Hi, hello, come on in.
We’re so happy you’re here. Whether you want to say hi, send us a tip, ask a question, or just tell us about your week, this is the right place. Pull up a chair.
A few quick things, just so you know
Okay, real talk: we love getting your emails. We really, really do. I have a folder on my computer literally called “nice things people said” and I open it on bad days like other women open a bottle of wine. So yes, please write to us. We are not too cool. We will write back.
That said, I want to be honest about a couple of things upfront, because I think it makes everything easier for everyone. The first is timing. I’m one person with a small team, not a customer service department, and I read every single message myself before passing it along. Which means we are usually a few days behind. Sometimes a week. Once, embarrassingly, three weeks (sorry, Diane). If you haven’t heard back yet, you are not being ignored. We’re just slow on purpose.
The second thing is, we get a LOT of pitches. If you’re a brand or a PR person, that’s totally fine, and we read them all, but please know we say no to about ninety-five percent of them. Not because we don’t like you. We just don’t accept sponsored content (this is the same thing we said on the about page, and yes, we mean it). If you have something genuinely useful for our readers, we’ll always take a look. Just don’t be offended when we send a polite no.
The third thing, and this is the most important one: if you’re writing to share something personal, like a story or a question about something hard, please know that I read those slowly and with my whole heart. Those are the emails that mean the most to us. I might not have a perfect answer for you, but I will sit with what you said.
Okay. That’s the housekeeping. Below you’ll find the easiest ways to reach us, depending on what’s on your mind. Pick the one that feels right and we’ll go from there.
The right way to find us
There are a few different inboxes depending on what you want to talk about. Pick whichever fits and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Just to say hi
If you read something that moved you, made you laugh, or made you want to argue politely, this is the inbox. We love these the most. No subject line required.
hello@outsidemynest.comPitches & PR
Brands, agencies, publicists, fellow writers with a story idea. We do read these, we just say no a lot. If you’ve genuinely got something good, we want to see it.
pitches@outsidemynest.comWriting for us
We open submissions a few times a year for contributors. If you’ve got a story, a perspective, or a beat we don’t already cover, send us a short pitch and a sample of your work.
write@outsidemynest.comPress & Interviews
Journalists, podcasters, fellow blog editors writing about the small-blog world. Happy to chat, share quotes, or be on your show if it sounds like a fit.
press@outsidemynest.comNot sure where to start? Use this.
If picking an email feels like too much, no worries at all. Just use the form, and we’ll route it ourselves. Easier for everyone, honestly.
Things people ask us kind of a lot
If you’ve got one of these questions, the answer’s right here, which saves us both a step. If it isn’t, just write to us anyway.
How long does it take to hear back from you?
Usually three to seven days. Sometimes longer if it’s a busy week, or if I caught a cold, or if Pickle the cat knocked my laptop off the desk again. If it’s been more than two weeks, please feel free to nudge us. We don’t mind, and we won’t be offended.
Can I send you a product to review?
You’re welcome to send it, but please know we can’t promise coverage, and we won’t write a glowing review just because something showed up at the door. If we end up writing about it, we’ll be honest, including when we don’t love it. That’s how this works around here.
Do you do sponsored posts or paid placements?
Nope. We don’t do sponsored content, paid placements, paid links, or any flavor of that. If we ever change our minds, we’ll say so loudly. Until then, you’re seeing what we actually think.
I’d like to write for Outside My Nest. How do that?
Send a short pitch (a few sentences is plenty) plus one or two writing samples to our writing inbox. We open contributor spots a few times a year. We read everything, even when we can’t take it on.
Can I republish or quote something you wrote?
A short quote with a link back is fine. Reposting an entire piece is not. If you’d like to share something more substantial, just ask first. We’re usually pretty agreeable, especially for non-commercial use.
Something on the site looks broken. Where do I report it?
Use the form above and pick “Something on the site isn’t working.” A quick screenshot helps a lot. We’ll fix it as fast as we can, and we genuinely appreciate the heads up.
If a whole email feels like a lot, start here
The newsletter is the easiest way to stay in our orbit. It comes out roughly when there’s something good to say, and you can unsubscribe at any time with zero hard feelings.