How to Pitch Podcasters and Guest on More Shows
Here are a few things I’ve learned hosting over 500 podcast episodes and getting pitched (poorly) every week:
1. Don’t pitch yourself as “successful,” citing your achievements. Believe it or not, this makes you forgettable.
Podcasters want to book someone with a point of view. Everyone pitching a host is "successful." But not everyone is 🤔 interesting.
Every single pitch a podcaster gets sounds the same. “This is me (or this is my client, if a teammate/PR agency is pitching). I am successful. Here are some places I’ve worked. Here are some things I’ve built. Here is a bulleted list of reasons I am successful. Here is a bulleted list of topics I can teach.”
And at their worst, the person doing the pitching feigns interest in the host’s show. “I’m a big fan! I loved your episode on X. It was so refreshing!”
Hosts see through this. We’ve learned to spot canned, lazy pitches and low-value guests immediately – and the ones who can’t are the ones whose shows you probably don’t want to spend time appearing on.
Instead, your pitch needs to convey the following:
I am 🤔 interesting. (Not generic. Memorable. I have a unique perspective.)
I am 💛 service-minded. (I’m here to help your audience, which means I’ve taken steps to actually convey that I understand your show/your audience within my pitch.)
2. Don’t pitch yourself as a guest. Pitch a story or topic for the episode – and make it as specific to the show as you can.
A good pitch is about being 🤔 interesting, yes, but NOT interesting in some generic sense applicable to tons of shows in the same way across the board (because that means bulleting out ways you’re successful once again). Instead, convey you are interesting to their cause – as in, something specific about you and your ideas is interesting in a way that is narrowly applicable to this show you are pitching right now.
Ask: What’s the premise of their show? Pitch how you'd help the podcaster explore something their show has missed so far in exploring that premise. Even if you’re off the mark with your specific pitch, they’ll appreciate and understand how 💛 service-minded you are being.
Forget your general topics + impressive bio. Make that easy to find afterwards, maybe in a “PS” to the email. Instead, focus the first few lines on how you advance THEIR cause as a podcaster.
This means, yes, actually listen to their show and construct a specific idea for an episode that would serve their audience, with you as the perfect guest to explore that theme or question.
3. Don’t be annoying. I don’t care which sales guru recommended following up 7 times. You get 1 follow-up.
Podcasters talk. Ensure they talk about you positively. It’s fine to follow-up, but know that with each attempt, you run the risk of frustrating them and not appearing on their show EVER, let alone right now.
(Also, I wish it was rare but this happens often: An aspiring guest or their publicist will pitch a host who runs a show that does NOT feature any guests, ever. It’s hilarious, and podcasters talk about it behind-the-scenes all the time. Don’t make this mistake either! Not that you would, because you’re reading this document. That makes you a cut above.)
(And smart and attractive and charming and…)
Pitch Email Example [Write Your Own]
This pitch conveys you are 🤔 interesting and you are 💛 service-minded.
For the following example, assume someone is pitching me, Jay, during my years as host of Unthinkable, a show about people who break from best practices and trust their intuition.
SUBJECT LINE:
Tiny moment of resonance // your show
EMAIL COPY:
Hey Jay, I know you’re exploring resonance through creativity on the show lately. I really love that. I am a comedian and joke writer, so I have a very specific angle on that. (More below.)
But first, I’m wondering if you’d consider exploring things that aren’t quite so “big” on the show as examples of creative resonance. A lot of the last few episodes center on writing books, giving keynotes, developing groundbreaking films. I thought there might be room to explore resonance from the angle of “small” projects next – tiny moments of creativity and storytelling – which still lead to deep resonance with an audience.
It maps to my life personally. I’m a longtime comedian and joke writer. I currently work for Example Show, perform standup 3-5x per week in NYC, and host a podcast called Example Podcast.
Before that, I did marketing for Random Brand/Industry Example (and have a strange transition story between the two… for a later date.)
Why I’m emailing: I’d love to show your audience that it’s not just the scope of a project or size of a budget that creates something resonant. It’s tiny choices… and I can take you inside the process of joke-writing for my own standup and for others I write for.
I could share my experiences and stories, deconstruct a few examples, share some frameworks – anything that you may need.
Would love your thoughts, and happy to tweak this if you feel I’m a good guest candidate but prefer a different direction. You know your audience best.
Happy to send more context about me, but for now:
My background: URL
A recent public appearance: URL
I appreciate your time and what you do for your audience. Thank you!
Jane Doe
Nobody pitches like this. It would blow a host’s mind and instantly get you a closer look, if not an immediate reply.
Remember: expertise is table stakes, and bad pitches have given a bad reputation to good pitches. You’re up against a ton of friction. You have to make each pitch better, which means sending fewer pitches, customizing them (authentically and not with placeholder copy or automations), and above all, you need to pitch an angle and pitch interestingness, not pitch yourself or your background.