A Forgotten Promise: Proposal Writing Secret

I had promised to post some unusual proposals that yielded great job results. I forgot all about it. So... Here's one for your viewing pleasure. It was for a job that was looking for more than the "standard boilerplate articles".  Please do not steal my words.


Your wish is my command. Wait - your wish about sparkly interesting writing - other wishes are subject to review. Anyway, I am sick of buyers asking for the same old content. I've been waiting for you. It's about time you showed up.

Debt Settlement and File Encryption Software aren't exactly edge-of-your-seat exciting, but I think I could manage to grab readers and give them a little shake and send them off to your site. Oh, and the shake will likely be with laughter... I'm not violent or anything. 

Nitty gritty details? I write well. I'm interesting. I want you to be 100% satisfied with my work. My spelling and grammar are top notch. And I'm very, very creative. *sits up very straight, waving hands in the air while softly chanting pickmepickmepickmepickmepickme*

I've chosen a couple of lovely pieces for you to read. They have absolutely nothing to do with your subjects, but hopefully they will make you smile. And while you're smiling, just maybe you will award the job to me.

Have a lovely day.

I won the job - no contest. $175 and it was easy as could be.

The bottom line is this: Read the job description and write a proposal that gives the client what they are looking for. Show your personality, as in the example above, if they seem to be looking for a certain spark. If they are looking for very professional, stick to something more like this:

In my past role as a Registered Nurse, I taught CPR and First Aid, medication administration, as well as various modules for staff and patients. Later, I became I certified Teaching Assistant to help younger students. In other words, I love to teach. I can easily take your medical questions and "translate" the answers into language and content that is easily accessible to your readers.

Attached is a Dental manual I wrote for a non-profit agency. The entire manual, including exercises, is all original work. I am also attaching some SEO articles and other samples for your review.

My bid is based on 2 weeks of 12 questions each. The number of words will be near one hundred, though may be slightly over depending upon the complexity of the subject. Thank you for considering my proposal.


Again, please do NOT steal my words. They're mine and I am kind of attached to them. The real secret to writing a proposal is to be an individual. Forget the tips and formulas. Just write your proposal based on the job description. No two will be alike, nor will they contain the same elements. Be an individual. THAT is the secret.

The REAL Secret to Writing Proposals for Freelance Marketplace Jobs

 The idea for this post originated from a tweet in my Twitter timeline linking to an article about writing a "perfect" proposal for freelance jobs. I was curious... was I doing it wrong? I have more work than I can manage - I'm even turning down jobs right now. But could I be doing better? I followed the link.

Well, the article was idiocy but it did prompt me to do a little more research. There are thousands of articles out there about writing perfect proposals. There are even eBooks that, for a mere $25-65 explain in minute detail exactly how to write that winning proposal. I am here to tell you the REAL secret.

I feel just like the Mythbusters right now. I wish I had some exciting special effects as I do this... Okay, are you ready? The secret to writing a proposal that will win a job in the freelance arena is.....

There is no secret.

Yes. I'm serious. All of those articles out there are contain common sense advice. Obviously, a personalized proposal will go further than a cookie cutter one. That's really the only tip you need. Write a unique proposal for every single job. Never have a pre-written proposal with fill-in-the-blank job identifiers. Clients can tell.

So, dear readers who freelance, this is my holiday gift to you: The secret to writing a winning proposal is that there is no secret formula. Stay tuned... my next post might just be interesting to you. I will post some of my more interesting winning proposals for you to check out. I think you just might be surprised... but those of you who know that I'm on the verge will just smile.