Pitching Your AI-Ready Vertical Series to Platforms: A Template and Email Sequence

Stop Guessing — Pitch Vertical Series Platforms With a Done‑for‑You Template and Outreach Sequence

You're a creator who can write, shoot, and edit mobile‑first stories — but landing a platform deal feels like a different language. Platforms like Holywater are scaling fast in 2026, backed by new funding and AI discovery engines. If you want a seat at the table, you need a concise, metrics‑forward pitch and a tight outreach sequence that gets attention, scores meetings, and protects your rights.

Below is a creator‑friendly, filled pitch template for a sample vertical series plus a practical, tested email outreach sequence (with subject lines) you can copy, customize, and send today. I'll also walk you through the negotiation checklist and the exact KPIs and deal terms that matter to vertical‑first platforms in 2026.

Why 2026 Is the Moment for Vertical Series — and What Platforms Want

Short, serialized storytelling is now a primary growth category. In January 2026, Holywater raised an additional $22M to scale AI‑powered vertical episodic content — a public signal that vertical streaming is entering a platform‑scale phase. At the same time, AI tools (and marketplaces) are shifting both how content is created and how platforms discover IP — witness the surge in funding for AI video tools and deals around creator data marketplaces in late 2024–2025.

Platforms care about three things right now:

• Retention — Can your episodes keep viewers past 30s and drive completion rates higher than native short form?
• Repeatability — Is your format scalable into multiple seasons or spin‑offs?
• Data and rights clarity — How will the platform use your content for recommendation models and AI training?

The Inverted Pyramid: What to Lead With in Your Pitch

1. Logline + format (one line)
2. Audience proof & fast metrics (watch time, retention, demo)
3. Deliverables & production plan (episodes, runtime, turnaround)
4. Commercial asks (license type, money or rev share, marketing request)
5. Rights & AI training position (critical in 2026)
6. Next steps (pilot link, meeting request)

Filled Pitch Template — Example: "SwipeCity" (A Mobile Microdrama)

Use this as a copy/paste template. Replace bracketed fields with your info and keep language short and visual.

Compact Pitch (One‑Page)

Title: SwipeCity

Format: 6 x 3‑minute episodes, vertical 9:16, serialized microdrama

Logline: In a city where love and betrayal are decided by a swipe, a rising matchmaker learns her own algorithm is changing hearts — and reputations.

Why it fits Holywater / Vertical Platforms: Mobile‑native storytelling, high episodic hook, built for bingeing and clip repurposing. Fits AI discovery signals Holywater prioritizes: short runtime, serialized arcs, clear audience cohort (18–34 urban viewers).

Audience & Proof

• Core audience: Women 18–34, urban, U.S./UK (first season focus)
• Pilot demo metrics: Instagram pilot (90s cut) — 1.2M views; Avg watch time 48s (53% completion); 4.6% CTA (link click to Long‑form pilot on YouTube)
• Email list & socials: 28k email opt‑ins; TikTok 150k followers; YouTube Shorts 220k subs

Production & Delivery

• Delivery schedule: Pilot delivered in 3 weeks; full season (6 eps) within 8 weeks of deal
• Team: Creator/EP (you), showrunner, 1 DP, post team — episode turnaround 7–10 days each
• Specs: 9:16 master, 3:4 teasers, SRT captions, 4‑cut assets per episode for promotional clips

Commercial Terms (Proposal)

• Type: Non‑exclusive 12‑month distribution license with first‑right‑to‑renew
• Payment: $18,000 flat license fee for Season 1 (6 eps) + 50/50 ad revenue split on platform ads after a $25k revenue threshold
• Marketing: Platform commits to a 2‑week homepage feature and paid UA test budget of $10k
• Deliverables: 6 master episodes, 24 clips, caption files, metadata + 1 x 30‑sec trailer

Rights & AI / Data Clause (Sample)

AI use: Creator grants platform a limited, non‑transferable license to use content for platform recommendation and machine learning models solely to improve content discovery on the platform. Any third‑party sale or use for training external AI models requires separate compensation and creator approval.

Next Steps

Watch the pilot: link — Request a 20‑minute meeting to discuss terms and test UA. Available Mon/Wed/Thu 10–1 PT.

What to Measure and Include in Your Pitch (KPIs & Benchmarks for 2026)

Vertical platforms evaluate short series with the same metrics but adapted for mobile behavior. Include these in every pitch:

• Initial retention: % viewers at 15s / 30s / end
• Completion rate: % who watch whole 3+ min episode
• Avg watch time: per view and per viewer
• Return rate: % who watch 2+ episodes in 7 days
• CTR & downstream actions: clicks to creator profile, mailing list signups
• Audience demo: age, gender, geo — tie to platform target audience

Example: A vertical pilot with 50% 30s retention and 28% completion on 3‑minute episodes is competitive for platform trial consideration in 2026.

Outreach Email Sequence — 5 Messages That Work

Use this sequence over 3–4 weeks. Keep messages short, include links to the pilot, and always end with a single clear ask: a 20–30 minute call. Customize the subject and first line to show you've done platform research.

Email 1 — Cold Pitch (Short & Specific)

Subject: SwipeCity — 6×3min vertical microdrama (pilot + metrics)

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], creator of SwipeCity — a serialized vertical microdrama that got 1.2M short‑form views and 53% 3‑min completion on pilot tests. I built the show for mobile bingeing and quick clip repurposing.

Quick ask: would you take a 20‑minute call next week to see if this fits Holywater’s vertical slate? Pilot + one‑page pitch here: [link]

Thanks — [Your Name] / [One‑line credential: e.g., Creator, 150k TikTok followers]

Email 2 — Value Add (3–5 Days Later)

Subject: SwipeCity pilot — 48s avg watch time & UA test idea

Hi [Name],

Following up — I added a quick UA test plan that could help scale this to a core cohort (18–34 women). The plan projects a 20% lift in retention with a $10k test spend.

Pilot: [link]. Can I send a one‑page timeline and budget if you’re interested?

— [Your Name]

Email 3 — Social Proof + Meeting Request (1 Week Later)

Subject: 1.2M views pilot + creator‑built audience (short)

Hi [Name],

I know your team is busy. Quick proof: the pilot’s top referrers were Reels and TikTok, and we converted 4.6% of viewers to a long‑form pilot. I’d love to talk terms that protect creator AI rights and scale the IP.

Any time for 20 minutes next Tue/Wed?

Email 4 — Last Try (10 Days Later)

Subject: Last note — pilot + possible co‑launch window

Hi [Name],

If now isn’t right, no problem — can you point me to the right person for short serialized formats? If it is right, I can share a short term sheet and delivery calendar.

Thanks for any pointer — [Your Name]

Email 5 — Warm Touch / Event Follow Up (After Meeting or Conference)

Subject: Nice to meet at [Event] — next steps on SwipeCity

Hi [Name],

Great to meet you at [Event]. Following our chat, I attached the pilot and a 1‑page term summary that includes a limited AI training allowance and a marketing commitment. Would you like a 15‑minute sync to review?

How to Handle Responses and Negotiation — A Short Playbook

When a platform responds, move fast and use a short term sheet to anchor the deal. Here's what to prioritize and what to push back on:

• Anchor the License: Start with non‑exclusive 12 months. If a platform wants exclusivity, ask for a meaningful premium or a guaranteed marketing/UA spend.
• AI / Training Rights: Be explicit. Grant internal ML use for recommendations but decline external resale or broad training rights without compensation.
• Revenue Structure: Hybrid deals work best — a modest license fee + revenue share unlocks platform buy‑in and aligns incentives.
• Marketing Guarantees: Secure a minimum feature/window (homepage, push, email) and test UA budget — platforms are willing to commit when the format shows initial signals.
• Performance KPIs: Limit hard performance clauses. If included, tie bonuses to clearly measurable and realistic metrics (e.g., 2x baseline completion/retention) and define measurement systems.
• Deliverables & Revisions: Agree on rounds of review (2 rounds max) and clear delivery specs to avoid scope creep.

Sample Term Sheet (One‑Page Anchor)

• License: Non‑exclusive, 12 months (territory: worldwide)
• Payment: $18k license fee for S1 + 50/50 ad rev share after $25k gross
• Deliverables: 6 masters, captions, 24 clips, metadata
• Marketing: Platform to provide 2‑week homepage placement + $10k UA test
• AI use: Internal recommendation models only; any external use requires separate agreement
• Exclusivity: None; first‑right‑to‑renew for platform
• Termination: Material breach or failure to publish within 90 days

2026 Trends to Mention in Negotiations (Use These as Leverage)

• Platforms are investing heavily in AI discovery — tie your pitch to improved discovery metrics or data you can provide.
• Creator compensation for AI training is rising: reference marketplace moves (Human Native/Cloudflare) as leverage to limit unbounded training use.
• AI editing tools (Higgsfield and others) reduce production costs and allow faster turnaround — offer compressed delivery timelines as upside.

“Holywater raised $22M in early 2026 to scale mobile‑first episodic vertical content — a structural bet that platforms will pay for vertically native IP.” — Forbes, Jan 16, 2026

Real‑World Example: How a Creator Turned a Pitch into a Deal

Case study (anonymized): A creator pitched a 5×4‑minute serialized docu‑drama with pilot metrics similar to SwipeCity. Using the template above they asked for a non‑exclusive 12‑month license + $12k fee + 40/60 rev share. The platform countered with a higher marketing guarantee and a smaller upfront fee. The creator accepted a hybrid: $9k upfront + 50/50 ad rev after $20k, and a 2‑week homepage feature with $8k UA spend. The show launched, hit the platform’s top 10 for 3 weeks, and earned an extra $18k in ad revenue in the first quarter. The creator retained off‑platform rights and negotiated a paid sequel offer after the season performance.

Actionable Checklist — 10 Things to Do Before You Hit Send

1. Trim your one‑pager to a single scroll on mobile.
2. Include a pilot link and a 30‑sec trailer at the top.
3. Attach or link to raw KPI screenshots (analytics) not just claims.
4. Prepare a 1‑page term sheet with your ask and walkaway numbers.
5. Decide your AI training position and add a short clause.
6. Prepare proof of audience (email list, paid UA tests, engagement rates).
7. Have a delivery calendar and production cost summary ready.
8. Plan a 20‑minute deck for the meeting (4 slides: hook, audience, production, terms).
9. Set a follow‑up cadence (use the 5 email sequence above).
10. Price rights realistically — non‑exclusive first, exclusive with premium.

Final Takeaways for 2026

In 2026, vertical platforms are not just social apps — they are streaming bets powered by AI discovery. That means creators who present crisp, data‑backed pitches with modern AI clauses will win better deals and retain futures for their IP. Use the filled template to get meetings, the email sequence to open doors, and the negotiation checklist to close deals that protect your content and income.

Call to Action

Ready to pitch? Copy the filled template, customize the emails, and send your first outreach this week. If you want a quick review, send your one‑page pitch to hello@charisma.cloud and we’ll give a fast, practical edit to tighten your ask and protect your rights.

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