
Freelance blogging didn’t sound like this much effort when you first considered it.
You’re working hard — probably harder than you need to — but damn, those top-dollar clients are an elusive bunch. Most of the time, you think yourself lucky if you can find clients who have a budget and no major psychological issues.
I’ve got a solution for this problem. One you might never have tried before.
Ever think of borrowing my clients? They pay pretty good.
Seriously, borrow my clients. Go ahead.
Is something wrong? You look kinda confused. [No, I’m not watching you through the magical powers of the internet. I’m just imagining the expression on your face right now.]
OK, let me show you how this works so you can start borrowing high-paying clients from me ASAP.
Crack open your dream client directory

Back in January, Craig Martin left me a blog comment about his difficulty finding clients who respect his expertise and value his writing skills.
What he really wanted, though, was a way to pre-qualify clients — to know who would pay a professional rate and who wouldn’t, before he wasted time negotiating with the “wouldn’t” category.
So here’s what I told him:
Find another freelance writer who’s getting gigs you’d like (you can do that by checking the bylines on the publications you’d like to work for, or by looking around on LinkedIn).
Then Google up that writer’s website and see if you can find any mention of their rates. If you can see they charge at least as much as you want to charge, that’s awesome, but a lot of writers don’t publish guideline rates.
Next, go through their portfolio and note down the publications they’ve worked for. Then research and send queries to a few of those publications. They’re prequalified to (a) accept freelance contributions and (b) pay a rate that’s worthwhile to a pro freelance writer.
Judging by Craig’s reply and the number of emails I got about this one comment, I’m pretty sure this is a tactic most freelance bloggers have never tried.
I know at least one other blogger has thought of it, though, because JR John pitched us a similar idea in the first official Pitchfest. He suggested using the testimonials on another freelance blogger’s website as a source of pre-qualified leads.
And then the comments section exploded. Not literally, but it got pretty hot in there. We had a long discussion about the ethics of “stealing” another freelance blogger’s clients, plus other ethical and practical questions about this tactic.
So. Let me show you how I do it. And then you can do it with my clients. Deal?

Step 1: Find the right freelance bloggers
Like I said to Craig, the idea is to identify freelance bloggers who are already writing the kind of posts you want to write for the kind of pay you’d like to earn. So look in any or all of these places:
- web search results for phrases like “freelance fashion blogger” or “freelance science blogger”
- LinkedIn search results for phrases like “freelance blogger” or “blogger for hire”
- author bylines on the blogs you’d like to write for
What you need is a blogger who’s either at the same level as you in their freelance career, or a level or two higher. Not impossibly far above you, but high enough to indicate they have clients you’d probably want to work with.
Step 2: Pick their ripest clients
When you’ve chosen at least one freelance blogger to use as your client-hunting role model, check out their website to see if they publish their rates. If they do, make sure their rates are at least as high as yours! Borrowing lower-paying clients would be pointless.
Now poke around the blogger’s portfolio, their testimonials, the client logos displayed on their website, and their “Experience” section on LinkedIn. Google the clients you see there; check them out a bit more. Analyse their blogs, research their revenues, look them up in business directories or on consumer review websites.
Found one you like the look of? The ripest leads for you are the ones that:
- you’ve noticed on more than one successful freelance blogger’s resume
- you’ve seen publish the types of posts you’d like to write
- you’ve identified as lacking at least one valuable thing you can deliver
Step 3: Borrow responsibly
The actual borrowing is straightforward. You simply contact that lead to introduce yourself and let them know what you’d like to do for them.
Now we get into those ethical questions, like:
- Is this fair to the blogger whose clients you’re borrowing?
- Should you explain where you found the lead when you contact them?
- Is it OK to name the blogger whose career history you mined to come up with this lead?
- How do you mention them without being misleading about your non-existent relationship with that other blogger?
Here’s how I see it:
If the other blogger no longer works with that client, it’s totally fair. As Jessi Stanley commented, “it’s really no different from checking out and befriending/following other people’s Facebook friends or Twitter followers.”
If the other blogger still works with that client, don’t set out to steal the gig! You’re not aiming to replace the other blogger, but to join them. So feel free to send that lead a query or letter of introduction, but keep it classy and stick to what you have to offer. (Think “I see your true colours“, not “Don’t cha wish ur girlfriend was hot like me?“)
Yes, you can mention how you discovered the lead. But you don’t have to. It’s totally your call. Same applies to whether you mention the blogger’s name or not. I’ve always mentioned it, as in “I’ve been reading Blogger X’s posts on your blog” or “I started reading your blog via a link on Blogger X’s website”.
As for making sure you don’t imply a relationship or endorsement that doesn’t exist, look at the two easy phrases I just gave as examples. Neither one implies a friendship or professional relationship with the other blogger. Keep it simple and honest to avoid any misunderstandings.
Borrow by introduction
A few times, early on in my freelance career, I noticed a good-looking client in another blogger’s portfolio and followed up by contacting the blogger rather than the client.
I asked for a moment of their time to reply to my email and let me know what the client was like to work for. If they said the client was good, I emailed again and simply asked, “Would you mind introducing me? I’d love to write for this company/person but I’m afraid an email from me will get lost in their inbox because they’ve never heard of me.”
Wanna know how often that tactic worked to get me a personal intro to the editor or marketing manager I needed?
So far, it’s never failed. To be fair, I haven’t done it often, but when I did it was 100% successful.
Most freelance bloggers are kind, generous bundles of awesome. Some of my best clients have been referred or introduced by other bloggers, either because I asked or because my blogger friends thought of me when they heard there was a gig up for grabs.
Connecting with your fellow freelance bloggers isn’t gonna happen by itself, so send a short, friendly email or tweet to some of the bloggers you’ve researched and see how happy most of us are to respond.
P.S. If you’re finding it hard to hunt out really good clients — the kind who respect you, trust your judgement and pay you handsomely for your work — check out The Freelance Blogger’s Client Hunting Masterclass. We’re getting started next week.
Your timing with this is great. I just shared a story on another colleague’s blog yesterday that’s a perfect example of how NOT to do this.
In my case, it involved a fairly new writer, but one I knew quite well. She was becoming notorious for ripping off a few more experienced writers (myself included) in an effort to replicate success rather than trying to forge her own path.
She started out doing what you’re talking about here — looking at testimonials and portfolios of people who were in a position she wanted to be in. But she handled it very badly. She went on a mission to poach clients.
She never reached out to any of us directly to see if we’d introduce her. Instead she approached our clients with a direct goal of undercutting our rates. But that wasn’t even the real issue. She actually had the nerve to tell our clients we referred her.
It made no logical sense whatsoever — that we’d refer her while telling her to undercut us in an effort to replace us (the whole pitch was about how they could save money by switching to her).
Thankfully a few of my clients got a whiff of the bullshit and contacted me to let me know what was going on. None of them ended up hiring her. And she alienated several experienced pros who had spent time trying to help her.
This was the same person who built her website by ripping off branding and direct copy from some of us (literally taking a paragraph from my site, a paragraph from another colleague’s site, etc. and assembling a Frankenstein’s monster of a professional website by copy-pasting a sentence here, a paragraph there). So we shouldn’t have been surprised.
In the end, the lesson is that you can use this tactic effectively. But there are right and wrong ways to go about it, as you’ve covered beautifully. Landing one client isn’t usually worth wrecking professional relationships with people who could refer you for several better gigs in the long run. And most of us are very happy to do that.
Amen to all that!
Also, if the only thing you can think of to explain why a lead should hire you is “I’m cheaper than so-and-so,” you’ve got problems that go *way* deeper than a simple lack of clients. 😉 Sounds like your copycat didn’t know how to create value instead of cutting cost.
Brilliant advice Sophie (as usual). I guess I’ve done this before without realising what I was doing… Wouldn’t be a bad idea to adopt it as a strategy instead. Thanks!
Yep, if you do it with purpose it’s even more likely to bring in the good gigs. 🙂
Love this idea! I don’t see an ethical problem with this method, as long as you’re open and honest like this post advises. Clients often use multiple freelance writers. If they don’t need anymore, and they’re happy with who they have, they’ll let you know (or ignore you!). No harm done.
“No harm done” is practically my middle name. 😉 I spent years just trying things and finding out what worked for me… this tactic worked. Though I wouldn’t rely on it as my *only* marketing tactic, it’s surprisingly effective as a way to choose new targets for the other marketing stuff you do.
Oooh an ethical way to get other people’s clients!
Truth be told I HAVE often looked through other people’s client lists/publications they have worked for an thought about applying to them, but I never *quite* got around to doing so.
I especially like the idea of contacting related bloggers and asking how they connected with their previous clients – definitely a good way to build relationships AND get new clients!
I hope this means you can expect an email from me then!
🙂 Fire away, Daryl.
I actually do this often and always viewed this as strategic rather than competitive. Chances are that the publications or clients the other blogger has written is always looking for other bloggers with fresh ideas. It doesn’t mean they’ll fire the other blogger — it just means more work for everyone.
That’s how I was thinking of it when I read through; great point Halona!
Yay, Halona (and Gina)! You get exactly what I’m saying. 🙂
I am a newbie, have no idea what is good rates, or gigs, don’t even what to write to get paid. I have had 5 blogs featured on Bloggy Moms, so that encourages me. I am in Africa, how do you suggest I get good gigs.
Hi Rachel, check out the Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs [ http://beafreelanceblogger.com/betterpaidbloglist ] to find out about rates and expectations at a whole bunch of blogs that pay freelancers. 🙂
Where you’re located really doesn’t make a difference, unless you make it one, Rachel 🙂
Congratulations on the featured posts. Keep pitching!
I really like this method. Thanks for the tips and ideas on ethics. I definitely agree that it’s a great tactic as long as you’re not trying to steal the client, but like you said, “Add to the team.”
Exactly, Alicia. 🙂
I have been looking around at other blogger’s clients, but I think I was too worried about stealing their clients to actually send out pitches to them. I will definitely try this now, since you made such great points about why it’s okay. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Peggy. Glad it helped you get past that worry!
Wow! Thank you so much for this, Sophie! This is a mind-blowing strategy! [My shock is evident with the overuse of apostrophe!]lol I’m going to give this a try. By the way, I want to share something that surprisingly worked for me yesterday. A few weeks ago, I joined a Facebook group for startups in the Philippines. And yesterday, I finally posted something. I asked the entrepreneurs there as to how they go about finding writers. Actually, I wasn’t particularly looking for clients. I just wanted to get a better understanding of how startups find and work with writers locally. Anyway, a lot of people responded to my post! And more importantly, I was able to set up a meeting on Monday to meet a potential client. He said they badly need a freelance writer. Just want to share this if anyone hasn’t tried it yet. 🙂 Okay, off to Google and do some client-borrowing. 🙂
*Awesome* marketing tactic there. I love when people just discover these things without meaning to!
Thanks for the mention, Sophie. What a nice surprise! 🙂
😀
Mind = blown.
We aim to please, Bree. 🙂
Love this idea! Thanks for sharing the strategy, I’ve got some Google searching to do ASAP.
You’re welcome, Jenn. Let us know how it pans out!
Ok I feel dumb now! I *always* do this as a way of qualifying clients — when I find a site I want to write for, I check out the contributors’ bios to see who else they’ve written for. I figure if they write for markets that pay professional rates, then the site I’m targeting probably pays professionally, too. But it never occurred to me to look at their bios and target those markets! Pretty brilliant. I have a mental list of bloggers I want to be when I grow up, and I am totally mining their LinkedIn profiles for new market ideas right now.
Yep, it works both ways. 🙂 Stalking my favourite freelance writers in the early days gave me a good sense of which sites paid well enough to attract the top writers. It’s also a nifty way to find places to guest post.
I’ve been too chicken unless I knew them. And one time I asked, I never got a response. Will keep trying though! Such awesome advice.
Yeah, definitely “keep trying”, Willi!
Editors (and HR departments) aren’t the only ones who “don’t always answer their email”! LOL
If knowing people makes you more comfortable asking, it also makes them more comfortable agreeing. So, get to know more people better and you can all be comfy together. 🙂
Hi Sophie,
I have been looking around on the bits and pieces of what you have mentioned. I have firstly started to look at guest posting options or “Write for Us” sections of various websites in addition to the Ultimate writing gigs from you.
I want to learn how to craft a compelling query letter to grab client’s attention. I saw Carol Tice’s post on query letters so far. Also I have received good comments from other writers who are being paid more than I. I am struggling with how to present my work and what exactly to write when pitching for guest posts or reaching out to other clients.
I believe it’s better to network with other writers using this strategy in parallel instead of simply waiting any further. Mastering the art of writing is a journey indeed.
What would you advice?
Thanks,
Sabita
Here’s the link to most of what we’ve got on BAFB about query messages and winning clients over:
http://beafreelanceblogger.com/category/get-hired
Have a dig around in those posts and you’ll find a ton of useful advice! 🙂
Thanks Sophie, its great to be advised by you. 🙂
Sabita
Hi sophie,
I really think your ideas are refreshing and doable, hoping to pitch in something you could use sooner rather than later.
I’ve thought about teaching writers I work with to do this to my clients, but you’re already on top of it. Nice!
Amazing advice! I never really thought about it that way, but I guess I’m doing exactly this. Great article!
Whoa. Of course. This is one of those ideas that’s really clever, yet its been just in front of my nose the entire time. I should have thought of it ages ago. Light bulb moment!
Hi, Sophie! Great blog! I like your blogging sass. Something I’m still trying to develop. I think that after six years blogging I’ve started to feel more free to say what I really want to say without the fear of offending anyone. I think once you are open to the possibilities with out selling out then you can realize your true potential. Looking forward to your next posts!
Sophie, you’ve done it again. You have given your faithful readers (like me) another nugget of very valuable advice that (I) wouldn’t have thought about doing before reading your post. I don’t know how you do it but I’m very grateful. Being as anxious as I usually am (not to mention, high strung), I get very nervous about contacting people unless I know that it needs to be done. So thank you for all your help. I couldn’t be more grateful.
Hi Sophie,
spot on. incisive post.
l used to think that it’s equivalent to stalking your mentor’s client.
but now i know better.
thanks a million, Sophie!
you rock.
Thank you for the post