After I first began freelance writing, I spent plenty of time fascinated by my writing samples.
Since I didn’t know my writing area of interest at first, I had no clue what forms of samples I ought to write.
I additionally spent an excessive amount of time rewriting my bio or altering elements of my service-based web site as a result of I simply wasn’t certain what was proper.
In the meantime?
I wasn’t truly placing myself on the market sufficient. That’s the reason I began researching digital advertising ways to get in entrance of my superb shopper.
And I see so many new freelance writers doing the very same factor immediately.
You don’t must be the “good” author earlier than touchdown shoppers.
It’s worthwhile to discover ways to place your self like somebody price hiring and also you do this along with your writing pitch.
That’s what will get replies.
And if you happen to’re critical about changing into a contract author in 2026, these pitching suggestions will provide help to stand out manner quicker.
*Notice* On the finish of the weblog publish, I share what kind of pitch I like to jot down.
Particularly if you happen to’re nonetheless new and questioning how persons are truly touchdown writing work on-line.
Let’s get into it.
1. Choose a Area of interest Early
One of many largest errors newbie freelance writers make is attempting to jot down for everyone.
That often results in sounding generic and shoppers don’t need that; they need specialists.
A SaaS firm desires somebody who understands software program. A finance model desires somebody accustomed to finance content material. A parenting model desires somebody who understands mothers and households.
Even if you happen to’re nonetheless new, selecting a writing area of interest instantly helps you stand out extra.
And it makes advertising your self manner simpler too.
For those who need assistance selecting a worthwhile area of interest and setting your self up as a contract author, my course WriteTo1K walks you thru the precise course of step-by-step.
2. Create Related Writing Samples
You do NOT want paid shoppers to create writing samples.
Critically.
That is the place so many new freelance writers freeze.
As an alternative, you may create your individual area of interest writing samples.
Why is that useful with pitching shoppers? As a result of in your pitch, you’ll present related samples to indicate prospects you understand their trade in and out.
So, it is sensible to ONLY create related samples. This was arduous for me as a result of within the begnning, I created three writing samples in fully completely different niches: parenting, training, and psychological well being.
It took me time to start out creating writing samples of the kind of writing I need to do for shoppers.
So, for me, as a SaaS content material author, I would like to supply SaaS articles like reviewing a content material platform software or service.
And if you happen to’re an eCommerce author, your writing samples would focus round merchandise and promoting/advertising.
So, simply keep in mind, three sturdy area of interest samples are higher than ten random items.
For extra assist, take a look at my Writing Pattern Starter Package for brand new writers.
3. Construct a Author Web site — Not Only a Portfolio
A easy writing portfolio web page isn’t sufficient anymore however I perceive that if you happen to don’t have the finances, it’s higher than nothing.
However with a complete author web site, shoppers can acquire details about:
- Who you assist
- What you concentrate on
- What providers you supply
- Why you’re an excellent match
Your web site ought to place you want an actual enterprise proprietor and act as a portfolio on your providers.
In my YouTube video, I share with you the way your author web site can promote your providers, as a result of that is what you need your author web site to do for you.
When a possible shoppers involves your author web site they may instantly know if you happen to’re the author for them by how skilled and spot-on your content material is.
4. Create a Skilled E-mail Signature
Just a few years in the past, a Writeto1k pupil talked about how her e-mail signiture was serving to her get writing jobs. I used to be intrigued.
I requested her to indicate her e-mail signiture and I used to be like, “Wow! What a neat concept! I must share this!” And I did.
An e-mail signature after your pitch does all of the legwork for you.
It’s a simple manner for shoppers to recollect you and know the place to seek out your info to contact you.
Creating an e-mail signiture takes perhaps 10 minutes however helps you look far more established.
Be certain to incorporate:
- Your identify
- Your area of interest
- Web site
- Portfolio hyperlink
- LinkedIn profile
These small particulars will construct belief and provide help to additionally construct your model.
5. Pitch Companies Inside Your Writing Area of interest
When you select your writing area of interest, focus most of your pitching inside your area of interest.
Why? This can make discovering the proper shoppers soo a lot simpler. You may search “checklist (area of interest) companies” or “checklist (area of interest) writers” to see who writes in your writing area of interest.
Generally you need to mess around along with your search time period. For instance, I wish to put in the kind of firm I need to write for.
So, if I needed to jot down comparable content material like I did for Whop, a course platform, then I might put into Google, “checklist course platform companies.”
AI provides you with an organized and categorized checklist of these kinds of companies you need to pitch to.
And hopefully, because you studied your area of interest and used that info to promote in your author web site, the companies you researched will probably be completely aligned to your messaging.
That alignment makes shoppers extra prone to rent you and that’s one thing you need!
6. Pitch Shoppers Who Already Worth Content material
One of many largest errors I made early on as a contract author was pitching to any and each enterprise I needed to.
I pitched to:
- VFX firm
- Desnist
- Meal Prep service
- Profession/HR enterprise
And you understand what? I landed all of these pitches…I do know!
This could by no means occur these days, provided that you labored with a content material company (however you wouldn’t have any bylines as a result of it could be ghostwriting).
And people shoppers by no means valued content material. They didn’t give me a key phrase to concentrate on and didn’t need greater than 1,000 phrases.
However to face out as a contract author in 2026, it’s essential to discover shoppers that values content material.
When a companies perceive what their content material does for them, then they may worth YOU – the freelance author – and pays high greenback on your information and talent.
However how are you aware if a buisness values content material?
First, search for manufacturers publishing:
- Weblog posts
- E-mail newsletters
- search engine optimisation articles
- LinkedIn content material
These companies already perceive why content material issues.
Then take a look at the content material. Have they got a number of bylines on their weblog? Are their social media posts useful and dealing to have interaction the general public?
If you do your vetting, it makes your job – the writing – simpler.
7. Analysis the Consumer Earlier than Pitching
Whereas a part of your vetting is determining if it’s price it to pitch this enterprise, most of your vetting will probably be to analysis the shopper.
You don’t must spend an hour researching each prospect however spend ten minutes checking:
- Their web site
- Weblog
- Any podcasts they had been featured in
- Current content material
…can assist you construct a stronger pitching system.
Shoppers can inform while you truly seemed into their enterprise by the personalization you set into your pitch.
8. Interact With Shoppers Earlier than Pitching
One factor I attempt to do frequently is touch upon posts from content material entrepreneurs and managers.
They get notified of your remark and hopefully learn what you wrote!
This works rather well on LinkedIn the place many write enjoyable and fascinating posts like Spencer Mahoney did.
Then when your e-mail lands of their inbox, your identify already feels acquainted.
And this builds belief and folks rent folks they belief!
9. Use the Consumer’s Identify
I do know this can be a no brainer however many individuals nonetheless assume being formal in pitches is the best way to go….it’s NOT.
Don’t begin your pitch with:
“To whom it might concern.”
Or:
“Expensive Sir/Madam.”
This reeks cookie-cutter template and generic pitch that nobody determined to personalize. Each time I see this in my inbox, I do know they don’t even know my actual identify or my weblog or what I do.
These emails are trashed immediately.
It’s finest to be easy when addressing your pitch:
“Hello Sarah,”
“Hey Amanda,”
“Hello Jake,”
Your pitch ought to sound human so don’t be afraid to be conversational.
10. Write a Topic Line That Will get Opened
One of many issues I needed to know once I first began pitching was the topic strains they used.
Why? As a result of then I do know that topic line acquired the individual to open and ultimately rent that author.
So, your topic line issues a LOT.
Keep away from boring topic strains like:
- Freelance Author On the lookout for Work
- Writing Companies
- Rent Me
As an alternative strive:
- Content material concept for [Brand]
- Fast weblog suggestion on your web site
- Noticed a possibility on your content material
Easy curiosity works higher as an alternative of sound desparate and wanting work proper now.
Mess around with completely different topic strains and go forward and use Claude or ChatGPT that can assist you provide you with clickable e-mail topic strains.
11. Point out Your Area of interest All through the Pitch
When writing your pitch and describing your providers and what you do, make sure that to be particular in your title.
Don’t simply name your self a “freelance author.” That is too broad and generic and reveals potential shoppers you don’t have a distinct segment (and that interprets into not understanding the trade).
As an alternative, be particular along with your freelance writing title.
Examples:
- SaaS freelance author
- Finance content material author
- E-mail advertising author
- Parenting weblog author
Particular positioning helps shoppers immediately perceive the place you match and can assist you land that writing gig quicker.
12. Take away Weak or Unsure Language
New freelance writers consistently weaken their pitches with phrases like:
- “I feel I may…”
- “I’d be capable of…”
- “I used to be questioning if…”
That is one thing I used to be actively considering in order that I didn’t come off as an imposter.
As an alternative say:
- “I can assist with…”
- “I concentrate on…”
- “I observed a possibility to…”
Confidence issues as a result of then it seems such as you’ve been doing freelance writing for some time (even if you happen to haven’t).
13. Sound Like a Actual Particular person
Among the best pitches I ever obtained sounded informal and pure.
I do know this individual knew who I used to be as a result of they informed me they had been a subscriber of my YouTube channel and located my on LinkedIn.
This pitch wasn’t robotic or stiff. It simply learn pure and conversational and that is how it’s essential to seem to a possible shopper.
Once they can simply learn your pitch and really feel it’s genuine, then there’s a better chance they may attain out.
However what about AI? Can you employ AI in your pitch?
You may however I might use it as a suggestion and you would need to edit within the personalization components to make it extra genuine and human sounding.
14. Maintain Your Pitch Shorter
Most newbie writing pitches are manner too lengthy and content material markers simply don’t have the time to learn lengthy pitches.
You don’t want 5 paragraphs explaining your background or a long-winded speech about how nicely your writing is.
The objective is just to start out a dialog. It’s like your pitch is the knock on the door.
Shorter pitches are often simpler to learn and simpler to answer to.
15. Get to the Level Rapidly
When writing your pitch, don’t spend three paragraphs warming up.
Lead with one thing related instantly to get the eye of the individual studying your pitch e-mail.
Instance:
“I observed your weblog hasn’t been up to date not too long ago and had a number of content material concepts that would assist enhance natural visitors.”
That is clear and to the purpose. The following sentence can inform them who you might be and what kind of expertise you’ve gotten.
Make every sentence depend in your pitch!
16. Cease Sending Enormous Attachments
This was a “massive” factor a decade in the past. Folks liked sending attachments and new freelance writers would write their pitch and fasten their writing samples (as a result of they weren’t revealed on-line).
Shoppers are busy and similar to they aren’t going to learn an extended pitch, they definately aren’t going to click on that hooked up PDF.
It’s higher to hyperlink to your web site or portfolio to allow them to shortly skim your pattern and web site copy if they’re .
17. Add Social Proof
Social proof helps construct belief shortly and that’s what you need while you’re sending dozens of chilly emails.
Forms of social proof you would embody could be:
- Testimonials
- Manufacturers you’ve written for
- Publications
- Viewers development
- Outcomes
Even small wins assist as a result of it reveals your expertise working with different companies. In the event that they employed you and also you helped them obtain THAT, nicely, then perhaps you may assist MY enterprise obtain that and extra.
And if you happen to’re model new?
Are you able to present social proof? Yup! Use issues like:
- Your weblog
- Your area of interest experience
- Constant content material on-line
This does imply it’s essential to be “on the market” a bit earlier than you pitch. Writing on Medium and having a LinkedIn web page could be sufficient to land a shopper.
18. Construct Credibility Naturally
By now, many freelance writers are utilizing pitch templates to make their job eaiser.
However meaning persons are saying the identical issues again and again.
For instance, cease saying:
“I’m a extremely passionate and inventive author.”
This sounds very cookie-cutter. It’s a lot better to indicate credibility as an alternative.
You do that by sharing your area of interest and content material concepts. Possibly you observed a niche of their content material. Allow them to know that and provides them weblog publish concepts to fill that hole.
Share your expertise writing content material on-line or the way you shortly constructed up a LinkedIn account. Sharing issues like that simply helps you look extra credible.
19. Provide a Small Strategic Suggestion
Identical to talked about a content material hole, an excellent pitch will supply a small strategic suggestion to get the shopper to go, “hmm.”
This does require you to spend time on their web site and weblog web page. It may additionally imply spending time on their social pages.
You might need observed that lots of the social posts aren’t aligned with the weblog content material and in your pitch, you discover a technique to align them.
That’s a small strategic supply.
Different varieties embody
- Lacking weblog matters
- search engine optimisation gaps
- Weak headlines
- Outdated content material
Place your self like somebody who thinks strategically they usually provides you with as MORE than a contract author and that means MORE MONEY.
20. Finish With a Robust Name-to-Motion
Don’t finish your pitch with:
“Let me know what you assume.”
That places strain on the shopper to determine what occurs subsequent. It’s additionally obscure and doesn’t direct the individual what to do.
As an alternative ask one thing easy:
- “Would you want me to ship over some related samples?”
- “Open to discussing content material assist this month?”
- “All for a number of content material concepts on your weblog?”
You can even be express and provides them a date and time too.
21. Observe Up As an alternative of Assuming They’re Ignoring You
That is one thing newbie freelance writers virtually by no means do sufficient of (together with me!).
I might ship one pitch to a enterprise and transfer on. That was it!
I’d get silence and instantly assume:
“They hated my e-mail.”
“I’m bothering them.”
“They’re not .”
However what I missed was that enterprise house owners are simply busy.
So, it’s my job to be high of thoughts for them.
A easy follow-up e-mail a number of days later can fully change the end result.
And no, you don’t want to overcomplicate it.
Maintain it brief and pleasant.
One thing like:
“Hey Sarah, simply needed to shortly observe up on my final e-mail in case it acquired buried in your inbox. Nonetheless completely satisfied to ship over a number of content material concepts if useful!”
That’s it.
Loads of freelance writing shoppers are landed within the follow-up — not the primary pitch.
And that is a type of habits that separates writers who persistently land shoppers from writers who surrender too early.
For those who want extra assist, take a look at my free lesson in Writeto1k concerning the follow-up e-mail. This lesson is a gold mine and has helped dozens of scholars land shoppers.
What a Freelance Writing Pitch Seems Like
I nonetheless ship off pitches to firms I need to collaborate with. Not all of them yeild content material writing jobs, however the ones that do, I take note of.
Right here’s a pitch that I not too long ago used to assist me land a gig.
Last Ideas
Loads of freelance writers keep caught as a result of they spend years making ready as an alternative of training.
The writers who develop are often those persistently:
- Pitching
- Bettering
- Studying positioning
- Constructing authority
- Refining their message
That’s what separates writers who ultimately land shoppers from writers who keep invisible on-line.
Some writers do a pitching problem to assist encourage and push them to pitch.
And if you need assist selecting a distinct segment, constructing your samples, creating your web site, and studying learn how to land freelance writing shoppers step-by-step, take a look at my course WriteTo1K.
It’s designed particularly for newbie freelance writers who need to begin constructing an actual writing enterprise on-line.