Guest booking email and prep sheet

By James Jones, founder of Granary Digital · Updated 5 November 2026

Many recordings go wrong in the emails before the guest arrives. A booking email that gives the date, the length, the place and a clear ask is easier to answer. A prep sheet that tells the guest what to do beforehand helps the recording start well.

Send them in this order

Send the booking email first, and the prep sheet once the time is agreed. Do not send the prep sheet with the invitation, because it gives the guest a list of jobs before they have said yes.

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The booking email

Include these, in this order:

• Who you are, the show's name, and a link to one episode so the guest can hear the tone.
• Why this guest. One sentence on what you want them to talk about.
• The format and length, such as "about 40 minutes, recorded in one session".
• Where. In person, give the address and a parking note. Remote, name the platform you will use.
• Two or three times, with the time zone for a remote guest.
• The date you need a reply by, and what happens next.

Hello [guest name], I host a show about [topic] and would love you to be a guest on episode [number]. We would talk for about 40 minutes about [the one thing you want them to cover]. Could you let me know which of these works: [day and date, time], [day and date, time] or [day and date, time]? Once you have chosen, I will send a short prep sheet.

The prep sheet

Send it once the time is agreed. Cover these points:

1. Arrival time, and where to park or how to join the call.
2. The length of the recording and the topics in rough order. Share the questions if the guest prefers to prepare.
3. Microphone and headphone advice. The mic technique guide covers distance and angle in plain terms.
4. What to bring: a drink at room temperature, notes written as keywords, and anything they will refer to.
5. Who will be in the room or on the call, and the number to ring if they are running late.

If the guest is joining from another place, the remote guest recording guide covers their room and their connection.

Worked example

A host sends the booking email and hears nothing. Three working days later she sends a short follow-up with the same options and one line about what happens next. The follow-up is easier to answer because the options are in front of the guest and nothing new has to be read.

Common mistakes

• Sending the prep sheet with the first invitation.
• Leaving the time zone out for a remote guest.
• No reply date in the email, so the slot sits open for weeks.
• Not saying how long the recording will take.
• Asking the guest for a bio without saying where it will appear.

For an in-person recording at our Podcast Studio, give the guest the address, The Old Grainstore, Adsdean, Chichester, PO18 9DN, and the parking note: there are fifteen parking spaces on site. For guests who are new to being recorded, how to be a good podcast guest is worth sending too.

Related guides

• Start a podcast: the honest first 90 days
• Podcast format chooser: interview, panel, solo or narrative
• Name, artwork and trailer checklist for a new podcast
• Episode planner and run sheet
• All guides and tools

The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.