How to Write a Great Pitch for a Freelance Writing Job
11 tips plus an example at the end
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When you become a freelance writer, one of the first things you must learn is how to write a pitch for your clients.
What is a pitch? It is a brief letter describing your interest to write for a client. In the said pitch, you try to convince the editor or the person in charge to accept the story you want to write for them. It can be a one-time job or an on-going work engagement.
The important thing is to establish contact with the client, find the right person to send your pitch to and provide them with information they need to allow you to write for them.
Here are some tips to help you write a compelling pitch for your writing:
1. Know your potential client/s
Know your client. Is the publication, website or business within your niche? Do they cater to young ones or to a more mature niche?
What types of articles or blog posts have they written so far? Do they have a “Submissions Page” on their website to indicate that they are regularly accepting posts from freelancers?
Can you find the name of the person to address your pitch to? Are the respective editors listed on their site?
It is always better if you can find the exact name of the person you are writing to instead of beginning your letter with a generic greeting like “Dear Editor.”
If the name of the editor is not directly written in their website’s submission page, you can try the following:
Look at the other pages of the website including the “About Us” page. You can also read some of the articles published there. Sometimes, the author’s name is listed as well as the credentials and you can just find the one who is the editor of the publication.
Search for the company on LinkedIn. You may find a list of its officers and other people working there.
Browse their social media profiles like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Ask fellow writers on online groups and forums.
2. Make a list
It would be very helpful, especially at the beginning of your freelance writing career to keep a list of potential clients.
Make a sort of a database where you can quickly find your potential client’s relevant information such as business name, owner, editor, website, email address and contact numbers.
You can use this list to check which ones you have already pitched to and which ones you can schedule for future contact.
3. Prepare your freelance portfolio
Be sure that you are ready to present your credentials and qualifications as a freelance writer.
Make a list of your previous clients and the relevant jobs you handled in your niche. Don’t forget to include your educational background and other training you received.
You don’t need to write all these in your pitch but you should have this ready so that you can easily refer to it later on.
4. Write an appropriate “Subject line”
I usually write the following in the subject line of my email pitch:
PITCH: (Article Title)
That way, the potential client would immediately know what the message is all about. He or she would also have an idea about the article I’m pitching.
Other publications specify in their website what word/s you need to include in your subject line so that they can immediately recognize your pitch. Be sure to read their instructions to avoid delay in their response.
5. Write an attention-grabbing “Opening line”
Since your pitch should be as concise as possible, you should get straight to the point when writing your letter.
And while you should ensure that this captures the interest of your reader, you should still be cautious that it conforms to your type of client/business.
Write in a warm yet still formal tone. Connect but always observe proper deference and respect.
If you are writing about grief, you can start with a brief description of a personal experience that prompted you to pitch for the topic.
6. Introduce yourself and your qualifications
Show your editor that you have what it takes to do the job. Support your introduction with a brief list of relevant experiences or previous clients.
Let them know that you are passionate and knowledgeable about the subject of your piece.
7. Present the gist of your proposal or idea
This is your chance to explain why you want to write the piece and how you plan to do it. Give them a brief outline and mention the main points that will bring value to your client.
If you are writing about an inspirational or spiritual piece, how would your article affect your readers? Would they be motivated after reading it? Do you have a personal journey that they can relate to? How different would this piece be from other articles that have already been published?
8. Impress them with your writing samples and relevant links
I usually attach about three samples that can vouch for my expertise in the niche I’m writing for. Then I include some other links to my published articles on well-known website and online magazines.
Be sure that these articles reflect your good writing skills. And they should be well-suited to the type of articles previously accepted by the client/publication.
9. End your pitch with a simple call to action
After capturing their interest and providing them with supporting reasons for accepting your piece, end your message with a simple call to action.
Request for a response or simply tell them you will be waiting for their feedback.
10. Express your gratitude
Don’t forget to express your gratitude for having the chance to pitch them your ideas.
11. Follow up your pitch
Your client may be busy and the publication could be receiving a huge number of letters that they could forget to respond to you.
After some time, you can send them a follow up to inquire about their response to your pitch.
Many online publications indicate the time-frame for their response. If they indicated that they usually respond after two weeks, you can send a follow up shortly after that span of time.
Examples of a Pitch
Here is a sample of a pitch that I made for an article about friendship:
PITCH: “Are Friends Simply Fillers for Boyfriends?”
Dear (_____),
I’m Jocelyn Soriano, a self-help author and freelance writer. You can look at some of my published articles at Introvert Dear, Catholic Match and Highly Sensitive Refuge. I also write on Medium and Substack.
Following are the links to some of my published articles:
Stop Believing These 7 Myths About Being Single
How Introverts Can Make Friends With Other Introverts
Can Being Highly Sensitive Make You ‘Abuse-Proof’?
Should You End a Relationship Even If You Still Love Each Other?
I would like to pitch an article with the following working headline:
“Are Friends Simply Fillers for Boyfriends?”
I thought about this topic because I want to strengthen the value of friendships, especially among women.
Writing from the point of view of a single person, I want to voice out the concerns of many women who feel as though their friendships with other women are only temporary and will always take a backseat when it comes to romantic relationships.
Should we make our fellow women feel insecure and later on, abandoned?
While there is a time for everything, I think we also need to clarify the different roles of those people who are close to us.
Our goal is not to chase “the one” and then leave everyone else behind and then come running back to them whenever your heart gets broken.
We should value each person for the significant and unique role that they play in our lives!
On the other hand, I would like to mention how some friendships survive despite the other person already having a family of one’s own. Such are the friendships we must emulate as women.
Further, I would like to discuss how too much focus on our romantic love interests can put such relationships at risk. Why? Because of too much pressure and of expecting everything from them instead of sharing other parts of our lives with other people like our friends.
To summarize, here are some of the things that I’m aiming to discuss:
-The fear of being left alone and the reality of abandonment
-The value of platonic and romantic relationships
-The problems brought about by a lack of balance in our romantic life
-How to assure our friends as we form a relationship with our “special someone”
-The significant role of the friends we have in life
Thank you for this opportunity! Please let me know your thoughts about this topic.
Sincerely yours,
Jocelyn Soriano
Example from a Religious Website:
You can also see a sample pitch from the publication itself. In Busted Halo’s “Write for Us” page, they have provided an example of a great pitch that would work for them.
Final thoughts
Sending a pitch to potential clients will be a regular and vital part of your career as a freelance writer. While you may experience some delays or even rejections, think of these as part of the experience. Don’t give up!
If you persevere in your craft, and you really love what you are doing, you will slowly build your client base and grow in your freelance writing career!
