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Starting out as a writer can be daunting, but everyone has to begin somewhere. To secure writing work, a strong portfolio is essential. However, building a portfolio with no experience can feel like a catch-22 situation. But fear not! It is possible to create an impressive portfolio, and many successful writers have done it before.
This article will show you how to build a writing portfolio from scratch, even if you have no experience. With a bit of creativity and hard work, you’ll be on your way to landing those coveted writing jobs.
Discover Your Writing Niche
The first step in your writing journey is to figure out which writing niche best suits you.
You have a wide range of options, including creative writing, technical writing, copywriting, and more. Take some time to learn about each type of writing so you can get a better sense of what appeals to you. The clippings.me blog is an excellent resource to help you get started.
Apart from your interests, consider your skillset too. Are you a technical whiz with in-depth knowledge that could make you a standout technical writer? Are you a pro at uncovering facts, perfect for news writing? Or do you prefer to unleash your imagination as a creative writer? Finding the overlap between your interests and abilities will lead you to your writing sweet spot.
Should You Work for Free?
As a beginner trying to build your portfolio, you might encounter opportunities to work for free to gain experience. But is it worth it?
In general, we believe that writers should be paid a fair market rate for their work. This not only sets the right expectations for the cost of quality writing but also helps keep writing a lucrative profession for people worldwide.
However, if you have no experience, a fair market rate might be zero, and your payment could be a finished writing sample for your portfolio. Don’t underestimate the value of a strong sample, which can help you win future work and pay off many times over.
When you’re new to writing and want to build up experience, working in exchange for samples is a legitimate way to build your portfolio and gain references from reputable clients. Just be sure to agree on terms and expectations beforehand, so the project doesn’t end up being more than you can handle.
Build Your Portfolio
There’s no shortcut to building a writing portfolio – it’s all about taking the initiative and creating writing samples. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Write Articles For Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing lets you earn a commission on sales when you promote products to others. Recently, it has become an increasingly popular way to make money. You too can tap into this market and hone your writing skills by crafting affiliate marketing articles.
When crafting an affiliate marketing article, you should provide a detailed analysis of the benefits of a product, ideally one that you have personal experience with. This is your chance to show off your persuasive writing skills and convince your audience to make a purchase.
To ensure that you receive a commission for your efforts, it’s essential that you write about a product that has an affiliate program. Luckily, you can easily find thousands of these programs by searching for “product name + affiliate marketing.”
Pitching to Publications and Blogs
You can secure lucrative writing opportunities by pitching ideas to various publications and blogs. This process is similar to spec work, but instead of completing the piece first, you gauge the interest of the editor before you get to work.
A winning pitch should include a captivating story idea, a proposed headline, and a summary of why the idea is a perfect fit for that specific publication. It’s best to use bullet points for this. Rather than focusing on telling your story, concentrate on showing why the audience of that publication would find it interesting and how you would approach it.
It’s advisable to start with small outlets like niche websites and blogs before approaching larger publications like the New York Times. With a little bit of practice and time spent refining your pitch, you can secure a good number of guest posts this way.
Writing Spec Clips
Writing “on spec” means writing without a guarantee of payment or publication. While there are times when this is a bad idea, such as when a publication specifically states that they don’t accept spec work, it can work to your advantage if you’re just starting out.
Here’s how it works: you come up with a topic, conduct research, interviews, and write the piece, then pitch it to editors and publications to see if they’re interested in publishing it. Spec writing is particularly effective if you have a niche topic that would fit perfectly with a specific publication.
The beauty of spec work is that if one outlet declines the piece, you can easily move on to another one, and another. At the very least, you’ll have a high-quality writing sample for your portfolio, and at best, you’ll get your first piece of writing published.
Write Mock Pieces
One of the simplest and most effective ways to showcase your writing chops is to create mock pieces.
Have a pal with an enthralling tale to tell? Conduct an interview and pen a captivating feature. Is there a major event happening in your neck of the woods? Attend and compose an engaging summary or review.
Although crafting a fake article may seem peculiar, keep in mind that you’re doing so for a good cause, to impress those who pursue your brand-new writing portfolio.
Takeaway
Building a writing portfolio with no experience may seem overwhelming, but it is possible with the right strategy and effort.
The first step is to determine your writing niche by exploring your interests and skill set. While it’s essential to be paid a fair market rate for your work when you’re starting, working for free in exchange for samples can be a legitimate way to build your portfolio and gain references.
The next step is to create writing samples, which can include writing articles for affiliate marketing, pitching to publications and blogs, writing spec clips, and creating mock pieces.
By taking these steps, you can build an impressive writing portfolio and land the writing jobs you desire.