Write an Upwork Freelance Writer Proposal to Get an Interview

Being a writer myself, I have first-hand experience of how an optimized freelance writer proposal can do for an aspiring content writer. I know what it’s like to move up the freelance ladder by adopting better practices on freelance platforms. Just like you, I was struggling to land a job on Upwork when I first started off in 2019. 

I thought I was doing everything right and was clueless as to why I failed to capture a client’s interests right until I discovered the importance of optimizing my proposal. 

I know how frustrating it is to run out of Connects without hearing from a single client. But that’s going to change now. In this blog post, I’m going to tell you all about how to write an Upwork freelance writer proposal that not only saves you time but will maximize your chances of getting an interview. 

What Role Does an Upwork Proposal Play?

Also known as the cover letter, an Upwork proposal is a message that you send to a client that informs them that you’re capable of doing the job well. 

The cover letter is a brief read by the end of which a client is aware of your talents, how you’ll tackle the job, and whether or not you have prior experience. 

Note that the purpose of a proposal is to get you an interview, and not get you hired. The hiring part comes later when a client inboxes you if they’re interested and talk you through the rest of their requirements. 

To put it shortly, your Upwork freelance writer proposal should be concise and succinct. It should get all the main points across in the least amount of words. 

It should properly address any and all questions a client asks in the job post. Know that the client won’t spend a lot of time reading your proposal, so better keep it sweet and short. 

Why is it Important to Optimize Your Upwork Proposal?

After your freelance writer profile overview, your cover letter is the second-most-important impression on a potential client. Sometimes, a client may not even review your profile and go straight to your cover letter. 

In this case, it becomes the first impression, and as we all know, the first impression is the last impression. 

A single job post receives anywhere from 5-50+ proposals. Along with your profile overview, your proposal letter is your only chance at setting yourself apart from the competition. 

When a client read your proposal, they’re hoping to read something that will convince them that you’re the right person for the job. They want to make sure interviewing you is a good investment of their time before they accept your proposal. 

Yes, a good proposal is indispensable in getting you hired when you’re just starting to build your Upwork profile. But if you’re thinking it loses its importance later on when you’ve got a strong profile to back you, you’re thinking wrong. 

Competition still exists. A client will always reach out to multiple freelancers to hire one that seems the best for the job. An optimized proposal ensures that you’re hired. 

And if you don’t put much of an effort in convincing the client about what you’re capable of, they might as well hire someone with less experience than you but who succeeded in impressing them. 

How to Write a Stellar Freelance Writer Proposal?

Writing a proposal is a big skill in itself. If you’re a good writer, you already have the advantage of knowing all the right words and all. But don’t forget who you’re up against. Your competition is writers too. 

What gives you the upper hand is the insight into clients’ psychology when they’re reviewing proposals. As we all know, Emotional Intelligence is important for writers, and you must make good use of it when you’re writing a proposal. 

Before we get into deeper insights, let’s go over Upwork proposal writing basics.

The structure is very important. The cover letter should be concise. Introduce yourself, your skills, and your experience and move directly to how you’d do the job. 

Generalized proposals are a big no. Yes, you can have a template that you can use for all proposals to save time, but the main body of the proposal should always be specific to the job description. 

Sometimes clients ask you to follow a specific structure or add a specific word in your cover letter to ensure that you’ve read the job description properly. Make sure you comply to get hired. This also lets them know that you pay attention to details. 

Do not plagiarize. While unintentional plagiarism can be excused, it’s not a good idea to copy someone else’s proposal word-to-word.

Here’s what the ideal writer proposal looks like:

1. The greeting and introduction should be quick and to the point. It should be followed by a brief mention of what the client needs so they immediately know that you’ve read the job description.
2. Be clear in informing the client that you can do the work. Be confident and just put it out there.
3. In no more than two to three sentences tell the client exactly why they should hire you. Talk about your skills and experiences. 
4. Describe how you’ll approach the project and provide an excellent service. This should be brief towards the end of the proposal. The client should finish reading your proposal and be convinced of your abilities.
5. Attach relevant sample documents or links. Note: Links are much better than attached files. Just clicking on a link and being able to see your work is much more convenient for a client than having to download and then opening the file to read. 

How Long Should the Proposal Be?

Your freelance writer proposal does not need to be lengthy at all! Understand that the proposal’s job is not to land you the job but only the interview. So include only as much information as the client needs to know that you’re a worthy candidate. 

As long as your cover letter confirms you understand the client’s problem and conveys that you can solve it efficiently, you’re good to go. Brief, error-free, and succinct writing is ideal. Usually, you won’t need to write more than three brief paragraphs. 

Moreover, a client doesn’t have time to read a lengthy proposal. They have to review dozens of proposals at a time and only a short cover letter will catch their attention. You may think that a long proposal has greater convincing power, but only if a client reads them in full, which is highly unlikely to happen. 

Freelance Writer Proposal Samples

Tech Writer Proposal Template

Hey there! 

I’m Freelancer X. A tech content writer and SEO specialist.

I’ve gone through the job post, and it looks like an excellent opportunity; plus, I am always looking for potential long-term engagements, so this seems perfect!

I have plenty of experience in tech writing. I’ve written countless articles about VPNs, cybersecurity, e-commerce website builders, digital marketing, lead-generation tools, web design, SEO, and much more.

The content I’ll provide you with is guaranteed to be top-notch, well-researched, easy-to-understand, and will surely inform the reader of what they need to know about a particular topic. Premium quality content in time is my guarantee. Plus, the content will be SEO optimized.

I am attaching similar work herewith.

(links to sample work)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Freelancer X

Pet Niche Writer Proposal Sample

Hey there!

Thanks for the invitation.

I’m Freelancer X. A passionate content writer and pet lover.

I’ve gone through the job post, and it looks like an excellent opportunity; plus, I am always looking for potential long-term engagements, so this seems perfect!

I love dogs and I love writing about them! I’ve got plenty of experience writing dog training guides, pet product reviews, and other stuff related to the pet care niche. Most of my work in the pets niche involves e-books, but I’ve also done other blog posts.

The content I’ll provide you with is guaranteed to be top-notch, well-researched, easy-to-understand, and will surely inform the reader of what they need to know about a particular topic. Premium quality content in time is my guarantee. Plus, the content will be SEO optimized.

I am attaching similar articles herewith.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Freelancer X

Generic Freelance Writer Cover Letter Template