I’ve received the final word freelance writing portfolio information for you!
Look – after I began as a brand new freelance author, I had no clue how you can create a writing portfolio with no BLOG, web site, clips or samples….with completely NOTHING to my title.
I critically was freaking out and was a bit scared that I didn’t know what to do.
I imply, how DO you create a legit and credible freelance portfolio so that you could get shoppers?
In my information, I’ll present you how one can get revealed so you’ll be able to name your self a real author!
As a result of, after you have that first bylined pattern in your writing portfolio, then you’ll be able to entice higher-paying shoppers.
And the extra higher-paying shoppers you will have, the extra money you may make freelance writing!
So, bookmark this web page (if that’s even a factor nonetheless) and take notes if it’s essential!
However, if you happen to don’t have time to learn all the information, you’ll be able to watch my YouTube video right here (and ensure to subscribe to my channel! Thanks):
What’s a Freelance Writing Portfolio?
A contract writing portfolio exhibits your newest and finest work as a author.
It’s your proof.
The factor that tells potential shoppers, “Sure, I understand how to jot down.”
And not using a portfolio—even a easy one—it’s actually laborious to face out or get taken critically as a author on-line.
Shoppers wish to see what you are able to do earlier than they even take into consideration hiring you.
That’s why, as a newbie, one of many first issues it’s best to deal with is creating your freelance writing portfolio.
It doesn’t have to be fancy or full of dozens of samples. You simply want a number of strong items that present your abilities and your voice.
And also you don’t even want an internet site both!
There are various locations you’ll be able to place your portfolio on, free of charge too!
Having bylined work in your portfolio can also be an enormous plus as a result of it does a number of issues:
- It proves you’ll be able to really write. You’re not simply saying you’re a author, you’re exhibiting it.
- It exhibits you’ll be able to write for others. Shoppers like to see that you just’ve labored with individuals earlier than and that you understand how to comply with instructions, meet deadlines, and ship polished content material.
- It highlights your area of interest experience. If you wish to write in a particular area of interest (like SaaS, parenting, or well being), your portfolio helps you construct authority in that area.
- It provides social proof. When your title is on an article revealed on-line—even on a small weblog—it builds belief. It tells shoppers, “Different individuals have trusted me to jot down for them.”
The hot button is to get began with what you will have and work on enhancing it over time.
As a result of if all you ever assume is that you just want a writing pattern on a preferred weblog and even on a weblog in your area of interest, you might NEVER get began as a contract author!
What Makes a Good Writing Portfolio Merchandise?
So, what really makes a good freelance writing portfolio merchandise?
It actually is dependent upon two issues: your area of interest and the writing service you wish to supply.
When you’re planning to jot down Amazon product descriptions—or any form of product copy—then your portfolio ought to embrace examples of that.
And don’t fear if you happen to haven’t landed a consumer but.
You may create “mock-ups” of product descriptions for faux or actual merchandise simply to showcase your type.
Instruments like Canva make this tremendous straightforward.
You may drop in a picture of a product and add your individual copy beside it. It seems skilled and provides potential shoppers a transparent concept of what you are able to do.
Psst…in my YouTube video, I give somewhat tutorial on how you can create a product description in Canva!
The identical concept applies if you wish to write emails or social media content material.
If you have already got an e mail listing, even a small one, you’ll be able to embrace screenshots or written examples of your individual emails.
And if you happen to’re posting on social media (which you ought to be doing as a contract author), then these posts may also be used as samples.
In reality, utilizing your individual e mail or social media writing is a brilliant transfer, particularly if you happen to can present the outcomes—like open charges, engagement, or shares.
That’s proof your writing is doing its job, and it’s precisely what shoppers are in search of.
I do that on LinkedIn so much. I’ll publish my web site site visitors outcomes, how I write my consumer piece or e mail advertising outcomes.
A robust portfolio doesn’t should be enormous.
It simply must replicate what you wish to be employed for.
So, lead with examples that exhibit your abilities in that particular space, even when they’re self-made.
However, the most effective sorts of portfolio concepts are weblog posts.
Weblog posts are versatile and can be utilized as a manner to assist shoppers see the way you write.
When you can write a weblog publish then you’ll be able to most likely write an e mail, social media publish, a touchdown web page or perhaps a gross sales web page.
For extra assist, enroll in my Writing Pattern Masterclass the place I present you must write a weblog publish as a pattern piece.
My portfolio is simply made up of weblog content material however I’ve written:
- E-mail campaigns
- Touchdown pages
- eBooks
- Advertisements
- Gross sales pages
What to Embrace in Your Freelance Writing Portfolio Merchandise
With each portfolio merchandise you add, there are a number of non-negotiables.
Your writing pattern MUST do a number of key issues to truly assist you get employed:
1. It Must Be Error-Free
This would possibly sound apparent, nevertheless it’s price repeating: grammar errors, typos, or awkward sentences can immediately flip off a possible consumer.
Your pattern is a direct reflection of your writing abilities—so it must be polished, skilled, and clear.
If proofreading isn’t your power but, use a instrument like Grammarly, or have a fellow author give it a once-over earlier than including it to your portfolio.
2. It Ought to Present You Know Find out how to Write for a Particular Viewers
Are you writing for B2B (business-to-business)?
Then your tone, construction, and examples ought to sound skilled, useful, and strategic.
Are you writing for B2C (business-to-consumer)?
Your writing ought to really feel extra informal, relatable, and benefit-driven.
Shoppers wish to know that you just perceive their viewers—and your pattern is the easiest way to show it.
3. It Must be Revealed
It is a large one.
In case your writing isn’t revealed on-line, that means it lives on a weblog, web site, or platform, it may make issues more durable for you when pitching.
Why?
As a result of attaching a Google Doc or Phrase screams novice.
Shoppers could assume you’re model new or that your expertise isn’t related.
Revealed samples construct credibility and create a way of belief.
Even when it’s your individual weblog, or one thing you wrote for Medium or LinkedIn, it nonetheless exhibits you’re taking your writing critically.
The excellent news?
It’s tremendous straightforward to publish your work. You don’t want to attend for a consumer to say sure. You may:
- Begin a free weblog utilizing WordPress
- Publish on Medium or LinkedIn Articles
- Use Contena Publishing, Clippings.me, or Journo Portfolio
- And even create a static portfolio web site on Notion, or Canva
You want that revealed hyperlink.
It’s what lets you confidently say, “Right here’s a pattern of my writing—no downloads required.”
Backside line: deal with each portfolio piece like a mini job software.
It needs to be clear, audience-specific, and straightforward to entry.
That’s the way you’ll stand out, whilst a newbie.
My suggestion is to have not less than three related writing samples in your portfolio BEFORE you begin pitching to acquire freelance writing jobs.
Find out how to Discover the Good Matter for Your Portfolio Piece
In my video, I stroll you thru how you can discover a subject to jot down about as your first writing pattern.
As soon as you recognize your area of interest, begin saving web sites in that subject that you just wish to write for, or really feel is your target market.
For instance, I’m within the SaaS writing area of interest and I checked out Omniscient’s weblog to see if it is a potential consumer.
Their weblog has writer bios from a special individuals, in order that rapidly tells me they most likely rent writers.
From there I can feed their weblog into ChatGPT and have it discover content material gaps to jot down about.
I can take a look at the listing ChatGPT gave me and decide a subject. In my video I picked a subject round YouTube advertising for manufacturers.
ChatGPT mentioned that Omniscient doesn’t have many or any content material round YouTube advertising.
This might make an awesome writing pattern to draw shoppers like Omniscient.
Sharing Your Freelance Writing Portfolio When You Don’t Have a Web site
So, after you have your writing samples prepared, the subsequent step is realizing the place to place them.
As a result of if nobody can discover or learn your writing samples simply, they received’t assist you land shoppers.
Ideally, your freelance writing portfolio ought to reside someplace on-line, so it’s only a click on away whenever you’re pitching or networking.
However, what if you happen to don’t have something on-line, like a weblog or web site?
You don’t want an internet site instantly, particularly if you happen to’re simply getting began.
There are a number of beginner-friendly platforms the place you’ll be able to create a professional-looking portfolio free of charge.
My prime two suggestions? LinkedIn and Medium.
LinkedIn isn’t just a few bro marketer’s platform, it’s the most effective instruments you should utilize to market your self as a contract author. You may:
- Add your samples underneath the Featured part in your profile
- Submit short-form or long-form content material instantly in your feed
- Present potential shoppers that you just’re lively and engaged in your area of interest
It doubles as a portfolio and a spot to community with editors, content material managers, and enterprise homeowners.
That’s why, if you happen to’re not able to construct an internet site, I at all times advocate organising a strong LinkedIn profile first.
Medium
Medium can also be an awesome choice, particularly if you wish to write in a extra blog-style format, like me!
You may publish articles free of charge, use tags to get discovered by readers, and create your individual “publication” as a mini writing hub.
Bonus: When somebody clicks your article hyperlink, it seems clear {and professional}, even when it’s your very first pattern.
There are different portfolio platforms you should utilize like Notion or Contena Publishing. However Medium and LinkedIn are well-known within the content material area so publishing on these platforms is your finest guess to get a possible lead.
However that’s to not say you’ll be able to’t have multiple freelance writing portfolio.
If potential, have a LinkedIn portfolio, Medium portfolio, Notion portfolio, ClearVoice portfolio and extra.
The extra you will have the higher you’re at attracting extra leads that result in high-paying freelance writing jobs.
However, What If I Have Completely No Expertise?
Look –
You must begin someplace. And that someplace is selecting your writing area of interest.
Your writing area of interest is the subject or trade you’ll deal with, and it performs a enormous function in what goes into your freelance writing portfolio.
As a result of if you happen to don’t know what sort of writing you wish to do or who you wish to write for, it’s going to be actually laborious to create sturdy, related samples that entice the proper shoppers.
I imply, that is EXACTLY what I did. I had one pattern concerning the culinary arts, and one pattern about seasonal melancholy and one pattern about pure parting suggestions.
Does that SCREAM a high-paying freelance author that is aware of their stuff?
No. Now, you could be pondering, “However Elna, take a look at you now? You figured it out and you’re profitable.”
True, true, however that was in 2014 when there weren’t numerous freelance writers.
Ever since COVID, there was an inflow of freelancers and content material platforms and it makes it a tad tougher to get observed.
So, whenever you decide the flawed area of interest, like one you don’t take pleasure in, or one which’s laborious to interrupt into as a newbie, you’ll most likely find yourself continually getting author’s block and increase nervousness as a result of you recognize you’ll be able to’t write about HR practices for tech corporations.
Worse, you’ll find yourself attracting shoppers you don’t actually wish to work with.
However whenever you decide the proper area of interest—one you’re enthusiastic about, or already know one thing about—you’ll discover it a lot simpler to create content material concepts, write sturdy samples, and converse confidently when pitching.
And bear in mind, your first writing area of interest doesn’t should be your perpetually area of interest.
You’re allowed to check issues out, strive a number of sorts of content material, and see what clicks.
That is what I train as a result of that is what I did!
However beginning with a distinct segment helps you create focused portfolio items that make it clear to potential shoppers:
- You perceive their trade
- You understand how to speak to their viewers
- And also you’ve received the writing abilities to again it up
So take the time to assume it by way of and ask, “What subjects do you take pleasure in?”
“What industries are hiring?”
“What sort of content material do you wish to write?”
Your solutions will form the form of writing portfolio that will get you observed (and employed).
What To not Embrace in a Freelance Writing Portfolio
Not each piece of content material is created equal.
When you don’t wish to write e mail newsletters, then don’t embrace these in your portfolio.
Your writing portfolio ought to act like a magnet.
You need it to draw the proper initiatives and repel those you’re not taken with.
Which means solely showcasing the kind of content material you wish to get employed for.
However past that, there are a number of different sorts of content material it’s best to keep away from together with, particularly as a newbie:
1. Private Weblog Posts that Aren’t Area of interest-Related
When you wrote a publish about your weekend or your favourite TV present in your previous weblog, that’s nice—nevertheless it received’t assist you land a consumer within the well being, parenting, or SaaS area.
Preserve your portfolio targeted on client-facing writing that matches your area of interest and splendid work.
This additionally means no private opinion items you could have submitted to {a magazine}.
As a lot as you are feeling a magazing writng samples would assist you land shoppers work, most companies received’t learn a private opinion piece because it’s not related to their enterprise.
2. Faculty Essays or Educational Papers
These are often written in a proper tone and don’t replicate the conversational, clear type most companies need.
Even when it’s well-written, it received’t present that you may write for real-world shoppers.
Plus, the subjects aren’t related to enterprise writing.
However it’s potential to transition from educational to content material writing!
3. Inventive Writing, Fiction, or Poetry
Until you’re particularly providing artistic writing as a service, skip the fiction samples.
Most shoppers aren’t in search of storytellers in that format—they need writers who can inform, educate, or promote.
4. Ghostwritten Work You Can’t Legally Share
If you wish to do ghostwriting and also you wrote one thing for a consumer underneath a ghostwriting settlement and didn’t get permission to make use of it, you shouldn’t embrace it.
As a substitute, you’ll be able to create the same spec pattern to indicate your abilities in that type.
It is a mock pattern of what you probably did on your ghostwriting shoppers.
It’s Time to Create a Freelance Writing Portfolio
Don’t let not having an internet site or expertise cease you from making a writing portfolio!
When you need assistance, take my writing pattern masterclass and begin a LinkedIn profile and publish your samples there and begin advertising!
Let me know within the feedback the place you’re in your freelance writing journey! I really like to listen to the place you’re at so I might help you higher!