_Open Shelf · Free one-pager · from behind the counter_ # What buyers hate in a first email *And what to do instead.* I run a small shop, and I read pitches from makers most weeks. Most of them are for good products. They fail because the email makes me do work I don’t have time for. Here’s what makes a first email hard to say yes to, and the easy fix for each. 1. **No prices.** **Instead:** Put wholesale and suggested retail (MSRP) in the email or on an attached line sheet. If I have to write back to ask what it costs, it goes to the bottom of the pile. 2. **Ignoring how the shop asked to be pitched.** **Instead:** 350 shops in our list use a form and 25 give an exact subject line. Do exactly that. 3. **Links and nothing else.** **Instead:** Show 3–5 photos in the email. Austin Art Garage says outright they won’t click links alone. 4. **A 10 MB attachment, or six of them.** **Instead:** One PDF line sheet, kept small. Photos inline, sized for a phone. 5. **The whole founder story up front.** **Instead:** Five sentences: who you are, what you make, why it fits this shop, prices, how to order. I want the story. I want it after I know the price works. 6. **“Dear Shop Owner” and 40 shops in the CC line.** **Instead:** Use the shop’s name. Name a product of theirs your line would sit next to. 7. **Not saying where else you sell.** **Instead:** List stockists, especially nearby ones. CITRINE and Frances ask for this by name. 8. **Not knowing your terms.** **Instead:** Decide before you send: wholesale, consignment, or both. Know your minimum order. 9. **Walking in with samples, or calling to “check you got it.”** **Instead:** 30+ shops in our list say no calls, no walk-ins or no drop-offs. Email first. A Saturday afternoon is when I’m busiest. A bag of samples at the counter puts me in an awkward spot. 10. **Three follow-ups in two weeks.** **Instead:** One kind follow-up after a week or two, with something new: a bestseller, press, a seasonal item. More than one starts to feel like pressure. > The best pitch I get is one I can say yes to in five minutes, from my phone, between customers. --- **From Open Shelf — independent US shops that accept new brands** [joinopenshelf.com](https://joinopenshelf.com) · How to pitch a boutique, with an email template: [joinopenshelf.com/guide/how-to-pitch-a-boutique/](https://joinopenshelf.com/guide/how-to-pitch-a-boutique/) Want shops to find you? [Founding Featured spots, $39 or $79](https://joinopenshelf.com/brands/featured/). Pitching New York? [The NYC Pitch Pack](https://joinopenshelf.com/pitch-packs/nyc/). _Shop counts are from published pitch instructions in the Open Shelf directory (625 shops, checked Oct 2026)._