Jason Kester at Expat Software notes five ways to guarantee you won’t get the job in How to Fail at Freelancing, in 5 Easy Steps.

1. Send out a Canned Proposal
2. Send the Canned Proposal within 20 minutes
3. Don’t Read the Project Description
4. Don’t Write Any Text Specific to the Proposal
5. Quote an Exact Dollar Figure

In short, don’t respond in a disingenuous manner. If you don’t demonstrate care or concern at the proposal stage, why should anyone think you’ll act differently if you get the job? The pressure to act fast and underbid fuel this kind of environment. Unfortunately, many clients respond to it, only to be disappointed by the delivered product. Jason gives advice how to create a thoughtful bid that just might land you the gig.