How to find writing clients without cold-pitching people you don’t know

Why cold pitching feels so bad 

Have you ever had to ask someone for money or tried to sell something?

Oh, I have.

I haven’t always been a freelance writer. Once upon a time, I was a fundraising director for a nonprofit in a small rural community. And one of the core parts of that job was…you guessed it…asking people for money.

Let me tell you, it can feel painfully uncomfortable. Especially when you have zero relationship with the individuals or businesses you’re asking. Cue the nervous stomach. Cue the armpit sweat.

When you don’t know them, and they don’t know you, you can practically see the questions in their eyes. Why should we trust you? Who are you? Why should we support you?

And when they actually ask those questions out loud? Oh, the criiiiiinge.

Most people will do just about anything to avoid that feeling. But if you’re building a freelance writing business, it can start to feel unavoidable.

Pause. Don’t get sweaty just yet.

There are ways to get clients without feeling salesy, awkward, or downright cringey.

And they don’t involve cold-pitching people you’ve never met.

What they do rely on is trust, visibility, and relationships, even when those relationships don’t exist yet.

Shift the mindset: From “convincing” to “being findable.” 

Cold pitching fails and feels so awful for a simple reason. There’s no relationship, no context, and no trust.

So instead of cold emailing and trying to convince people to hire you, shift the goal. Focus on being findable and becoming a valuable resource for the people you actually want to work with.

In marketing terms, this is the difference between push marketing and pull marketing.

Push marketing is precisely what it sounds like. You’re pushing your offer out into the world through cold calls, emails, text messages, and ads people didn’t ask for.

Pull marketing works differently. It uses things like social media, blogs, and strategically placed SEO keywords to draw the right people toward you. Your audience finds you when they’re already looking for help.

And here’s the mindset shift that really matters.

What you offer doesn’t need to be “sold.”

You’re not asking for a favor. You’re not convincing someone to take a chance on you.

You’re providing a solution to a problem they already have. A problem they’re actively trying to solve.

What you do is needed. It’s wanted. And when you show up in the right places, it doesn’t feel like selling at all.

Build authority without being loud or salesy

I follow a content creator on Instagram who posts healthy, family-friendly recipes. She’s friendly, relatable, and even though I don’t know her personally, I really like her vibe.

And guess what? I’ve clicked over to her link-in-bio and bought things simply because she recommended them. Call me influenced, but I genuinely liked what I bought.

Chances are you’re on at least one social media platform. And chances are, you’re following someone who adds value to your life in some way.

This can be you with your freelance writing.

When you share consistent, value-driven content over time, you build trust with the people you want to work with. They start to see you as someone who knows their stuff, even before you ever have a conversation.

That content might look like:

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses of life as a freelance writer

• Simple education around things like SEO and why it matters

• Your take on industry trends or changes you’re seeing

And listen. None of this needs to be high-production or perfectly polished. You don’t need fancy graphics or a complicated strategy.

You just need to show that you know what you’re talking about, that you can solve real problems, and that you’re a real human behind the work.

That’s enough to build authority.

Turn your existing network into warm leads 

Let this sink in.

Every client I currently write for came from one of two places. Me posting about my work. Or a referral from someone who already knew me and had seen my work.

And for context, I live in a small rural town of about 1,500 people. Yet I work with clients everywhere from Minnesota to Florida.

If we were taking bets, I’d put good money on this. You already know people who could use your services. Or they know someone who does.

Posting about what you do isn’t annoying. Sharing what you’re working on isn’t self-promotional in a gross way.

It’s visibility. And that visibility might be the very thing that puts you in front of your dream clients.

Create content that does the selling for you:

• A short story about a moment in a project where something finally clicked. 

• A “real talk” post about something people misunderstand about freelance writing. 

• A peek at how you think before you write, not the polished process, but the messy notes, questions, and decisions.

• A low-key share of what you’re working on right now and why it’s the kind of work you want more of.

You don’t need to beg for work 

If cold pitching makes your stomach queasy like it does mine, it’s not a personal flaw. It’s your gut telling you that connection matters.

You don’t need to convince strangers to trust you. You need to be visible, helpful, and human in places your people already are. When you share your work and your voice, the right clients start to find you.

No sweaty emails. No awkward asks. Just relationships doing what they’re supposed to do.

If you’re ready to get started, head over to the Pajama Writer and check out all the products Dez has to help get you writing. They’re super helpful, and some are even FREE!