As a professional writer, your words speak for themselves. When applying for most types of projects and even for writing mills and job boards, you need a writing sample portfolio and a resume. While you could simply toss a few links on a page, this hodge-podge method is detrimental to your career. With a closer look at why you need a writing sample portfolio, you’ll see why this is among the most important tools you have when looking for new writing jobs.
Why You Need a Writing Sample Portfolio
Making a professional writing sample portfolio takes time, and your time and effort today will be well-rewarded. To get the most out of your portfolio, take a moment to understand why this is a powerful and essential tool to win new writing clients and earn money from home.
1. Show Your Experience
You can tell potential clients about your previous work experiences, but visuals make your statement more impactful. Rather than saying, “I’m a great writer with all this experience,” show off the actual work you’ve produced for previous clients.
Your published work does more than highlight your general writing experience. It displays your expertise for specific topics. Some clients require applicants to have detailed knowledge of a specific industry, a niche, how-to steps and others. By showing your mastery of the subject matter through your writing samples, you have a competitive advantage over the other writers vying for the same assignments.
2. Demonstrate Your Skills
While your experience and expertise in specific niches is critical, potential employers want to see your writing skills in action. Do you normally write low-value content that requires minimal research? On the other hand, are you experienced at online research and interview techniques for those profiled in your work?
In today’s market, writers generally compete against a dozen or even several dozen other writers. Potential employers are inundated with resumes and writing samples, and they need to quickly analyze the applicants. Your samples immediately demonstrate your writing skills and will catch the employer’s attention.
3. Display Your Writing Style
Writing styles vary dramatically from writer to writer. Is your style short and punchy? Do you excel with second-person, salesy content? Are you eloquent with your words, choosing complex sentence with high-level vocabulary? Perhaps you can execute any style requested!
Writing style isn’t always specified in the job description. The client may not even consider writing style when creating the assignment. Nonetheless, the style is critical to the client’s satisfaction with your work and to your writing achieving its goal or purpose. Consider incorporating various styles of writing in your portfolio.
4. Gain a Competitive Edge
If your job applications for writing gigs are simply a cover letter with resume or a bio, you likely won’t win many jobs. Writing samples speak a thousand words about your experience, skills and style. In cases where the client doesn’t know what he or she actually wants, your portfolio could provide inspiration. (“Yes! This is what I’m looking for!”)
It takes time to apply for writing jobs, and this is time when you aren’t writing and earning money. Getting your application to shine and receive the attention it deserves are essential for success. With the competitive edge your writing portfolio gives you, your chance of being hired for writing jobs increases.
What Does a Writing Portfolio Look Like?
Often, new writers ask what a writing portfolio looks like. What should you include? How should you lay it out? Is there anything you shouldn’t include? How many samples should you have. These are such common questions that we’ve created a Writing Portfolio Example for you. This is available as a free download, so check it out for inspiration.
Options to Make a Writing Portfolio
The Writing Portfolio Example shows you how to make a writing portfolio in a PDF file, but this is only one option. The other options for displaying your portfolio are covered in the article “How to Make a Writing Portfolio.” The link is below. With numerous options available, consider the benefits and drawbacks of each option before starting. If your needs evolve down the road, you can always switch formats.