How to Pitch International Clients for Writing Work

This guide covers pitching itself. You'll learn the difference between pitching an editor and pitching a business, how to write a cold email, a LinkedIn message and a platform proposal, and how to time a send from WAT so it arrives in the client's morning. It also covers how many times to follow up and the email rules that apply when you contact US and UK businesses. The templates are hypothetical examples to adapt, not scripts to paste. If you still need to decide who to pitch, or what to charge, the guide links to the pages that answer those questions.

Quick answer

To pitch international clients for writing work, pick a narrow niche and a short list of businesses or publications in it. For each one, write a pitch of about 100 to 150 words. It should name a specific gap in their content, offer one idea or deliverable, link one relevant sample and suggest a small paid first piece. Send it during their working morning, follow up once or twice, then stop. Use your real name and an honest subject line, and always let people opt out.

Editorial pitches and services pitches are different jobs

There are two kinds of "pitch" in writing. Mixing them up is a common reason for silence.

An editorial pitch offers a specific article idea to an editor at a publication, magazine or newsletter. The editor wants to know three things: what the story is, why it matters now, and why you're the right person to write it. You are selling one piece.

A services pitch offers your writing to a business: blog posts, email sequences, case studies, website copy, white papers or product descriptions. The marketing manager or founder you're writing to wants to know whether you can produce content that brings in customers, and whether working with you will be easy. You are selling an ongoing working relationship.

Most international writing income for Nigerian freelancers comes from services pitches to businesses, because businesses need content every month. Editorial pitches are still worth learning. A paid byline in a respected publication becomes a strong sample for your services pitches.

Before you pitch: three things to have ready

You can't write a strong pitch without something to point at. Have these three ready before you contact anyone.

1. A niche you can explain in one line. "I write SEO blog posts for B2B fintech companies" gets replies. "I'm a versatile writer" does not. Choose a niche from what you already know: banking, health, software, education, agriculture, crypto, real estate.
2. Two or three samples in that niche. They can be self-published on Medium, LinkedIn or your own site. Our guide to creating writing samples without paid clients explains how, and the writing portfolio guide covers presenting them.
3. A professional sending identity. Use an email address with your real name (a custom domain is better than a free address, but a clean Gmail works). Add a one-line signature with your niche and portfolio link, and keep a LinkedIn profile that matches what your pitch says.

Finding the businesses and publications to pitch is a separate job, covered in finding international content writing clients. The rest of this guide assumes you already have a list.

How to structure a pitch that gets replies

Every good services pitch follows roughly the same pattern, whichever channel you use. Each part has a job to do.

1. A subject line that is specific and honest

The subject line should say what the email contains. "Idea for the Acme blog: payroll compliance for remote teams" works. "Quick question" or "Re: our conversation" (when you've never spoken) is deceptive. It annoys people and, as the compliance section below explains, can break US law on commercial email.

2. An opening line about them, not you

Start with something you noticed about their business: a recent product launch, a blog that hasn't been updated since March, a competitor ranking for a term they don't cover, a newsletter you read. One sentence is enough. It shows you wrote this email for them.

3. The gap and your offer

Name the problem you spotted and the specific thing you'd write to fix it. "Your guide to invoicing ranks well, but you have nothing on late payments, which your competitor covers in three posts. I'd like to write a 1,500-word guide to chasing overdue invoices." A concrete offer is easier to say yes to than "I can help with your content".

4. One piece of proof

Link one sample, the one closest to their niche, rather than your whole portfolio. If a piece got results (a client's traffic went up, or it was shared by a known account), say so in a few words, but only if it is true and you can show it.

5. A small, easy next step

Ask for something small. A paid trial article, a 15-minute call or permission to send a short outline are all easier to agree to than "hire me for a monthly retainer". Don't offer free trial articles. Paid trials filter out time-wasters and show you value your work.

6. A signature that answers the background questions

Use your full name, your niche in one line, your portfolio link and LinkedIn. Some writers add "Based in Lagos (WAT, UTC+1)". That is honest, and it shows you've already thought about working hours.

Pitch templates you can adapt

The four templates below are hypothetical. The company names and details are made up. Rewrite every line for the real client: a template sent unchanged reads like one.

Example (hypothetical): cold email to a software company

Subject: Late-payment guide for the Ledgerly blog

Hi Sarah,

I read Ledgerly's post on setting up recurring invoices. It's clear, and it ranks well. I noticed the blog has nothing on chasing overdue invoices, which is what many of your small-business users will search for next.

I'd like to write a 1,500-word guide on it: polite reminder schedules, wording for reminder emails and when to charge late fees, with a natural mention of Ledgerly's automatic reminders.

Here's a similar piece I wrote on cash-flow planning for freelancers: [link].

If it's useful, I can write this as a paid trial article at my standard rate and you can judge from there. Shall I send a short outline first?

Best, Tolu Adeyemi B2B fintech writer | portfolio: [link] | LinkedIn: [link] Lagos, Nigeria (WAT, UTC+1)

If you'd rather I didn't email again, just reply "no thanks" and I won't.

That's about 140 words. It names a real gap, makes a specific offer, gives one proof link and asks for a small next step.

Example (hypothetical): LinkedIn connection note

LinkedIn connection notes are short, and free accounts can only add a personal note to a few invitations each month. LinkedIn's help page on invitation limits says free and Basic members can personalise five connection requests a month (as of October 2026). Save notes for your best prospects.

"Hi James, I enjoyed your post on onboarding emails for SaaS trials. I write email sequences for B2B software companies and have a couple of ideas for your welcome series. Happy to connect."

Don't pitch in the note itself. Once they accept, send a short message that follows the email structure above, and comment usefully on their posts for a while before you do.

Example (hypothetical): proposal on a freelance platform

On Upwork, Contra and similar platforms, the client posted the job, so the gap is already known. Your opening should show you read the brief.

"You need four blog posts a month on personal finance for UK readers, with UK spelling and references to ISAs and pensions. I write personal finance content in British English. Here's a post on choosing between a Lifetime ISA and a pension: [link]. For the first post I'd suggest 'How to build an emergency fund on a variable income', since your blog covers budgeting but not irregular earners. I can deliver a draft within five working days of your go-ahead."

Platform proposals cost money on some sites, and fees change often, so check the platform's current help pages before you budget for them. Contra, for example, says on its pricing page that it is commission-free for freelancers, with a paid Pro plan that removes some payment fees (as of October 2026).

Example (hypothetical): editorial pitch to a publication

Subject: Pitch: How Nigerian freelancers are pricing in dollars after the naira float

Hi Ms Okafor,

Since the naira was floated, more Nigerian freelancers have started quoting clients in dollars, and the change has created new problems with invoicing and getting paid. I'd like to write a 1,200-word reported piece for your Work section. It would draw on interviews with three freelancers in different fields and an accountant, and include practical takeaways for remote workers across Africa.

I've written for [publication] and [publication]: [link], [link].

I can file within two weeks of your go-ahead. Is this a fit for your section?

Thank you, [Name]

Editorial pitches should only promise interviews and reporting you can actually do. Check each publication's contributor guidelines: many say exactly how to pitch, which editor to contact and whether they pay.

When to send: matching the client's time zone

A pitch that arrives at the top of the client's inbox at 9am does better than one buried under the overnight emails. Schedule your sends in Gmail or Outlook so they land in the client's working morning, not yours.

Nigeria stays on WAT (UTC+1) all year. UK clocks went back on 25 October 2026, and US clocks go back on 1 November 2026, which is when the US gaps in the "winter" column apply. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are a sensible default. Avoid Friday afternoons and the client's public holidays (US Thanksgiving, UK bank holidays).

Timing matters again once a client says yes. If you're pitching US companies, say in your signature or on the first call how much of the US working day you can overlap with. That answers the question before they ask it.

Following up without being a nuisance

Many replies come after a follow-up, because busy people miss emails and mean to get back to them. Too many follow-ups, though, turn into spam. Our recommendation:

1. First follow-up: five to seven working days after the original pitch. Reply in the same thread with something new, such as a second angle or a short outline. "Just checking in" adds nothing.
2. Second follow-up: about a week later. Keep it to two or three lines and make it easy to say no: "If content isn't a priority this quarter, no problem. I'll leave it here."
3. Stop. Two follow-ups is enough. If someone replies "not now", note a date three to six months ahead and pitch them a fresh idea then.

Example (hypothetical) first follow-up: "Hi Sarah, following up on the late-payment guide. I've sketched a quick outline in case it helps: 1) why invoices go overdue, 2) a three-step reminder schedule, 3) sample reminder wording, 4) when to charge late fees. Happy to adjust."

If anyone tells you to stop emailing, stop immediately and remove them from your list.

Keep your pitching legal: US and UK email rules

Cold pitching businesses is normal, but a pitch for your services is a commercial message, and the US and UK both regulate commercial email. This is general information, not legal advice. If you send at scale or use bulk email tools, get proper advice.

United States: CAN-SPAM

The Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says the law makes no exception for business-to-business email. Its main requirements:

• Accurate "From", "To" and "Reply-To" details that identify you.
• A subject line that reflects what the email is about.
• A valid physical postal address.
• A clear way to opt out, with opt-out requests honoured within 10 business days.
• Making clear that the message is an advertisement (the law allows flexibility in how).

The FTC says each separate email that breaks the law can attract a penalty of up to $53,088 (as of October 2026). A one-to-one pitch with your real name, an honest subject line, your address in the signature and a "reply no thanks and I won't email again" line covers the basics.

United Kingdom: PECR and UK GDPR

UK rules depend on who you're emailing. According to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) guidance on business-to-business marketing, the consent rule for marketing emails in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) does not apply to "corporate subscribers", meaning limited companies and LLPs. It does apply to sole traders and some partnerships, which need consent or the "soft opt-in".

Two other points from the ICO matter for writers:

• You must still not hide your identity, and you must give a way to opt out, even when emailing companies.
• An address that identifies a person (sarah.jones@company.co.uk) is personal data, so UK GDPR applies. That gives the person an absolute right to object to direct marketing.

The ICO says this guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check the current page before relying on it. In practice, pitch limited companies rather than one-person sole traders by email, keep each pitch personal, and honour every opt-out.

Nigeria-specific questions clients may have, and how to answer them

Some clients hesitate when they see a Nigerian location. The answer isn't to hide where you live. Clients find out anyway, and starting a working relationship with a misrepresentation is risky. Answer the unspoken questions before they're asked.

• "Will they be reachable?" Give your working hours in the client's time zone and state your response time ("I reply within four hours during UK working hours").
• "Will the English be right?" Write the pitch in the client's variety of English. Use US spelling for US clients and British for UK clients, and avoid Nigerian idioms they may not know, such as "well done" as a greeting or "I'm coming" meaning "give me a moment".
• "Will deadlines slip because of power or internet?" You don't need to mention infrastructure, but your setup must back up your promises. An inverter or solar backup and two internet options (a MiFi plus a phone hotspot, for example) mean a NEPA outage doesn't become a missed deadline.
• "How do I pay them?" Know your answer before the first call. Payoneer, Wise, Grey, Raenest or the platform's own payouts all work, and the client shouldn't have to learn a new payment system. Our guide to receiving dollar payments in Nigeria compares the options and their fees.
• "Is this a scam?" Make it easy to check you. Use a real LinkedIn profile with your photo and history, a portfolio under your name, and samples you can prove you wrote.

Pricing in the pitch: say enough, not everything

Clients will ask about price early. Have a rate ready, even if you only mention it in your first follow-up or on the call. Quoting per piece or per project is usually easier for a new client to approve than an hourly rate.

As a benchmark, the US-based Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 rate chart lists median rates from a member survey covering 2025 work. Ghostwritten articles and essays come in at 15 to 30 cents a word, or $75 to $100 an hour. These are US medians from experienced members, not the rates a new Nigeria-based writer will usually be offered, and the EFA says it does not set rates. Treat them as a guide to what clients in that market pay established writers, not as a target for your first pitch.

Example (hypothetical): if you charge $150 for a 1,500-word blog post and land two clients at two posts a month each, that's $600 a month, or about ₦817,200 at ₦1,362 to $1 (CBN NFEM weighted average, 23 October 2026), before platform or transfer fees and tax.

Working out your rate deserves its own guide: see pricing freelance writing services for global clients. For what employed content writers earn, see the content writer salary guide.

Track every pitch so you can learn from the numbers

Pitching works like a sales pipeline. Without a record you'll forget follow-ups and never learn which approach works. A simple spreadsheet is enough.

After every 20 or 30 pitches, look at your own reply rate by channel and angle. If specific content-gap pitches to software companies get replies and generic emails to agencies don't, do more of the first. Use your own results here, not someone else's "average reply rate".

Common pitching mistakes Nigerian writers make

• Leading with your life story. "My name is Chinedu, I graduated from UNILAG in 2021 and I'm passionate about writing" spends the client's first ten seconds on you. Start with them.
• Sending one email to 200 people. Mass emails with only the first name changed get ignored, flagged as spam and, under the rules above, can get you into legal trouble.
• Attaching files. Many company filters block attachments from strangers. Link to samples instead.
• Offering to write for free "to prove myself". It signals low confidence and attracts clients who never intend to pay. Offer a paid trial.
• Pitching outside your niche. A crypto client wants crypto samples. Pitch where your samples match.
• Giving up after one round. The first 20 pitches are practice. Keep refining the opening line and the offer.
• Accepting unusual payment requests. A "client" who wants you to buy software from them first, pay an onboarding fee or receive and forward money is running a scam. See how to spot remote job scams.

When pitching turns into a contract

When a client says yes, confirm the scope in writing before you start: word count, number of revisions, deadline, rate, payment method and payment terms (for example, 50% upfront for new clients, or payment within 14 days of invoice). Most international writing clients will treat you as an independent contractor, not an employee. Our guide to contractor versus employee arrangements explains the difference. Your foreign income is also covered by Nigerian tax rules, set out in tax for remote workers in Nigeria.

Turning a first trial post into steady monthly work is a separate skill, covered in finding long-term remote writing contracts.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a freelance writing pitch be?

About 100 to 150 words for a services pitch to a business, and up to around 250 words for an editorial pitch that has to explain a story. The reader should be able to understand your offer in under a minute. If the pitch needs scrolling, cut it.

Can Nigerians pitch US and UK clients directly?

Yes. Nothing stops a Nigeria-based freelancer from emailing or messaging a foreign business to offer writing services. You do need to follow the recipient country's email rules, such as CAN-SPAM in the US and PECR and UK GDPR in the UK, and you must be able to receive international payments. Some clients will only work with writers in their own country, and that's their choice.

Should I mention I'm based in Nigeria in my pitch?

Yes, briefly and with confidence, for example in your signature with your time zone. Hiding your location usually comes out later and damages trust. Pair it with your working hours in the client's time zone and a clear payment method.

Is it legal to send cold emails to businesses offering writing services?

Generally yes, if you follow the rules. In the US, the FTC says CAN-SPAM covers business-to-business email: you need honest headers and subject lines, a postal address and an opt-out you honour within 10 business days. In the UK, the ICO says the PECR email consent rule doesn't apply to limited companies but does apply to sole traders. UK GDPR still applies to named business email addresses.

How many follow-ups should I send after a pitch?

Two, spaced about a week apart, each adding something new such as an outline or a different angle. After that, stop and note a date to pitch a fresh idea in a few months. If anyone asks you not to contact them, stop at once.

Should I offer a free sample article to win a client?

No. Offer a paid trial piece instead, even at a modest rate. Existing samples in the client's niche should do the proving. Clients who insist on free custom work rarely become good paying clients.

What should I do if a client replies but asks for my rates first?

Give a clear per-piece or per-project price with what's included, such as word count, revisions and turnaround. You could also give a small range and offer a quick call to confirm the scope. Avoid "it depends" with no number. A specific answer keeps the conversation moving.

Is pitching better than applying on job boards?

They work best together. Job boards and platforms let you reach clients who already know they need a writer, while cold pitching reaches clients before they post a job, when there's less competition. Many writers apply to listed roles daily and pitch a few hand-picked prospects each week.

Key takeaways

• Decide which pitch you're sending, an editorial pitch (one story idea for an editor) or a services pitch (ongoing content for a business), and write it for that reader.
• A strong pitch opens with something specific about the client, names one gap, offers one deliverable, links one relevant sample and asks for a small paid next step.
• Schedule sends for the client's morning: from WAT that's early to mid-afternoon for the US East Coast and morning for London and Central Europe.
• Follow up twice with something new each time, then stop.
• Pitch emails are commercial messages: use your real identity, an honest subject line and a working opt-out, in line with US CAN-SPAM and UK ICO guidance.
• Track every pitch and adjust your approach based on your own reply rates.

Next steps

Choose ten businesses in your niche this week and write each one a pitch built on a specific content gap. While you pitch, also apply to listed roles: browse remote writing jobs open to applicants in Nigeria, and after a search, use "Get email updates" on the jobs page to get new matching listings by email every day. Every listing shows the company, its website and where applicants may live. Basic membership is free and applying never costs anything. If you'd like help with your profile, Premium members get their CV rewritten and their LinkedIn profile optimised by a person on our team (see what changes in a CV review). For skills and tools, read the content writer career guide or the copywriter career guide.

Sources

• CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business, Federal Trade Commission
• Business-to-business marketing, Information Commissioner's Office
• Invitation limit reached, LinkedIn Help
• Rates, Editorial Freelancers Association
• Pricing, Contra
• CBN exchange rates by currency, Central Bank of Nigeria