How to Write Proofreading Job Proposals That Get Noticed

Learning how to write proofreading job proposals is one of the most critical business skills a freelance proofreader can master. 

Any job website, whether it’s Upwork, Fiverr, Indeed, or LinkedIn, is constantly inundated with freelancers looking to win job offers. It’s not uncommon for a proofreading job posting to have dozens to even hundreds of proposals submitted to it. 

With that much competition, if you want your proposals to actually land new clients, they have to stand out from the crowd. There has to be something that differentiates you from all the rest.

So how can you write compelling proofreading job proposals that tip the odds in your favor? Focus on grabbing the client’s attention immediately, tell them exactly how you’ll solve their problems, and keep things short and to the point.

What NOT to Do

How many times have you seen (or written) a proofreading proposal like this?

“Dear Sir or Ma’am,

I am writing to apply for the freelance proofreading position you posted on LinkedIn. I am confident that I am the perfect fit for this role, as I have always had a keen eye for detail and am a perfectionist when it comes to grammar and spelling. As a child, I enjoyed English and…”

Let’s be honest—you’ve already lost interest, haven’t you?

Now, imagine you are hiring for a freelance proofreader position and you have to wade through dozens or even hundreds of proposals, all of which read like this. How would you find the best candidate? It certainly won’t be easy.

That’s why standing out is so important when it comes to writing job proposals. So rather than sending out generic letters that are almost certain to be overlooked, it pays to create a proposal letter that the potential client will remember.

Start with a Hook

Instead of writing (or copying) a generic proposal letter that has the excitement level of a cemetery, you can increase the odds of your proposal being noticed by starting with a hook.

Include the Client’s First Name (If You Can Find It)

Have you ever been to a noisy, crowded party where you are surrounded by myriad conversations? If so, you know that picking up anything that’s being said around you is difficult. Yet if someone calls out your name, your ears immediately perk up.

Your name is something you can zero in on easily, even in a crowd.

We are all attuned to our names, and that includes seeing them in print. If you hear your name at a party, you immediately look around to see who is calling you. Likewise, if you see your name at the beginning of an email or letter, you are naturally inclined to notice it and keep reading.

So if you are able to find out the name of the person who will read your proposal, use it! Start with “Hi, Matt,” or “Greetings, Michelle.” Not only is it more personable than “Dear Sir or Ma’am,” but it will improve the chances that the recipient will keep reading.

If you can’t find their name, a simple “Hello!” can also be more effective than the listless “Dear Sir or Ma’am.”

Immediately Grab Their Attention

The next piece of information to include in your proposal is the single most important piece of the puzzle—and the one most people don’t include. 

You need to grab the potential client’s attention by showing them what you can do to help them succeed.

This is drastically different than the typical proposal, which often leads with a statement about the freelancer themselves—some variation of “I am a good fit for this role because…” While being a good fit is definitely important, at this stage of the game, the hiring party is looking for something else. 

They want someone who can solve their problems.

A much better opening for a freelance proofreading job proposal than the example at the beginning of this article might look like this:

Hi, Mark!

With my professional background and natural skill set, I have the experience and ability to flawlessly proofread a wide range of documents. Plus, I can jump in and start working on your content immediately.

Most hiring parties are going to be much more inclined to respond to a letter like this. It tells them exactly how you can help them (i.e., you can proofread anything they throw at you, and you can start yesterday).

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Being humble is a good thing—except when you are writing a job proposal.

Your attention-grabber should be your biggest selling point. Of all of the traits that make you a qualified proofreader, which one is foundational to your success? Base your first sentence or paragraph on that trait. 

Alternatively, if you see something you can latch onto in the job description, use it. If you previously worked as a schoolteacher, for example, and the client’s business is in an academic-related field, you’ve got a natural tie-in to the job:

“As a teacher with over five years of experience, I understand the tone and voice of textbooks and can preserve these in any text I proofread…”

It’s even better if you can work in keywords from the job posting into your proposal. Thankfully, this is often as simple as a few minor tweaks to your pitch, such as swapping out a word or two for a synonym in the posting.

Explain How You Will Benefit the Client

There is a huge differentiator between a well-written proposal and a run-of-the-mill one. An average proposal focuses on the freelancer’s strengths, while a proposal that gets results focuses on the client’s needs.

You’ll notice that with each of the above examples, the freelancer’s strengths are couched in terms of how they will benefit the client. “I have a keen eye for detail” just doesn’t have the same impact as “With my keen eye for detail, I will find and fix every error in your manuscript.” 

Don’t be afraid to tell the client exactly how your strength aligns with their needs.

Additionally, there are a few other ways to highlight how you will help the client succeed.

Be Brief

No one reads job proposals after a long day’s work to unwind at night. 

Rather, clients are looking to figure out as quickly and efficiently as possible which freelancer they can hire who will help them solve their problems. When you’ve got dozens of proposals to sift through, this means lots of skimming, scanning, and looking for keywords.

A proposal, therefore, is not the place to practice your novella-writing skills. Be concise and clear about what you offer and how you approach your work. Use active voice. Don’t make the reader dig to find out why you’re the best. Tell them straight up.

Use Bullet Points

A solid bullet-point list can be a useful tool to work into a job proposal. The reader’s eye will be naturally drawn to them, and when done well, they can convey a lot of information in just a few words.

So rather than writing about the value your strengths provide in prose, use a list:

When you hire me, you can expect the following benefits: 

• I will find and fix every error. 
• I will improve wording, tone, and flow. 
• I will get the job done right and on time—every time.

Not only is this clear and concise, but it projects skill and confidence as well.

Reiterate Your Ability to Do the Job and Provide Value to the Client

An old maxim about speechwriting states, “Tell them what you’re going to tell them; next, tell them; and finally, tell them what you told them.”

The same is true when it comes to learning how to write proofreading job proposals. After you have grabbed the client’s attention and told them exactly how you can solve their problems, you are going to tell them again.

For instance, let’s say you use the above bullet-point list to call attention to the benefits the client will experience if they hire you. After that, you can say something like:

I am ready and able to make a positive impact on your team with my proofreading skills today. Simply put, I’m here to ensure you succeed.

Who doesn’t want to succeed? Or said another way, “I can help you achieve your goals” is a much better selling point than “I am good at finding mistakes.”

End with a Call to Action

As you end your proposal, be sure to include a call to action. 

This is a common sales and marketing tactic, but remember that when you write a proposal, you’re really selling your services to a potential client.

The call to action doesn’t have to be complicated or even pushy. Something as simple as “I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you” or “Feel free to call me at…” will work just fine.

Remember This When Applying for Proofreading Jobs

It’s important to remember that as a freelance proofreader, you cannot force a client to hire you. And there is no “magic” proposal that will always win every job.

What you’re really doing when you craft a solid proofreading job proposal is tipping the odds that you will get noticed by the client in your favor.

But even with a great proposal, it can still take a lot of applications before landing a job; it’s just the nature of things. In fact, it’s not uncommon to bid for 15 or more jobs in order to land a single client. This shouldn’t be construed as failure by any means, though; it’s a reality that every freelancer has experienced.

The truth is, landing those first few jobs is hard for everyone. Learning how to write a proposal for proofreading jobs that differentiates you from other freelancers can make it easier.

Wrapping It Up: How to Write Proofreading Job Proposals That Get Noticed

Learning how to write proofreading job proposals that the client will notice is not an easy task. However, it is possible to create compelling proposals that will help you stand out from the crowd. You can do this by grabbing the client’s attention from the get-go, focusing on your ability to solve their problems, and using clear, concise, and confident wording.

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