FIND YOUR FIRST

FREELANCE WRITING CLIENT

WITH THESE
7 PITCH
For:
TEMPLATES
CAROL TICE
MAKE A LIVING WRITING

New 󰇿󰈦󰇮t󰈥󰇶󰈤

Pro Bo
no
ESS
SIN
BU
REFERRAL
MAGAZI
NE
 Find Your First
Freelance Writing Client
with These 7 Pitch Templates
By: Carol Tice

Make a Living Writing 1

 Copyright © 2018, 2014 TiceWrites LLC

The information provided in this report is for general informational purposes only. No representations or
warranties are expressed or implied about the information, products, services, or related graphics
contained in this report for any purpose.

No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, without written permission from the author.

Make a Living Writing 2

 About the Author

Carol Tice is a longtime Seattle freelance business writer. Her clients have included Forbes, Entrepreneur,
Delta Sky, Alaska Beyond, Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business, Costco, American Express, Intuit,
Allbusiness.com, and many more. Coaching mid-career freelance writers on how to find better-paying
clients is her passion.

Make a Living Writing 3

Table of Contents
About the Author ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Hey There, Newbie .................................................................................................................................... 5

Preparing to Pitch ...................................................................................................................................... 6

1. The Referral Template ........................................................................................................................... 7

2. The pro bono template for business ..................................................................................................... 8

3. Pro Bono Template for Publications ....................................................................................................10

4. The Guest Post Template .....................................................................................................................11

5. The Publication Query Template .........................................................................................................13

6. The business pitch template ................................................................................................................15

7. The business blogging template ..........................................................................................................16

BONUS: 4 Templates for Email Subject Lines ..........................................................................................17

Pitching Tips for Newbies ........................................................................................................................19

Jump-Start Your Freelance Writing Career ..............................................................................................20

Make a Living Writing 4

Hey There, Newbie
So, you’re a new freelance writer. Exciting!

If my experience coaching over 10,000 writers proves right, you’ve got a lot of questions. Here are the
ones I see most from newbies:

“I can’t get a job without samples, and I can’t get samples without a job. How do I break in?”

“I’ve got a few clients, but they all pay pennies. Where are the good clients hiding?”

The best way to build your portfolio quickly—with solid samples that help you get good-paying gigs—is
simple. Figure out who you want to write for and target them directly. Cut out the middleman and
directly approach your prospects.

If you’re frozen in fear because you worry you’re not “good enough” to pitch your own clients…trust me,
there’s a lot of mediocrity out there. Only good writers worry about this. (The exception comes when
you’re trying to write in English as a second language.)

Maybe you’ve been scared to pitch directly for work because you feel that as a newbie, you don’t know
what to say to prospects, to get hired.

I’m going to solve these worries for you right now, with 7 proven pitch templates. These are formats I’ve
coached thousands of writers on inside my Freelance Writers Den community, so I know they reliably
work.

You can adapt these for your chosen topics and targets, and send them right out.

There’s just a little prep work required before you’re ready to start pitching. Let’s do that now.

Make a Living Writing 5

Preparing to Pitch
Before you can pitch, you need to know what you want to write about, and what sorts of clients you
want to pitch. Focusing on a specific industry, topic, or niche will help you build your reputation and
move your rates up faster.

Big tip: Poems, short stories, other fiction, and personal essays are generally not the basis of a paid
freelance writing career. They pay little to none, and there isn’t a lot of opportunity.

My pitch templates below will help you get nonfiction work writing articles for publications and
marketing materials (from blog posts to sales copy) for businesses or other organizations. Those are the
two big sources of freelance writing income.

The easiest way to break in is by targeting companies or publications you know something about. These
could be small, local businesses you patronize, nonprofits where you volunteer, or local magazines you
read.

You might also focus on organizations you know about from a past job, through friends, or just from
personal life experience. But start with something you know a bit about. That way, you can make a
strong case that you’re the writer for the job, even if you don’t have a lot of experience yet.

Ready to make it happen? Good – here come the pitch templates.

Make a Living Writing 6

1. The Referral Template
One of the easiest, lowest-stress ways to get freelance gigs is to simply ask people who know you to
refer you clients.

Easy, huh? All you’re doing is asking your network to keep an ear out for anyone they know who might
need a freelance writer. This strategy can take a while to pay off, but can lead to some great
opportunities.

You can ask for referrals in person, in an email, on LinkedIn – the mode of delivery is up to you. But
here’s the basic spiel:

REFERRAL TEMPLATE
Hi [person I know] – how’re you doing?

What’s new with me? Well, I have some exciting news: I’m now pursuing a freelance writing
career. Starting out, I’m writing about [topics] for [type of clients].

I’m currently building my portfolio and was wondering if you’d be willing to refer me, if you
hear from anyone who seems like they could use a writer [in their business / at their
publication].I’d so appreciate your keeping an ear out for anyone who needs a freelance writer
for [your type of writing—finance articles, software case studies, etc.].

Thanks! Happy to hear about how I can help you in your career as well.

[Your signature here – Talk soon, NAME. Or Sincerely, NAME. Whatever’s your speed.]

You’ll be surprised how willing people are to refer you! Giving referrals is an easy way to help people out
and rack up good karma points.

Once you’ve tapped your network for referrals, it’s time to reach out to possible clients you don’t
personally know, and ask if you could work for them free. This allows you to target the exact type of
client and writing project you want to get paid for, and develop a clip that pleased a client. And that is
what gets you gigs.

I’ve provided two templates for this: one for pitching to businesses, and one for pitching publications.

Make a Living Writing 7

2. The pro bono template for business
The trick to using pro bono work to build your career is to offer this valuable freebie in a professional
way that doesn’t make you seem desperate.

Pro bono projects should always be fairly small and clearly defined. Don’t sign up to blog three times a
week for six months as a pro bono project! That’s way too much free work.

Here’s the template:

PRO BONO TEMPLATE FOR BUSINESS

Hi [prospect name here]:

I'm reaching out to you because I'm a [local, if relevant] freelance writer looking to build my
portfolio in the area of [insert relevant industry or type of writing assignment here]. In analyzing
your current marketing materials, I noticed you were missing [insert the piece they need — it
could be fresh blog posts, an About page on their website, press releases, case studies etc.].

[Describe your relevant experience with their topic or type of writing here, whether from a
hobby, personal experience, past job, or simply from researching the topic. EX: “I thought of
your company in particular because I was a longtime bank employee and have a solid grounding
in financial services.” OR “As a longtime competitive rider, I have a keen understanding of your
equestrian audience.”]

Because I want to build my reputation in this specific area, I'd be willing to write [describe
small writing project] for you without charge. All I'd ask in return is that you refer and
recommend me in the future, if you're happy with my work. I’d also need you to not mention
that I did this project for you without charge.

We both win here. You get a free marketing piece, and I get a valuable sample in my portfolio.

I'm happy to tell you more about my writing background and discuss this with you further.

[CALL TO ACTION HERE: Such as: “I’ll give you a call Monday to gauge your interest.”OR “Here’s
an example of a similar piece I did in the past – I look forward to your feedback on it.” OR “May I
send you some clips?”]

Make a Living Writing 8

Remember, it’s key to only offer pro bono work to clients who:

a) Promise to not reveal to anyone else that you were unpaid

b) Promise to refer you and give you a testimonial if they’re pleased
c) Ideally, might hire you for pay if they like your work

Obviously, you don’t want to pitch free work too much – 3-4 free samples is plenty.

Remember: Don’t beg, don’t plead, don’t tell them how broke you are. Keep that all to yourself.

Keep in mind that they’re getting free writing help, from a writer with some knowledge of their
business. And that's worth something to them.

Make a Living Writing 9

3. Pro Bono Template for Publications
Many publications are desperately short-staffed – especially small, local ones – and if you volunteer to
provide articles, they may be thrilled. The bonus? Prospects know print clips require an editor’s
approval. That gives you a lot of credibility.

Most small pubs would love to cover all the doings in their town. They just don’t have the manpower.
Offer to fill a gap for them. Tap into your own interests in local affairs for best results.

Study your target publication and see where their coverage may be weak. Then, put together your pitch.

PRO BONO TEMPLATE FOR PUBLICATIONS

Hi [prospect name here]:

I'm reaching out to you because I'm a [local] freelance writer looking to build my portfolio. In
analyzing your recent issues, I noticed you were missing [insert the coverage they need —
reports on city council meetings, play/restaurant/film reviews, a garden column, etc.].

[Describe your relevant experience with the type of article you’re pitching. EX: “As it happens, I
attend city council meetings out of my own personal interest in local current affairs.” OR “I’m a
longtime movie buff who blogs about cinema.” OR “I wrote articles for my college paper on X
topic, and am looking to add recent clips in this area.” OR “I’m a master gardener who’s taught
local extension courses.”]

Because I want to build my reputation in this specific area, I'd be willing to write [define the
article: A 300-word film review, a 400-word city council report] for you without charge. All I'd
ask in return is that you refer and recommend me in the future, if you're happy with my work.
I’d also need you to not mention that I did this article for you without charge.

We both win here. You get a free article, and I get a valuable sample for my portfolio.

I'm happy to tell you more about my writing background and discuss this with you further.

[CALL TO ACTION HERE: Such as: “I’ll give you a call Monday to gauge your interest.” OR “Here’s
an example of a similar piece I did in the past – I look forward to your feedback on it.” OR “May I
send you some clips?”]

[SIGNATURE]

Worried you don’t have journalism experience? Never fear. Just don’t lie or make things up, study the
publication’s style for source types and how to quote them, and you can do this.

Make a Living Writing 10

4. The Guest Post Template
With the rise of blogging, writing a free or paid guest post has become one of the easiest ways to start
amassing writing samples for your portfolio.

It’s also fairly easy to stand out with a guest-post pitch, because most of them are awful. (Speaking as
someone who gets pitched a lot for my own blog!) Start with blogs you read and know well – they’ll be
your best shot.

Big tip: Follow the guidelines. Most big blogs have published guidelines. If they want you to simply
submit a completed post, ignore my pitch template below and do that. Write it up and send it in.

If they ask you to pitch first, the key is to provide specifics. Don’t be vague and generalize about your
topic. Offer a proposed headline and outline the exact points you’ll cover. I’ve adapted a successful
simple pitch I received for Make a Living Writing into a template for you:

GUEST POST PITCH TEMPLATE

Dear [blog editor’s name] –

I’m [NAME], a freelance writer and longtime reader of your blog. I’m writing with a guest-post
idea for you.

[THESIS STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR IDEA HERE – i.e., “Sometimes, to get unstuck you just have to
move, even if it’s in the wrong direction.”]

[TRANSITION SENTENCE: Example: “This idea is at the heart of a post I’d like to write for your
blog, PROPOSED HEADLINE HERE, i.e., The 5 Writing Rules I Broke to Get Unstuck.] The points
I’d cover include:

[Point 1 HERE, i.e. “Never write for content mills.” One-sentence summary of gist of this point here.]

[POINT 2 HERE, i.e. “Steer clear of Craigslist.” One-sentence summary of gist of this point here.]

[POINT 3 HERE, i.e. “Have a specialty or niche.” One-sentence summary of gist of this point
here.]

Happy to flesh this out for you more and provide more details if it’s of interest.

I am a freelance writer specializing in [topic or type of writing], based in [city.] Thanks for
considering my idea!

Signed,
[NAME]

Make a Living Writing 11

Big tip: Rambling screeds don’t get published. Take a look at how most blog posts focus on a single
topic, and how they use subheads, bullets or numbers to make their post easily scannable. Then, pitch a
post idea that’s structured that way, and provides information readers of that blog can use to improve
their lives.

Make a Living Writing 12

5. The Publication Query Template
Most article assignments for publications involve interviewing other people and quoting them in your
story. You get these gigs by writing a query letter. (Editors often pay less for pre-written submissions.
Trust me, you want to write a query instead.)

Below, I’ve broken down a query template for you. Some examples below come from a query my gal-pal
Linda Formichelli of The Renegade Writer sold to Better Health & Living; others I’ve invented.)

PUBLICATION QUERY TEMPLATE

Hi [editor’s name] –

A) Fascinating opening question or lead sentence. [i.e. “Life coaches and career experts
everywhere urge you to do what you love. But what about those things you hate — paying
the bills, writing thank-you notes, cleaning the oven, walking the dog on a cold night, going
to the dentist, washing the car?”]

B) 1-2 Paragraphs (if needed) that provide supporting facts and flesh out the idea.

C) “Nut graf” that provides proposed headline and sums up what the article would tell
readers. [i.e., “In my proposed article, ‘Stopping Seattle’s Rat Invasion,’ readers would learn
what officials are doing about this problem, as well as what they can do to discourage rats
on their property.”

D) Additional details on what the article would provide readers, who would be interviewed,
etc. [i.e., “For my piece on Seattle’s rat problem, I would interview local homeowners who’ve
had rat problems, including Joe Smith, who trapped 40 rats on his property this winter using
caviar-baited traps; pest-control experts from the city’s Department of Construction and
Inspection; and Cindy Lou Who, author of Getting Rid of Rats [Wiley 2017].”

E) Information that reveals knowledge of the publication. [As in: “I’ve noticed there haven’t
been many articles on car insurance in AAA Journeys recently, so I thought a piece on how to
lower your rates would bring that aspect of AAA’s operations into the spotlight.”]

F) Describe why readers would be particularly interested in this topic at this time (the ‘news
hook’). [‘Since spring is when the rat population booms, these tips should be particularly
timely for your March issue.”]

G) Short bio. [“I am a Seattle-based freelance business and community issues writer.” A 1-
sentence short list of your top credits can follow – “My work has appeared in Seattle
Magazine, Seattle Business, and other publications” – if you have some worth mentioning.]

H) Request for consideration. [“May I write this article for you?”]

Signature

Make a Living Writing 13

A couple variations: While this template starts right in with the proposed opening lines of the article,
other writers prefer to introduce themselves with an initial paragraph – “Hi, I’m Carol, a Seattle-based
freelance community-issues writer, with a pitch for you,” -- and then move into their article pitch. That’ll
work, too.

Likewise, you can move around the order in which you present the news hook, your fleshed-out points,
and your publication knowledge. The key is to move quickly from your fascinating opening lines to
your ‘nut graf,’ to include a proposed headline, and to explain the gist of what readers will learn from
your article.

Big tip: Make sure your writing style matches the style of the publication, so the editor can imagine
your piece on their pages. I like to skim through an issue right before I send a query, to make sure I’ve
absorbed their style.

Make a Living Writing 14

6. The business pitch template
The key to putting together a quick business pitch (a/k/a a Letter of Introduction, or LOI) is to take a
brief look at the company’s website and find something you could add or improve.

If the company has an abandoned blog that hasn’t been updated in 6 months or more, that’s perfect.
Other examples include the lack of team bios, a press page, or full product descriptions.

BUSINESS PITCH TEMPLATE

Hi [marketing manager’s name] –

As a freelance writer [with an interest in X industry / who follows news in your industry / who
specializes in your company’s niche – healthcare, marketing, etc.], I recently [checked out your
website / saw your recent company mentioned in the news/ read your press release on X]. [I
found your products/services/blog post truly innovative/interesting because of X OR Congrats on
the accolades.]

In looking your site over, I noticed that your [thing you noticed could use help here – blog hasn’t
been updated or isn’t getting comments and shares, white papers are 2 years old, etc.]. Could
you use some help with that?

[Here, reveal knowledge of industry trends and best practices, as in: “I noticed several of your
top competitors are cranking out special reports to get new leads, and wondered if you’d like to
refresh your content development in this area.”]

[Here, describe your related experience if any, ideally with a link to a previous example of how
you did this successfully for a client in their space, or with a client testimonial. As in: “As it
happens, I’ve just wrapped up a special report project for X company – you can check it out
here.”]

[CALL TO ACTION here: “Would it make sense for us to chat about this?” or “May I send you
some relevant clips to show you what I can do with this type of content?” or “I’ll give you a call
Monday to gauge your interest.”]

[SIGNATURE]

Big tip: This template is just a starting point, giving you the basic concepts you want to cover in this
pitch. Customize it from here, based on the vibe you get from the company’s website, your knowledge
of their industry, or your experience with the type of writing you’re proposing.

Make a Living Writing 15

7. The business blogging template
Ongoing blog-post writing can be one of the best retainer gigs around. But to get these, you need to
offer strong headlines and memorable post ideas. This approach immediately shows your prospect that
your blog posts would be better than the ones they’ve had, and that hiring you as a writer would build
their audience.

The template is similar to the straight business pitch template just above. The magic here is that you add
several possible post ideas:

BUSINESS BLOGGING TEMPLATE

Hi [marketing manager’s name] –

As a freelance writer [with an interest in X industry / who follows news in your industry / who
specializes in your company’s niche – healthcare, marketing, etc.], I recently [checked out your
website / saw your recent company news/press release]. [I found your products/services/blog
post truly innovative/interesting because of X OR Congrats on the accolades.]

In looking your site over, I noticed that your blog [hasn’t been updated since 2015, has been
lagging in its coverage of X topic, isn’t getting a lot of comments – whatever you’ve observed
that could be troubling]. Could you use some help with that?

[Here, reveal knowledge of industry trends and best practices, as in: “I noticed several of your
top competitors are doing well with X type of blog posts, and wondered if you could use a
professional freelance blogger with some fresh ideas.”]

Here are a few possible ideas for posts that I think would drive interest for you:

[HEADLINE 1: Brief summary of idea and how you would execute it. Ex: The 7 Top Personal-
Finance Gurus Money Managers Must Read Now – I’d poll your team for top influencers they
like, and reach out to them for top tips and site links, then make sure the influencers know about
it on publish date, to increase the post’s chances of getting wide exposure in social media.]

[HEADLINE 2: Brief summary of idea, etc.]

[HEADLINE 3: Brief summary of idea, etc.]

[Here, describe your related experience if any, ideally with a link to past blog posts and
discussion of how it succeeded in drawing opt-ins, comments, traffic, or shares. As in: “As it
happens, I’ve been blogging about your industry for X company – you can check out the
comments one of my top posts got here.”]

[CALL TO ACTION here: “Would it make sense for us to chat about this?” or “May I send you
some relevant clips to show you what I can do with this type of content?” or “I’ll give you a call
Monday to gauge your interest.”]

[SIGNATURE]

Make a Living Writing 16

This is a great niche for moving up as a newbie, because most businesses do a poor job with blogging.
They think they can put their company’s name in every headline, or that a blog post is equal to a press
release. Show them how non-salesy, valuable content can bring them new leads, and you’ll look like a
genius.

Big tip: Don’t waste your time pitching companies that don’t yet have a blog. I’ve seen loads of writers
try that, and not one of them ever got a gig from it.

Boom!
And there you have it, seven different templates that cover nearly any pitching situation!

Want more?

How about four bonus templates that show you exactly what to put in the subject line of your pitch
emails? Here you go:

BONUS: 4 Templates for Email Subject Lines

One of the questions I get most is what to put in the subject line of your pitch email, to make sure it gets
opened.

There are four basic choices you can rely on for subject lines that get your pitch read:

SUBJECT LINE 1 –THE PERSONAL INTRODUCTION:

[Person you know] sent me your way

Nothing gets you in the door like a reference to someone you mutually know. However, you may not
always have a person in common. If you can’t use this subject line format, choose one of the two below.

SUBJECT LINE 2 – TITLE OF YOUR PROPOSED PIECE:

[i.e. Do What You Hate – and Be Happier!]

Make a Living Writing 17

This is the subject line Linda used with her query to Better Health & Living that’s excerpted in the query
template above. This is the format I usually use for pitches myself. If you can’t write a headline
fascinating enough to make an editor open an email, your query probably isn’t going anywhere.

This format works well for guest post or query letter pitches, but may not work when you’re pitching a
business a different type of project than articles or blog posts. In that case, use one of these final two
formats:

SUBJECT LINE 3 – JUST THE FACTS:

[i.e. Freelance health writer with a proposal/idea for you]

I know, it seems so obvious! But writers report this method works fine. Many editors I know keep a
folder just for pitches.

If you signal in your subject line that your email contains a pitch, they’ll pop you in the folder. Then,
they’ll be sure to look at your idea when they’re reviewing recent pitches. Likewise, this subject line
alerts marketing managers of the type of inquiry in your email, and they’ll look at it when they’re
reviewing copywriting needs.

SUBJECT LINE 4 – NAME THE PROJECT:

[i.e. Could you use help with case studies?]

If a business has a lot of different moving parts, simply calling out the particular type of writing you’re
pitching them can be the best way to go. If the person you’ve targeted isn’t right for that, they’ll forward
the email to the person who is, and you won’t waste their time reading through the pitch. Marketing
managers like that.

I’ve seen plenty of success with each of these four subject-line formats. Consider who you’re targeting,
choose one angle, and go for it. If you find it’s not working for you, switch it up and try another type of
subject line.

Make a Living Writing 18

Pitching Tips for Newbies
Now that you know what to say in your pitch letters, right down to the subject line of your email, you’re
ready to go! Just a few quick parting tips to make this easier:

Keep it simple.
The key to pitching success is not to overthink it. A single pitch shouldn’t take you a week.

You want to grab a few facts, get your pitch written, and ship it out. Just press ‘send,’ and move on.

Also, concise writing is one of the key things clients look for. So keep it brief and pithy, and you’ll get
more responses.

Pitch in volume.
The reason you need to keep it simple and efficient is that the secret to success is to pitch a lot. Don’t
get married to one article idea, or get all wrapped up in the idea that Company X is your dream client
and they’ve just gotta hire you.

Instead, challenge yourself to send out many pitches each month. Ideally, send 100 or more.

Be a writer, not a waiter.

If you find yourself not sending out additional pitches because you’re waiting to see what the people
you already pitched will tell you, stop that right now.

Always assume nothing will happen with your past marketing. Move forward immediately to send more
pitches! Freelance writing careers are built on action, not on ‘waiting and seeing.’

Please clients.
Breaking in as a freelance writer often isn’t about writing on your personal passion topics (unless those
are healthcare, technology, or finance). It’s about finding a need in the marketplace, and filling it. Focus
on solving your prospective clients’ problems, and you’ll go far.

Play to your strengths.

One last word on what to say when you pitch: Never say what you don’t know or can’t do. The point of
your pitch is emphasize your good points, not spotlight your weaknesses. You’ll notice none of those
templates contain apologies, excuses, or rambling personal stories – because those don’t help you get
hired.

Make a Living Writing 19

Pro writers don’t tell their life story when they pitch, apologize for lack of experience in a topic, or
explain they’ll be on vacation for 2 weeks next month. Instead of talking about you, let your pitch sell.

I hope these pitch templates help you get your freelance writing career launched and growing. —Carol

Jump-Start Your Freelance Writing Career

Check out my Freelance Writers Den learning and support community. Since 2011, the Den is the place
where freelance writers learn to grow their income—fast!

The Den has over 1,000 members and 300+ hours of trainings for new and advanced freelance writers.
What's the catch? We're rarely open to new members. But since you've checked out this report, I'd like
to offer you a chance to hop in the Den right now. Hope to see you in there!

Make a Living Writing 20