How to Create a Writing Portfolio Before You Have Writing Clients

If you're thinking about becoming an online freelance writer, you might be concerned that you don't have a writing portfolio to use as samples of your work. Even if you've never had a writing client before, you can quickly and easily set up a nice portfolio to show off your writing ability with the following steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a computer with internet access
• ideas of things to write about
• a way to accept online payments (PayPal or otherwise)

1. Create a blog. You can set up a blog in just a few minutes, and at no cost (or you can get your own domain name and set up a blog through other means, but for this purpose - a free blog is sufficient!) You can run a search for free blogs; or try one of the following:
   
   * blogger.com
   * wordpress.com
   * livejournal.com

2. Put content on your blog. Put an article or two on your blog (about anything you want to write about!) Also include some "about me" information so prospective clients will know that you are a freelance writer and available for work. Give people a way to contact you.

3. Write 5 - 10 articles, around 500-600 words each. You can pick any topic you like. You will be using these articles on article directories to establish a writing reputation and writer's portfolio (even before you have clients!)

4. Set up an account with EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com and iSnare.com. On each of these sites, make sure you set up your profile/author biography information to include your name (or pen name), a link to the blog you set up in step 1, and that you are a freelance writer available for assignments.

5. Submit your articles. On each of the websites in step 4, submit the articles you wrote in step 3. Each one will contain a link back to your blog, so people can find you when they find your articles. Using big article directories like EzineArticles, GoArticles and iSnare gives your articles a higher chance of being found in the search engines when people look for information on your subject matter.

6. Apply for writing jobs. As you look for writing jobs, use links to your published articles from the article directories to show samples of your work.

Tips & Warnings

• Write about topics that are topical or seasonal in nature. That will increase the potential of people searching for your article topics.
• Try to put a keyword phrase in the title of your article that someone is likely to type into Google or another search engine to find information like what you have in your article.
• Add new content to your blog regularly to keep it fresh.
• Putting your email address in your author biography/profile on article directory sites will almost always result in an increase in spam mail. Better to use your author bio/profile to link to your blog and then let your blog give out your contact information. Instead of typing your email address so it's a clickable link on your blog, disguise it a little to minimize spam like: email at someplace dot com.

Resources

• Make Money Writing
• Freelance Writing Jobs Daily

[writetolife]

on 11/8/2009 Thanks. I appreciate the writer's portfolio advice.

[chava812]

on 12/10/2008 Great ideas, Debbie! I will have to add these to my arsenal ;D