When you’re a new freelance writer, I know how much courage it takes to send those first few proposals. You worked through all your fear and self-doubt (or at least set them aside for the time being) and found a few freelance writing jobs that look interesting.

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Then you sat down, created a few thoughtfully worded freelance writing proposals, and sent them off into the world. You felt a little nervous but also excited that you took those first few steps toward finding freelance writing work.

But then...nothing happens.

You don’t sign any new freelance writing clients. You don’t receive any “thanks, but no thanks” responses.

Your email inbox is just a virtual ghost town. What gives?!

4 Reasons No One is Answering Your Proposals

Having potential clients ignore your proposals is totally normal, but it’s also super frustrating and discouraging. Let’s look at four reasons this might be happening, and what you can do to turn things around.

1. Your proposals need some work

Okay, let’s start with the most obvious answer first -- your proposals may need some work.

This is nothing to be embarrassed about! It takes time to figure out how to talk to clients and send a good proposal.

I’ve noticed that there are a few common mistakes that most new freelancers make when they first start sending proposals.

The biggest thing is that they spend too much time talking about things that potential clients don’t care about.

Potential clients don’t care about your Master’s degree in journalism or how much you love writing.

They want to know why you’re the best fit for their project and how you can help them now.

What should you do about it?

If you’re struggling to come up with good proposals, then I recommend finding a template that you like. I provide two free proposal templates in my freelance writing course, so I recommend starting there.

Just remember that a proposal template is only a starting point and you should tweak each one slightly depending on the job you’re applying for.

2. You don’t come across as a professional

I’ve thought a lot about why I was able to start landing jobs so quickly even when I was a brand new freelancer. And there are probably a lot of reasons for this, but I think a big part of it was that I always presented myself as a professional.

I used a professional headshot instead of just taking a photo of me and my kids and cropping them out. I set up a LinkedIn profile, even though I felt super uncomfortable about it.

I figured out how to set up and design my own website. I didn’t get into lengthy Twitter arguments or spout off my political opinions on Facebook.

Clients will be willing to take a chance on a beginner. But they WON’T be willing to take a chance on someone who comes across as unprofessional.

What should you do about it?

Take a hard look at how you’re presenting yourself online and ask yourself if you’re coming across as a professional. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty or embarrassed -- I just want you to know how important this is!

If you think this could be the issue, but you aren’t sure, then feel free to schedule a completely free, 30-minute call with me. I’m more than happy to take a look at your social media profiles and website and give you feedback on how you can improve.

3. You’re not sending enough proposals

Occasionally, I’ll get on a call with a new freelancer and they’ll express dismay over the fact that no one is answering their proposals.

After pressing them more on the subject, I find out that they’ve only sent one or two proposals after months of browsing job boards.

Guys, MOST of your proposals are going to go unanswered. That is completely normal.

I’ve been a freelancer for three and a half years and have hundreds of published articles across the internet. And even still, a certain percentage of the proposals I send go unanswered.

That’s why you need to send waaay more proposals than you think are necessary. Because for even 20 proposals you send, you may only receive a couple of responses.

What should you do about it?

Send a minimum of three proposals per day, six days per week. This is non-negotiable! You cannot expect to find clients to hire you if you don’t consistently send new proposals every day.

4. You’re not following up

Last September, I attended a conference in Washington, D.C. While I was there, I met someone who is the managing editor at a large personal finance site.

It seemed like she was really interested in hiring me so as soon as I got home from the conference, I sent her a follow-up email. I didn’t hear anything in response.

So roughly a month later, I sent her another friendly email. Again, no response.

In total, I’ve sent her four or five emails since September. And after nine months of following up, I finally received a response that she doesn’t need any new writers right now, but to keep checking back.

Just because someone ignores your first email doesn’t mean that they’ll never hire you. In reality, sometimes you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time following up.

But in my experience, the clients that take the most follow-through often end up being the best clients. Following up is always worth the effort!

What should you do about it?

Never stop following up with potential clients! Seriously, you could be one follow up away from landing a brand-new client.

The easiest way to make sure you’re doing this is by tracking your potential freelance writing leads. I recommend using a CRM, but a spreadsheet works just as well.

You just want to have a designated spot where you write down that client’s name, email address, and every date that you’ve touched base with them.

My Final Thoughts on Sending Proposals

The final point I want to make is that if most clients are ignoring your proposals, this is totally normal. Don’t take it personally or make it mean anything about you! And you DEFINITELY shouldn’t make it mean that you’re not cut out to be a freelance writer.

But what if you’ve been consistently sending proposals for MONTHS and you’re still hearing crickets?

Well, then you’ll want to check out my free webinar, How to Use Upwork as a Freelance Writer. This free training will show you how to find clients using my favorite platform Upwork.com.

You can check it out here:

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