No one can deny that pitching and cold emailing are 100% necessary skills for anyone wanting to become a successful, well-paid freelance writer.
If you can’t create an effective freelance writing pitch, well… good luck getting any paid work.
On the other hand, knowing how to craft a pitch that SELLS is a damn superpower that’ll get you clients you’ve only dreamed of.
I’m saying this from experience.
Cold emailing made me over $800 as a freelance writer the FIRST month I tried it.
Even though I was a broke, clueless college dropout.
And pitching myself has landed me more opportunities than I can count (including being featured on a NYT Bestselling Author’s YouTube channel, landing a freelance writing gig that paid over $10,000, and more).
But the harsh truth is this:
Most freelance writers focus WAY too much on nitpicking their writing instead of learning how to create a client-winning freelance writing pitch and sell their services.
As a result, they never land any clients.
You can be the best writer in the damn world, but if you can’t SELL your writing, you’re screwed when it comes to starting a business.
…maybe don’t use this as your freelance writing pitch subject line.
Today, my friend, I’m going to help you avoid being that broke, client-less writer.
In this blog post, you’re going to learn how to supercharge your freelance writing pitch so it lands you WAY more clients.
That way, you can bring in the big bucks to start a real business, travel, or whatever the hell else you want to do. 🙂
…Even if you’re new to freelance writing and a college dropout like I was when I started out.
Let’s get to it!
21 Stupid Simple Ways to Write a Freelance Writing Pitch That Wins Clients Every Damn Time
1. Address the recipient by name.
…well, I WAS doing fine until your impersonal-ass email landed in my inbox SMH
I know, I know. This seems stupid obvious.
But according to the shit-ton of pitches in my inbox every week that say “Dear Writing Revolt Owner,” it isn’t that obvious.
Start your email with “Hi (Client’s First Name)” or something similar. No need to go overly stuffy/formal include their last name.
Be human!
2. Use a client-focused subject line.
If you use “looking for freelance writing job” as your subject line, I’m going to have to yell at you.
…Lovingly, of course.
Remember, your goal is to get the recipient to ✨✨ACTUALLY OPEN YOUR EMAIL.✨✨
That means you’ve gotta focus on them.
Otherwise, your freelance writing pitch won’t even get opened – much less will it land you a high-paying client!
3.Cut anything that sounds unconfident.
Let me tell you, as a business owner who has hired freelancers, one of the worst things you can say is:
“I might be able to”
,,,Or, a similarly frustrating phrase: “I can try to…”
your clients probably won’t say this to you, but they’re definitely thinking it
Before a client will hire you, they must trust you.
So ditch anything that makes you sound untrustworthy or unreliable, and make the client feel confident in your abilities.
4. Be a niche writer.
A successful pitch involves SO much more than just some persuasive words.
Your entire marketing strategy has to work together to build trust with the client – your pitch just initiates the conversation (that hopefully ends in a sale).
One of the best ways to build trust with a potential client?
High-paying clients don’t want to work with generalists.
If they’re gonna shell out the big bucks, they’re gonna want a specialist.
TBH, I could rant about this topic hours at a time, but instead, I’ll just send you to this blog post for further explanation.
Oh, and, by the way:
You can learn exactly how to pick a profitable niche, create your first portfolio with no experience, and cold email your way to your first high-paying clients inside my best-selling Killer Cold Emailing program. 😉
5. Email clients in your specific niche.
You’re a finance writer?
Send your freelance writing pitch to finance clients.
You specialize in veterinary content?
Spend all (or most) of your time pitching vet and animal-related offices/publications/sites.
You get the picture.
This doesn’t mean to NEVER pitch outside of your niche.
It just means that the smart thing to do is make the most of your time – and you’re going to be a hell of a lot more successful if you focus your efforts on pitching to clients in your niche.
Because clients in your niche are the ones who will look at your pitch and think: “Oooh, this writer is the perfect fit for the gig!”
…Meaning you’ve got a WAY better chance of getting hired.
On a related note, if you want to learn exactly how to make your first $1,000 freelance writing (even if you have NO experience) in 45 days or less, click here to register for instant access to my FREE class!
(Over 13,000 writers like you have taken this class! Learn more and sign up for INSTANT access here.)
6. Position your niche expertise throughout your pitch.
It’s not enough to choose a niche.
You have to market the SHIT out of your niche. I mean, that’s the only way your target clients are going to know what you’re good at, you know?
So, avoid calling yourself a general “freelance writer” in your pitches, and make sure you’re positioning your niche throughout every cold email you send.
7. Create a sexy email signature.
Or an ugly, basic one? …Whatever!
The main thing you need to do in your email signature is establish your niche expertise.
Even if it’s ugly and basic.
Seriously – this is a quick way to look ~* extra professional and snazzy *~, which can help build trust in your freelance writing pitch.
And building trust is ESSENTIAL if you want to get hired.
8. Pitch clients who actually value what you do.
For example…
Stop pitching whitepaper writing services to clients who don’t even know what a whitepaper is.
The LAST thing you want is to make your job of selling your freelance writing services more difficult than it needs to be, so:
Get clear on a clientele in your niche who values the kind of work you do, and sell your services to them to make your life WAY easier and your business WAY more profitable.
You can learn how to do this inside of Killer Cold Emailing.
9. Link out to a professional freelance writer website.
…NOT a “portfolio.”
Here’s why a portfolio isn’t enough + how to set up a freelance writer website that SELLS.
(^This is an ESSENTIAL step to becoming a well-paid writer. Don’t put it off! My blog post will teach you how to do it in less than a day AND it includes a discount on hosting + free domain name. But you’ve gotta take action! GO GO GO.)
example of a website I created to show YOU how it’s done. click the image to read the full tutorial blog post!
10. Have relevant niche samples on your website.
Two relevant samples > 10 irrelevant samples
…In other words, if you’re a finance blogger, your samples should be finance blog posts.
You don’t need any experience/clients to create writing samples, by the way.
Learn how to create writing samples with no experience right here.
11. Use your website home page to SELL to your target client.
So, the client clicks over to your website from your freelance writing pitch. What should they see?
The short answer: website copy that sells them on hiring you.
Talk about the specific benefits they’ll get from hiring you.
12. Stop expecting strangers to read a bunch of your writing.
The other day, a writer pitched me and linked out to a FREAKING EBOOK.
That’s right. A total stranger expected me to read their eBook.
Bruh… I barely have time to read my emails from my team and people I know.
Much less am I going to read an eBook – or even a blog post – from someone I don’t know.
Your potential clients are the same way.
They’re not going to read through a bunch of your writing at the first contact.
So, send them to your sales-focused website instead, and they can see your samples there when they’re ready.
13. Slap some social proof in there.
Got some social proof to share?
Do it!
Don’t gloat, but if you can include something brief that will help build trust with your potential clients, it’s worth sharing.
Just make sure you’re sharing relevant social proof.
This goes back to having a specific niche/clientele you’re targeting.
(If you need help choosing a niche, check out this blog post with 10 of the most profitable freelance writing niches!)
14. Make it shorter.
Your pitch is probably WAY too long. I bet you could cut the word count in half and improve it drastically.
Go through your pitch right now, and ask yourself if each sentence has a purpose in selling your services to the potential client.
If it has no purpose, cut it.
…And be really fucking honest with yourself here!
15. Get to the point faster.
You don’t need to tell your life story.
In fact, if you open with a bunch of bullshit like that, your email is going to head to the cold pitch graveyard otherwise known as the Trash folder.
Open your email in a way that grab’s the client’s attention, and get to the point.
Remember, you can always fill them in on details later on.
Right now, you’re just trying to get a positive response to continue the conversation!
16. Research the client.
This is another one of those “common sense that isn’t actually so common” points.
But I want to mention it anyway, because you need to know:
Shitty templated cold emails don’t work anymore.
SMH @ this shitty cold email I recently received. clearly a template, super impersonal, and not at all focused on MY needs… IT’S A NO FROM ME.
I’m not saying you need to spend 30 minutes on each email.
But with how easy the internet makes research, you should be able to come up with something useful for your freelance writing pitch in 10-15 minutes.
To be clear:
You can (and should) totally work off of a high-converting template (like the proven-to-convert templates you get inside Killer Cold Emailing!). Still gotta personalize though!
17. Ditch the robotic/impersonal tone.
The best cold email I ever received was also the most casual one I’ve ever received.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean to talk to the client like you’d talk to your drinking buddies on the weekend.
…But then again, maybe it does!
Know your client, and talk to them like the human they are.
Most cold emails don’t do this and feel super template-y as a result, which is the LAST thing you want.
(PSST! My best-selling cold emailing course for freelance writers, Killer Cold Emailing, includes a customizable template that is PROVEN to land high-paying clients. Learn more about the course right here!)
18. Connect on social first.
This isn’t always necessary, but if you’re going for a gig you REALLY want, do it.
And spend some time interacting with the person you’re pitching.
For example, leave thoughtful comments on their LinkedIn posts, or reTweet them on Twitter.
Keep it natural, and be genuine.
They just might recognize you from social media when they receive your freelance writing pitch, which means you’ve got a WAY better shot of your pitch getting accepted!
19. Build your credibility.
Again, trust-building is everything.
One way to do this is to establish your niche expertise (especially helpful if you don’t have testimonials/awesome bylines yet!).
Whatever you do, DON’T say shit like “I’m a highly skilled and creative writer.”
You have to show that you’re credible, NOT just talk about it.
Because anyone can say they’re something they’re not. So, adjectives like “skilled” and “creative” are totally meaningless.
20. Suggest a specific solution.
While this isn’t *always* the best approach, it can be super effective in certain cases.
If you see something glaringly wrong on the potential client’s website, mention it in a non-condescending way.
Tone is key here. If you mess this up or do it the wrong way, it can easily backfire.
(This is why I show you EXACTLY how to do it the right way inside Killer Cold Emailing.)
You’re trying to position yourself as an expert, not prove that you’re smarter or better than the client!
21. Close out with a strong call-to-action.
One of the biggest mistakes I see? Writers closing out their freelance writing pitch with:
“Let me know if you’d be interested in working together.”
^ This is lazy. And it gives the recipient a hall pass to avoid replying to you.
Instead of saying some weak shit at the end of your email, be BOLD!
Ask them a question that makes it EASY for them to give you a “Yes.”
Inside Killer Cold Emailing, you learn exactly how to close out your cold emails with confidence… in a way that makes the client want to hire you!
Final note: Your freelance writing pitches and cold emails will SUCK unless you learn how to sell.
Ready for some more harsh truth?
A mediocre writer who knows how to SELL and MARKET themselves will get WAY more clients than an amazing writer who is clueless about sales/marketing.
Think about it.
If you’re an amazing writer, but you don’t know how to market yourself… no one’s going to know about your amazing writing.
Meaning you’ll never land any clients.
…Which also means you’ll stay in your current situation.
Maybe that’s working a job you hate.
Maybe that’s working for some asshole “clients” from Upwork who insist on paying $10 for you to write 1,000 words.
Maybe that’s wishing for more financial freedom and income, but never actually creating it because you don’t know how.
Sound familiar?
Let’s help you break out of that situation.
If you want something to change, YOU must MAKE the change.
To help you out, I’ve created a SUPER actionable *free* class (taken by over 13,000 writers like you!):
In this class, you’ll learn how to make $1,000 freelance writing within 45 days.
You can do this, my friend.
Even if you have no experience.
Even if you have no college degree.
Even if you’re currently clueless about how to market yourself.
Don’t let another year pass where you neglect your dream of becoming a freelance writer!
Sign up to get INSTANT ACCESS my FREE class right here.
See you there. 🙂