“How to Build Your Portfolio as a Content Writer”
By: Hina Maryam
Tags: Content Writing Tips, Portfolio, Content Marketing, Content Writing

Everyone has to start somewhere, but starting out as a writer can feel especially daunting. A strong portfolio is one of the core components to securing writing work, and yet you need writing work to build a portfolio.

So how do you build a writing portfolio with no experience? Though it takes a bit of creativity and hustle, it’s completely possible; in fact, it’s how countless writers get their start. In this article, we’ll explain how to build a writing portfolio even if you have no experience so you can start landing those coveted writing jobs you’re after.

Figure Out What Kind of Writing You Want to Do

Figuring out what kind of writing you want to do is the first step in the right direction.

There’s creative writing, technical writing, copywriting and more. If you’re not familiar with the different types of writing, spend a bit of time familiarizing yourself with each one to get a feel for what you’re interested in. The Clippings.me blog is a great resource on this topic.

In addition to deciding what you’re interested in, consider your skills. Do you have a specific vocational knowledge that would set you apart as a technical writer? Do you have the knack for fact-finding that makes for an excellent news writer? Or are you more of a creative spirit? The intersection between your interests and your expertise is your writing sweet spot.

Is it Okay to Do Work for Free?

When you’re just starting to build your portfolio, you may come across opportunities to gain experience by working for free. But is this a good idea?

In general, our belief is that writers should always charge a fair market rate for their work. This not only helps set proper expectations about how much quality writing costs but helps keep writing a lucrative profession for thousands of people worldwide.

Start Writing Samples

As the Greek philosopher, Epictetus is credited with saying, “if you wish to be a writer, write.” There are no shortcuts; building your portfolio comes down to taking the initiative and starting to crank out samples.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Writing Spec Clips

Writing ‘on spec’ (or speculation) refers to writing done without a guarantee that the work will be published or paid for. There are many times when this is a bad idea (like when a publication explicitly says they don’t accept spec work). But if you’re just starting out, it can work in your favor.

Here’s how it works: you come up with a topic and do all the necessary legwork — researching the topic, conducting interviews and writing the actual piece. Then you reach out to editors and publications to see if they’re interested in publishing it. Spec writing works especially well if you have an idea for a niche topic that would be a great fit for a certain publication.

Pitch to Publications and Blogs

You can also land writing work by pitching ideas to publications and blogs. This works a lot like spec work, except you’re gauging their interest in the piece before you actually do any work on it.

A typical pitch includes a story idea, proposed headline, and a summary of why the idea is a good fit for that publication. Bullet points work well for this. Don’t focus so much on telling your story, but rather showing why it’s of interest to that publication’s audience and how you’d approach it.

Write Mock Pieces

Finally, perhaps the easiest way to build your writing portfolio when you have no experience is to write mock pieces. Do you have a friend with an interesting story? Interview them and write a feature piece. Is there a big event going on in your town? Attend it and write a summary or review.

While it may feel a little funny to create a faux article, remember you’re writing it for good reason–to wow the people who will view your brand new writing portfolio.

Build Your Portfolio

You don’t have to have dozens of samples to build your portfolio; a handful is all you need to get started. Begin by registering for an account with Clippings.me.

Clippings.me is a free service that helps writers of all genres build beautiful, intuitive portfolios without any coding. Registering is easy and only takes a minute.

Then, there are three steps you’ll need to take to get your portfolio up and running.

Choose a Design

You’ll be prompted to select one of Clippings.me’s design templates or create your own by choosing colors and fonts. Keep it simple so your samples shine, and be mindful of how your selected design will appear on mobile devices and tablets.

Complete Your Bio

This is where you’ll add your basic information, relevant experience, and other pertinent details like the type of work you’re looking for. You can also link to outside profiles like Twitter and LinkedIn.

Add Samples

Now for the fun part! Add the writing samples you’ve worked on by uploading them in PDF form from your computer. You can also add media files, like JPEGs and YouTube videos if you have multimedia content, or link to outside URLs if your work is published online.

You now have a clean, professional writing portfolio you can use to land writing jobs and start collecting even more great clips.