I Am Not an Applicant

You are not invisible because you lack skill.

You are invisible because you look like everyone else.

Most freelancers on Upwork compete on price and volume. That is the trap — and the platform is designed to keep you in it.

I Am Not an Applicant is a short, direct handbook about positioning, pricing, and professional posture. It explains why competence is not enough — and what it actually takes to stop operating like an applicant in a marketplace built on perception.

No hacks. No scripts. No hustle.

Just structure.

What you will walk away with

— A clear understanding of why your proposals are being ignored — and it is not your opening line

— A pricing framework that functions as a signal, not a negotiation opener

— A positioning reframe that changes how clients read your profile before they read a word of your proposal

— A lever-based approach to Upwork that builds momentum instead of burning it

For freelancers who are tired of sending proposals into silence, competing on price, and feeling like an applicant in a marketplace that rewards posture.

Written by Ramon Stoppelenburg — bilingual writer, founder of the UNESCO-archived LetMeStayForADay.com, and the author of the most-read independent piece on Upwork strategy outside of Upwork's own domain.

$29 · Buy now

One month of random Connect spending costs more than this book.

Buy this first.