5+ Freelance Writing Proposal Templates
With the ever-evolving world wide web and search engine optimization being recognized as a massive part of business strategy, the ways to which organizations from various sectors communicate with their stakeholders is also becoming just as dynamic, that sticking with plans and strategies of calendar years past, is borderline unforgivable for any competent businessman. you may also see proposal templates.
Proposal Template Bundle
Freelance Writing Proposal
Sample Writing Proposal
Writer Proposal Template
Elements of a Freelance Writer Proposal
Whether it’s for building your brand, marketing a product or your services, spreading the word or driving traffic to your company’s website, sometimes you need to hire an individual you can use for such purposes either for a very limited time or as a project you want to experiment with. This is where freelance writers can fit best to your plans, and if you’re one, you have to beat so many others who want the project or the job, by writing a freelance proposal that wins the best clients, starting with the following elements:
1. Goals: Early on, you have to know what the client is looking for and how you plan to deliver on, or cater to their needs. This is why you need to research who your client is and what they might require of a writer because presenting your goals in a way which demonstrates a clear understanding of what the client needs can take you one step further to scoring the job.
2. Timeline: How long will the task take to complete? This needs to be established to set expectations right from the beginning and those expectations have to be realistic. You can include time-frames, project phases, and relevant milestone dates if applicable, as well as other tasks that you can complete and when to expect them.
3. Options: You may be able to write a winning proposal that would send the client into offering you the project or the job but if it’s their first time working with you, you can’t expect them to choose the largest service you can offer or commit as a writer. Instead of listing one price for all your services, you can write about two or three packages that you think would fit what the client needs.
4. Benefits: Proposals aren’t resumes which means you should be able to tell them right off the bat why you’re the perfect person for the job, at the same time explaining the advantages of working with you. Are you an expert in writing content for accounting firms? Do you specialize in grant writing or are your skills leaning more to writing press releases? Before drafting your proposal, try to consider some of what makes you stand out from other writers.
Free Writer Proposal Template
Writer Proposal Template
Sample Writer Proposal
Steps to Design a Freelance Writer Proposal
Your proposal should indicate all of the details regarding the project, strategy or method you are proposing, that your potential client needs to know. However, a well-written proposal doesn’t really have to be fancy to be effective. It just needs to establish that you are the right person for the job.
Here are a few steps you can follow:
1. Grab their attention right away: You want to make sure the client reads through the proposal so it needs to be convincing and get their attention from the beginning. One of the best ways to do this is through using statistics or some helpful facts which are applicable to the kind of writing job required. For instance, if you’re a content writer trying to get a project from a client who wants you to complete blog posts regularly, you could include blog or site traffic figures. After that, you can draw the client further to agreeing by including samples of blog posts you have written.
2. Keep it short: Don’t be pressured to fill the client in on the story of your life because no busy person has the time nor the patience to do so. You don’t have to include everything and long proposal samples usually end up in the trash. Keep it short and write about what’s important. Be clear about what you are proposing and win them over by letting them know you can deliver. That’s it.
3. Tell them why they should choose you: Just as an applicant of a job interview need to tell the hiring manager of a company why they should be chosen for the job, you also have to answer the same question of why the client should work with you instead of another freelance writer. Avoid phrasing your proposal with “You should hire me because..” Instead, present them with the advantages of a collaboration with a writer of your experience and skills.
4. Keep it friendly and professional: Your language should be formal. Your tone should be professional. Both of those should really be obvious since a proposal is a business document and if you want to land a job, you know better than to sound haughty. Many freelancers it seems, need to improve their customer service and professional manners. Don’t be one of them.
Tips in Writing a Freelance Writer Proposal
Proposals take time to put together, so plan on setting aside an hour or two for every project you decide to move forward with.
You can also follow these helpful tips in writing your proposal especially if it’s your first time:
1. Do your research: You’re a freelance writer. Research makes up a large chunk of what you do which, if you consider yourself competent, would be articles that are well-written, polished and compelling. Research should come naturally to you and this applies to write a proposal. You should take the time to know who your potential clients are because that’s how you can determine the kind of work they would want from you or whether or not you’d be comfortable or even willing to do the job.
2. Set a pace for work: This would also depend on the deadline the client is willing to give you. If you feel it’s necessary, you can include a reasonable time frame for the client to ask for revised or edited versions of your work, how many revisions are included and the amount of time it takes you to complete each revision.
Types of Freelance Writer Proposals
With the growing demand in digital marketing and content strategies, different businesses and organizations left right and center are trying to keep up by updating the content of their websites and print materials. The proposal you write would depend on the type of content or project required:
1. Article/Feature Freelance Writer Proposal: This is perhaps the most common type of proposal you can write since it’s also probably the first thing that comes to mind when you consider making a living out of freelance writing. Your proposal should be directed to those who need freelancers for print or online content or a combination of both.
2. Magazine/Newspaper Freelance Writer Proposal: So you have vivid pictures of yourself as Lois Lane but decided to ditch the idea of committing yourself to any print firm since the paycheck won’t be enough to pay your rent. Fortunately, you can freelance your way to journalism and pick the most high-paying project or work on two if you can. You have to make sure your proposal would do Lois Lane proud.
3. Website/Content Freelance Writer Proposal: The majority of magazines, journals and news outlets are investing on an online presence, because online, is where the audience is. In addition to their mass production or print counterparts, they also have articles published on a daily basis on the internet, and you have to convince the client that you have the ability to write for both.
Freelance Writer Proposal Sizes
Your proposal is a business document and can come in any size but it’s best if you follow the standard letter size which is 8.5 x 11.”
Freelance Writer Proposal FAQs
What is a freelance writer?
A freelance writer is a professional writer who prefers to work on a “self-employed” basis. For instance, you can work for just one magazine or usually write for different companies and publications at the same time. The more prolific you are as a writer, the more clients, and projects you’ll have.
How do you know if a job or project is something you can complete?
You have to ask questions and let the client set expectations with you, so that you’re on the same page. This is also why it’s so important to know what kind of client you’ll be working with and what type of articles or content they are most likely to demand.
Not to downplay any other field or any other type of job, but making a living out of writing, especially as a freelancer is something that takes guts and courage to do and takes stellar writing skills to survive. You have to read, know what’s happening, research until you’re satisfied the content you end up with is something that a client and their audience would find valuable.
You would face rejections and sometimes deal with difficult clients, in which case you’ll learn how to choose the ones you know you can work with. But it would be fulfilling if you love everything that comes with it- reading a lot, writing, and learning all the time.