Allaya Cooks-Campbell

Let’s talk pitching. I’d love to hear from fellow editors and freelance writers. I’ve placed stories in national outlets, but lately I’m hitting more silence than replies, even from editors I have relationships with. Here’s my process: - I keep pitches to ~200 words and grant a two-week exclusivity window with a specific date. That way, if I don’t get a reply, I can re-pitch after the two mark. - I usually follow up once after a week (sometimes twice by the two-week mark, but often just once). I never follow up until a week has passed. Absolutely no more than two follow-ups! - I tailor every pitch to each individual publication’s specific column and reshape the angle before sending it elsewhere. - I track everything in an Excel pitch log so I don’t lose momentum. It helps me remember when to follow up and re-pitch angles elsewhere. - I send an intro email before pitching blind to a new editor, highlighting my beat and past work, and asking for pitching guidelines if they’re not posted. - For subject lines, I use “Pitch: Column: Subject” so editors can immediately see why I’m in their inbox. I worry this may filter out my emails elsewhere, so editors don’t see them. I’ve heard that the pre-pandemic rule of pitching one editor at a time and following up twice (before pitching elsewhere) no longer applies. Do you agree? Have you changed how you handle exclusivity, follow-ups, or re-pitching the angle elsewhere? As an editor myself, I know how full inboxes get, especially now, with fewer editors on staff as publications shutter or lay off teams, and more freelancers flooding the field. That creates even more noise in inboxes. What drives me a little mad is that pitching feels like passive time, hours spent not earning as a freelancer. That said, actively pitching makes editors more likely to send assignments your way, based on my experience. I’m not just venting, I’d love to swap strategies so we can all navigate this more challenging landscape together. Lately, I’ve noticed that editors sometimes hold onto pitches for months, making it hard to decide whether to move on or wait it out. I’ve also been wondering if shorter “one-paragraph” pitches cut through the inbox noise better than ~200 words. I’m curious: what’s actually working for you in this landscape? What’s the one pitching strategy you’ve found most effective in 2025? Wide open to thoughts, critiques, and strategies. I've shared my methodology above.

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Transitioning from a 9-5 to freelance writing? If you’ve got a specialist background, leverage it HARD. For example, if you’re a psychologist, I’d recommend leaning into the mental health space at first. You can always break into new niches when you’ve got some samples. Recently, clients have been asking for expert quotes or personal knowledge from my clinical experience in EVERY article. With AI doing more and more, personal anecdotes and expert insights are gold dust. My clinical background as a physiotherapist gave me a big edge when I was getting started as a freelance writer. But I now write about all sorts of health-related topics, many of which are completely unrelated to physiotherapy.  If you don’t know the topic inside out, Qwoted and LinkedIn are my top places for insights from other experts! P.S. Want tips on finding clients and growing your business? Click the link in my profile for free resources.

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I take these two actions within 24 hours of receiving a freelance assignment: ✅ 1. I dive into the assignment. I review the brief with a fine-tooth comb. Missing attachments? Gaps in instructions? Denied access to internal docs? I flag them right away. (Because waiting until the last minute = more stress and slows down progress.) ✅ 2. I start research immediately. Whenever possible, I discover what the freelance writing assignment will require of me and what I can do to jumpstart the process. This helps me: • Spot time-intensive tasks early (like scheduling interviews). • Get a clear picture of how long the project will take. • Keep my schedule wide open for additional freelance opportunities. Here’s why it works: Freelancing isn’t just about doing the work—it’s about making space for the next opportunity. By staying proactive on clients’ assignments I have lined up and feeling confident with the deadlines, it gives me some breathing room. I am more inclined to say yes when a new assignment comes my way. Translation? More bandwidth, less stress, and higher earnings at the end of the month. Every system you build in your freelance business is another step toward scaling. Feel free to snag this strategy and apply it to your business. What’s one habit you’ve adopted that helps you work smarter, not harder? I always need more of these. Share ‘em below, please👇 #freelance #freelancewriting #freelancewriter #copywriters #contentmarketingtips

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If you’re a writer, in house or freelance, I hope you recognize how badly you’re needed right now. One of my biggest observations from working with clients in ’24 was just how difficult it still is for them to find and execute good writing. Execs can’t find the time to create for platforms like email and LinkedIn on a consistent basis but recognize that they need to. Internal subject matter experts’ “day jobs” typically preclude them from contributing on a consistent basis. Existing marketing talent (rightly or wrongly) is more focused on strategy, project management, and measurement then actually creating. They all recognize that they need writing/writers. But, they’re not doing a great job of articulating exactly what they need. So, they either make the wrong hires (about halfway through ’24 I started getting more involved in the hiring/evaluation of writers for clients because I saw how often this happens and how much harder it’d make my job) or they’re not getting the most out of thew writing talent that they have. With the deluge of “AI is replacing everyone…” type content we’ve all seen, I wanted to remind writers that you’re the linchpin. We need you. 

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𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (Part 2 of 4) Technical writers aren’t just documentation creators; we’re also caretakers. Our responsibility doesn't stop once a document is published. When content becomes outdated, it confuses and frustrates users, impacts support teams, and erodes trust. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘀 𝟭. 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 & 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘀 Maintain an internal index that maps documents to owners and doc locations, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. 𝟮. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 Schedule recurring reviews to identify stale content before users do. Tie reviews to release cycles so product changes don’t get missed. 𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 (𝗦𝗠𝗘𝘀) Loop in developers, QA, and product managers to validate accuracy. A short SME review can save hours of user frustration. 𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 If SMEs are unavailable or requirements are unclear, don’t “fill in the blanks.” Outdated or inaccurate docs are worse than missing docs. Leave it out and flag it until you can obtain the correct information. 𝟱. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗰 When updating a doc, check the entire doc for accuracy, not just the section you edited. 𝟲. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘀 Archive, never delete. Old content may be required for audits, reference, or compliance purposes. Use versioning to track changes and clearly label deprecated material to avoid confusion. 𝟳. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 Use tooling (CMS workflows, scripts, or doc-as-code pipelines) to trigger alerts when APIs, features, or release notes change. Automation catches what humans miss. 𝟴. 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 Add a feedback option to every doc. When users flag an issue, act quickly and thank them. Fast updates show the docs are active and that feedback is valued. 𝟵. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 Watch for documentation-related tickets or repeated questions. They are signals that something in the doc isn’t clear or current. 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Treat docs like code. If your devs wouldn’t ship untested, outdated code, neither should you publish stale documentation. (Stay tuned for Part 3: Keeping Docs Fresh Is a Team Effort.) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? How do you handle outdated documentation in your organization? Do you use scheduled audits, automation, or feedback loops to keep content fresh? Share your strategies! #TechnicalWriting #DocumentationMatters #WritersHelpingWriters

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If I had to start over as a freelance writer tomorrow, here’s the exact swipe file I’d use to upskill and raise my rates fast in 30 minutes or less: 🧠 Voice & Tone Swipe Study 3 brands you love and mimic them until it’s second nature. Rewrite their homepage, emails, and social captions, word-for-word. Then do it in your own voice. Do this a couple of times until your brain gets used to reverse-engineering voice in copy. 📚 Copy Breakdown Swipe Screenshot ads, landing pages, and emails that work on YOU. Highlight what hooked you. Then steal the structure. Rinse, repeat. I personally keep a list of hooks I see on LinkedIn posts that get me to engage. 📊 Results Swipe Bookmark portfolios and case studies with actual numbers. Not “engagement went up.” I mean: “CTR increased 32% in 10 days.” That’s the level you want to write at. What do people who do what you do (I don't like the word competitors, we're all in it together) brag about? How do they word those wins? 💬 Pitch Swipe Save cold pitches that landed you a gig. Tweak. Templatize. Reuse. Don’t start from scratch every time. A couple people have asked me to share my cold email template for winning clients. It's super simple but I'd be happy to share if you'd like, just comment down below. 🔍 Job Posting Swipe I love this one because the work is already done for you. Copy + paste phrases from high-paying writing job posts. That’s what clients want to hear. Use their own words in your pitch and site copy. I actually edited my resume recently using copy from a job ad at a dream company of mine as inspiration. 💎 Money Swipe Screenshots of rate cards, client offers, negotiation wins, or red-flag convos. These are your pricing receipts and boundary setters. Follow Maria Waida 🍩  We're on a journey to #10kin10Months here on LinkedIn. If you found this content even 1% useful, it'd mean a lot to me if you hit + Follow so we can grow together :)

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Writers and editors: Have you ever caught yourself (or been caught) misidentifying passive voice? 🤔 It happens to all of us from time to time. We might flag a sentence like "We were interested in the proposal" as passive voice, when it's actually active. (We had the interest; we're the actors.) The real test is to ask who’s doing the action. If the subject of the sentence is doing it, the sentence is in active voice. If the subject isn’t receiving the action, it's passive voice. Share your experience: What's your go-to method for identifying true passive voice? Let's help each other get better at spotting this misunderstood construction! #WritingCommunity #PassiveVoice #AmEditing #GrammarTips

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Confession: I’m not the best proofreader on my own team. And I’m completely fine with that. There are people here who have an uncanny ability to spot formatting errors. Others are brilliant at catching logical gaps or awkward phrasing, or they can slice through a dense document faster than I ever could. And that used to rattle me. For years, I believed leadership meant being the sharpest pair of eyes in the room. If I wasn’t, what business did I have running a proofreading team? But the reality is that leadership doesn’t mean being the smartest person at the table. It means making sure the table is set right. For me, that looked like: → Building systems so every project moves smoothly → Hiring people who are stronger than me in specific areas and letting them do their thing → Creating a culture where we stay on top of deadlines and have each other’s backs The day I stopped trying to be the best proofreader and focused instead on being the best leader was the day Super Copy Editors really started to take off. I didn’t become “less of an editor.” I became something else entirely: the dude responsible for making sure the whole team succeeds. And you know what? That’s been the most challenging and rewarding edit of all.

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Writers & industry professionals are starting to ask if the romantasy trend is going to cool down—or if it's too late to start writing it. Maybe for some it's a hope the trend will pass, but if so, bad news ahead. I recently spoke with Alex Newton of K-lytics about what he's seeing in the Amazon marketplace (Kindle specifically). Here are the high-level takeaways: 🔹 Romantasy is no fad. K-lytics’ decade of Kindle data shows that genre waves last 5-10 years, and romantasy is a factor in many Kindle bestsellers—enough to reshape the sci-fi & fantasy charts. 🔹 More generally, romance rules Amazon: 61% of 2025’s top 100 bestsellers are romance, with most other hits adding a “romance-plus” subplot. 🔹 Algorithms amplify winners. Amazon’s “sell-more-of-what-sells” loop concentrates attention. Success favors stories that remix proven tropes—see Rebecca Yarros’s FOURTH WING. 🔹 Next niche to watch: contemporary Western romance, led by Elsie Silver.

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3 ways to avoid overloaded sentences that overwhelm readers: 🪢 Avoid stringing ideas together Many authors will tie multiple concepts together with punctuation (eg, commas, semicolons, dashes) or conjunctions (eg, "and", "or", "but"). Limit your use of punctuation and conjunctions to keep your sentences clear and concise. 1️⃣ Make only one point in each sentence Some authors will interweave multiple ideas into a sentence, which creates complex writing that confuses readers. Divide multiple ideas into multiple sentences to make the writing easier for readers to digest. ✍️ Aim for sentences with no more than 25 words Many authors write with really long sentences (35+ words). Keep your sentences as short as possible, ideally with various lengths that are no more than 25 words. #medicalwriting #science #medicine

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3 best writing advice I found from journalism style guides: "Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative." - The Star Copy Style Sheet "If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out." - The Economist Style Guide "A single rule might suffice: The rule of common sense will prevail at all times." - The New York Times Style Book for Writers and Editors, 1962. #Writing #storytelling #Ghostwriter

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"This doesn't sound like me at all." Worst feedback I ever got from a client. It changed how I write for everyone. I was working at an agency at the time. Still pretty new to ghostwriting. I'd focus on getting the words right... Pulling quotes from transcripts, matching their talking points etc. But I completely missed the tone. The way they actually spoke. The rhythm. The personality behind the words. When that client said it didn't sound like them... She was right. And I had no system to fix it. And to be honest, most ghostwriters don't. They listen to a call, read a few posts, hope they get close. Sometimes it works. Most times it doesn't. So I built something different. A 15-minute voice matching test. It doesn't just capture what someone says... It captures how they think, the words they'd actually use, the rhythm of how they talk. I've used it with 30+ coaches since then. Not one complaint about voice matching. Because I'm not guessing anymore. The result? Content that sounds like they wrote it. Even when they didn't. Their audience feels like they know them. Their content builds trust that actually sells. I broke down the full process in the carousel below. Swipe through to see the 4-step system I use to match any coach's voice in 15 minutes 👇🏻

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One weird writing tip that nobody mentions: Pay attention to how your writing sounds. (and no, this isn't another post about "read your writing out loud" or "write like you talk") That's important too, but we're gonna get a little fancier. Prepare yourself for a knowledge bomb: in case you didn't know, writing is an invention. For thousands and thousands of years, humans only communicated with sounds. If you're trying to hone in your voice or refine your style, focus on: -Alliteration -Syllables A quick writing refresher: An alliteration is when you string together words that sound similar. (Like I did with "writing refresher" and "sound similar") Don't over flavor with this but when used in moderation, it brings a natural flow to your writing. Like red pepper flakes sprinkled on a pizza. Syllables are the number of pauses or breaks in a word. For example, el-e-phant has 3. People talk about varying your sentence length but it's also important to vary word length, too. Too many syllables and you sound pretentious. Too few and you're writing "See Spot Run." And it's okay to repeat shorter sentences if you're trying to form a pattern. Like this. Or this. These stand out and force readers to pay attention. Think of it like music: lots of notes in harmony, but also the same ones repeated. When someone says "write like you talk" it's not just about word choice or formal vs. informal. Sometimes what they really mean is "write like you sound." Pay attention to your rhythm. People aren't just reading. They're listening.

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What does a simple check-in with freelance clients look like? Here's one I emailed yesterday to a client I've worked with for several years. "Hi (name), I hope you're having a great summer and were able to escape the blistering heat this past weekend. I was wondering if that piece I wrote titled (article name) ever got published. If so, can you share the link? Also, please keep me in mind for future content projects, whether service-oriented, member-focused, editorial, branded content, etc. I'm mapping out my project calendar for August/September, and I'd love to allocate time for (brand) projects." 👉 Note that a check-in message doesn't have to be long or complicated. After sharing the status of my assignment, my client added this: "I'll let (name), (name), and (name) know you have bandwidth." 🌟 So, not only does *he* know I've got availability to handle projects in the next two months, he shared my availability with his team--and I didn't even ask him to. #lovemyclients That's the concrete, real-world result of building solid relationships, delivering stellar work, and staying top of mind. And I would not be surprised if I received a new project from him or someone on his team within the next few weeks. Happens all the time. 👉 Want more tips like this? 🔗 Subscribe to Expert•ish Freelancer newsletter—it's free! (Link in comments)

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