If you want to break into freelance writing and work from home, here are some real-life tips on how to get started and build your portfolio from a successful freelance writer.
Freeelance writing work is a creative career that affords writers the opportunity to craft meaningful content they truly enjoy and build their lives around a flexible, deadline-oriented work schedule. For individuals with strong communication skills and a knack for writing, a freelance writing career can be an incredibly rewarding way to enjoy the freedom of a work at home lifestyle.
But like many new freelance writers, as I learned when I was first trying to break into the content writing industry, it takes more than just solid writing skills to get established in the freelance writing business. Because I firmly believe in holding the door open behind me, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about building the writing portfolio you need to transform your love of writing into a full-time job as a successful freelance writer.
The Catch-22 of Writing Samples
Like many writers, writing has always come naturally to me. Despite being the kind of person who has never been able to articulate my ideas well in a face-to-face professional environment (and bombed plenty of job interviews along the way), I’ve somehow never had trouble putting my ideas forward in print.
But all of the A papers I made in college didn’t mean anything when it came time to apply for writing gigs creating web content. No matter how many job boards I applied to or cold emails I sent, nobody would hire me without published writing samples demonstrating my proficiency in handling related content. Even though I had some old print content from my early writing days, most of the companies I applied to wanted at least three links to published online content.
As I soon came to learn, that’s because companies want to see not just that writers can write. They want to see that they have a strong understanding of online content writing concepts like search engine optimization (SEO) and the difference between high-quality content and the type of low-effort text produced by content mills.
And so I found myself in the catch-22 that many freelance writing beginners find themselves in. Without samples, I couldn’t get a job. And without a job, I couldn’t create the published content I needed to get a job.
Break into Freelance Writing
Few people like to work for free. But there came a point in my life where I realized I simply wasn’t going to move forward in the profession I’d always wanted to be in — working as a full-time freelance writer — without doing whatever it took to get the samples I needed to land freelance writing jobs.
I began researching internet topics related to freelance writing and quickly learned something surprising from blogs that dealt with freelance writing and content marketing: a college language arts degree seemed to be only one route to a writing career.
Over and over, I encountered self-taught writers who learned to produce the type of writing websites want by watching YouTube videos or taking an online writing course (or a few).
Seeing how these folks had been able to move into lucrative careers as freelancers was encouraging. That’s when I realized that if I could just build my expertise enough to get a foot in the door, the writing opportunities I’d been dreaming of would follow.
Creating Professional Writing Samples
A sea change happened in my line of thinking when I realized my writing samples didn’t need to have a major online presence. They just needed to be published somewhere online and showcase my ability to write the kind of content my future potential clients were looking for.
Because I was learning as I went, my path to a professional writing portfolio was a bit circuitous. However, I’ve been able to mentor other writers using what I learned, and their route to publication is usually much more streamlined. With no academic background in writing, my husband went from having no online presence to becoming a regular writer for SlashGear in just a matter of months.
Here’s my best advice to create a standout portfolio:
1. Take Advantage of Online Resources
I can’t overemphasize the value of learning basic concepts related to online publishing. Exactly what a client is looking for can vary depending on the writing niche. However, presenting writing samples demonstrating your understanding of concepts like anchor text or the role of search engine writing is not just a good idea. It’s also necessary to land the majority of professional writing gigs.
2. Polish Your Social Media Profiles
Even if you’re not naturally inclined to doomscrolling, freelance writers can benefit from having a presence on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (X). You should strive to present the image you want potential clients to see. It’s also not a bad idea to audit your social media profiles for any unprofessional or controversial content that could make a client think twice about hiring you.
3. Start a Blog
Blog posts can provide the perfect space to practice the concepts you learn about SEO and online writing. I had been publishing my own “just for fun” blog for a while when I got more serious about researching content writing. I used the content from my own blog to land a job as a regular blogger for TulsaKids Magazine, where I was able to work on creating a more professional writing portfolio.
I know a few writers who have had similar luck guest posting for other bloggers or self-publishing on Medium, a site that lets writers produce their own professional-looking content. The key to producing quality samples through blog writing is to find websites that produce the kind of content you’re hoping to create and then strive to emulate that site’s general style, length, and tone in your blog.
4. Write Business Blog Posts
Part of how I kept the lights on while I was working toward getting on with websites like Looper and Soaps.com was learning to write business blogs. Not only is there a constant need for business blog writing, but it’s also a great way to build up those writing muscles and quickly create a decent collection of professional writing samples you can use to land future jobs.
Experienced business blog writers can charge a pretty penny for quality blog content, but there will always be a need for quick and cheap posts — a fact beginning writers can use to build a portfolio. It’s also a great way to quickly become an armchair expert in everything from chiropractic treatment to construction work.
After mocking up a sample, I joined every Facebook group I could find and pitched my services for writing short blogs of around 400 words for $10 each until I landed my first client. The pay stung, but it got me what I needed to get to where I am today and taught me to accept editorial feedback without taking it personally. And importantly, I only had to do it long enough to build up my writing samples.
5. Pitch to Growing Companies
I would never recommend writing for a company that simply isn’t willing to pay writers what they deserve. But if you look around long enough in your favorite writing subgenre, you can find some pretty fantastic up-and-coming websites that would be grateful for the help. Even though the work was unpaid, I will always be thankful for a little website called FilmFracture for giving me a space to write about film since those posts would eventually lead to my hiring at Looper as a horror and sci-fi TV and film writer.
Getting Hired is the Next Step
Once you’ve learned the tricks of the trade and built a professional writing profile with at least three good writing samples, getting your foot in the door with clients is easy. To get the word out, share all your writing samples on social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, and pitch your freelance writing services to clients.
If you have any suggestions on ways to build your writers’ portfolio, please drop a line and let me know in the comments. I hope to see your name in a byline!