or a brief audience win.

One follow-up at 72 hours increased my response rate by 40%. A second follow-up at day 7 added another 15%. After that, returns diminished sharply.

What I Stopped Doing

Some "best practices" actually hurt my results:

Stopped: Attaching media kits. Nobody opened them. They cluttered the pitch.

Stopped: Listing every credential. Three relevant ones beat a laundry list.

Stopped: Offering multiple episode ideas. One focused concept won every time.

Stopped: Using "I'd love to" language. Instead: "Here's what I can share with your audience."

The Surprising Truth About Small Shows

I initially targeted only big podcasts. Mistake.

Shows with 1,000-5,000 downloads often have:

• Hosts who respond personally
• Audiences that are highly engaged
• More flexibility with episode topics
• Better conversion to actual listeners

Three of my best client acquisitions came from shows with under 2,000 downloads per episode. The host promoted heavily, the audience was tight-knit, and people actually reached out afterward.

Your Pitch Checklist

Before sending any podcast pitch, I run through this:

• Did I reference a specific episode? (Not just "I love your show")
• Is my episode idea focused on their audience's problem?
• Can they skim this in 30 seconds and get the point?
• Did I include exactly 3 talking points?
• Is my credibility relevant to this specific topic?
• Did I make the next step crystal clear?

If any answer is no, I rewrite.

Start Today

Pick one podcast in your niche. Listen to their most recent episode. Write down one specific problem their audience has that you can solve.

Then write a pitch under 150 words offering to solve that problem.

Send it. Then send four more this week.

The math works in your favor: even a 10% response rate means 5 conversations from 50 pitches. And 50 pitches only takes a few hours of focused work.

Your expertise is valuable. Podcasts need guests. The only missing piece is a pitch that makes it easy for hosts to say yes.

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Want to refine your pitch writing? Try WriteBetter.ai to develop a clear, compelling voice that gets responses.