If you’re going to be a freelance writer, you need a writing portfolio. Luckily, this isn’t as hard as you might think. Once you have some writing samples, designing a portfolio shouldn’t take more than a few hours.
I’ll show you exactly how to build a writing portfolio below, as well as provide several fantastic examples for you to emulate.
What is a Writing Portfolio?
A writing portfolio is simply a collection of a freelance writer’s work. It’s meant to be an example of their writing skills, which potential clients can use to determine if they’d like to hire a freelance writer.
Why Do Writers Need an Online Writing Portfolio?
An online writing portfolio is necessary for getting online writing jobs. When you sign up for any job, you’ll need to provide samples, and your online portfolio will make this much easier to achieve. Plus, it also makes you look a bit more professional.
What Should a Writing Portfolio Include?
A good writing portfolio should include a few different elements:
- Samples. Of course, your freelance writing portfolio should include links to published samples. While you can use dummy pieces in the form of PDFs, live links tend to carry more social credit, even if they’re published on your personal portfolio website or somewhere like Medium.
- About Me. You should also include a small section about yourself. What sort of writing do you specialize in? Include a brief bio that explains your writing experience and any applicable interests.
- Contact Info. Your ideal clients should be able to contact you after viewing your portfolio. Include an email, at the very least. Add links to any social media profiles that are relevant.
Is Your Writing Portfolio Your CV or Resume?
No, your writing portfolio is not your CV or resume. A writing portfolio is a sample of a freelance writer’s actual writing work, while a CV is an overview of their education and work experience. Both can be useful, but online portfolios are more widely used for online writing jobs.
What Does a Strong Writing Portfolio Look Like?
A strong freelance writing portfolio should include your best work for your niche. Here are some pointers to keep in mind:
- Variety. While you should keep your samples aimed at your niche, you should try to hit several parts of your niche, if possible. For instance, if you’re writing about finance, try to have blog posts, articles, emails, and maybe even a white page.
- Quality. These samples should be your absolutely best ones. As a freelance writer, you’re reliant mostly on the quality of your work.
- Relevance. Ensure that the online writing portfolio you’re directing your potential clients to is relevant to them. Even if you write in several niches, you may want to keep them separate.
- Published. Preferably, the samples you include should be published. While you can include unpublished samples, they are not as impressive. Link to a blog post, online articles, or other writing pieces.
- Organization. If you have many pieces, consider arranging your portfolio into several sections so visitors can find something that matches their interests.
- Visual Appeal. How your online portfolio visually looks is also important. You want it to be clean and professional. Adding visuals and multimedia elements can be helpful when appropriate.
But what does this look like in the real world? Our samples below will show you.
10 Stellar Writing Portfolio Website Examples
1. Alice Driver
Alice Driver primarily has her portfolio divided into books and journalism, which helps potential clients find the most appropriate samples. There are a few visual elements, but most of her samples are in a simple list with links to their published location.
2. Deborah Tannen
Deborah Tannen includes testimonials and reviews of her books in her writing portfolio and links to purchase them. Consider adding a quote if you have mentions in top publications (like the Wall Street Journal).
3. Ryan Law
Ryan Law lists his favorite projects on his writing website for potential clients to view. I love that he includes a short description of each project, allowing clients to get some idea of what they’re about without having to dig into each one.
- Ashley R. Cummins
My favorite parts of Ashley’s portfolio are her organization and CTA. There is a very clear call to action at the top, and her portfolio is divided into blogs, ebooks, case studies, and more. Her portfolio is also more visually striking than a lot of the other samples we’ve seen.
- Kelsey Ogletree
After a quick list of publications she’s been featured in, Kelsey makes finding appropriate samples very easy thanks to her filtering system. Plus, the samples are exceptionally visual – not just a list of links.
- Punchline Copy
Lianna sells funny content and her portfolio matches. It’s extremely interactive and exceptionally organized, as well. Plus, her graphics make it much more than just a list of links. While this probably took a little while to design, it is very memorable.
- Qin Chen
Qin Chen is probably the opposite of Punchline Copy. She is a journalist who writes about very serious matters, so it only makes sense that her writing website would be a bit more serious. That said, her professional online portfolio is still very well organized and flows seamlessly.
- Scott Broker
Scott Broker provides short and sweet excerpts from his short stories throughout his portfolio. While a portfolio’s main job is not to convince someone to read your work, his writer website absolutely accomplishes this. It makes his writing seem interesting, increasing the chance of a client reaching out.
- Nikita Verma
Nikita Verma has an exceptionally simple portfolio but also includes many visual elements. I can easily see what she’s written about and where she has been published. This portfolio proves that you don’t have to be fancy to have your portfolio site shine.
- Akwaeke Emezi
Akwaeke Emezi’s portfolio is absolutely beautiful. She’s divided her writing portfolios into several types of content she produces, including books, shorts, and other writing. It helps that her book covers are very well done, which she displays in her writing portfolios.
6 Portfolio Platforms to Beautifully Present Your Writing Samples
You don’t have to run your own to host your online portfolio. Several websites are built solely for hosting portfolios – some are designed explicitly for online writers. Often, these portfolio sites are free or low-cost, quick, and efficient. You can make a portfolio quickly without messing with any tech stuff.
When it comes to writing, taking the first step is often the hardest. These portfolio sites make that first step a little easier.
- Copyfolio
Copyfolio is a portfolio site designed explicitly for writers, allowing you to showcase your work quickly and beautifully. To get started, it is completely free. However, the free version does offer a limited number of features, which includes a limited number of projects.
The paid version ranges from $9 to $15 monthly, depending on how long you subscribe. This paid version includes added features like unlimited projects and detailed SEO settings.
- Clippings.me
Clippings.me is also designed primarily for freelance writers, making it a great choice for most beginners. A free version is offered, which allows you to create a portfolio with a limited number of items. It also limits the design choices. That said, the free version is plenty for most starting out.
There is a paid option available for $10, which eliminates the limit on projects.
- Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a little bit different, as it is mostly designed for journalism portfolios and PR professionals. It focuses on building a professional profile for people in these industries. Signing up is also a little bit complicated, as you have to book a demo.
Muck Rack includes advanced features like media list building, pitching tools, and analytics. However, it is exceptionally expensive at thousands of dollars a year.
LinkedIn is not specifically a portfolio site. However, many professionals use it to host links to their blog posts and other content. You can get a basic LinkedIn profile completely for free. In my experience, you’ll probably need to work on your connections before you start getting hits, though.
A LinkedIn Premium option is available, but you likely won’t need it when just building a portfolio.
- Journo Portfolio
Journo Portfolio is designed specifically for journalists and writers who want to create an online portfolio of their work. There is a free plan available with a limited number of features. You can create a very basic portfolio with a limited number of relevant samples.
The paid version of Journo Portfolio provides additional features like custom domains, unlimited projects, and advanced customization options. Pricing is $5 to $18 per month.
- Contently
Contently is geared towards writers and content creators looking to find freelance writing opportunities and showcase their work. Like most options on this list, there is a free option with limited features.
Contently’s paid plans offer access to their active marketplace, more advanced portfolio customization, and additional networking opportunities. Many of the writing gigs are outside of the United States, and some call for bilingual writers, making it a great option for those who live in Europe.
How to Host a Writing Portfolio on Your Own Website: 5 Steps
If you decide to build your own writer’s website, you’ll have to put more work in. However, it’s probably easier than you might think, especially if you choose the right freelance writer website builder.
Step 1: Choose a Domain Name, Host, and Website Builder
Before starting your portfolio, you need to get your freelance writer website together. First, pick a custom domain name. Many writers use their names, but you can also select something else that reflects your personal brand.
Next, you’ll need to pay a host to host your website. Personally, I recommend SiteGround, as that’s what I’ve typically used throughout the years. I’ve never had any problems with it! After that, download WordPress onto your writer website to make building it much easier. While there are other website builders, WordPress is easily one of the best.
Step 2: Gather Top Writing Samples in a Niche (or a Few?)
Your writing portfolio should showcase your best work in your niche. Collect all of your best writing samples together and preferably link to wherever they’re published on your website’s portfolio page. There are many ways you can do this, so look at some of the inspiring samples above for some inspiration.
If you only write for one niche, dividing your portfolio should be pretty easy. However, if you write in several different niches, you’ll probably want to divide your portfolio or even have different pages for your writing samples.
Step 3: Spice Your Folio With Social Proof
A list of links will work, as we saw above. However, if you can display social proof through testimonials or awards, you’ll be a step above the competition. Share quantifiable results like increased website traffic, boosted sales, or any awards and recognitions you’ve received. Incorporate testimonials from satisfied clients or readers.
Social proof establishes your credibility, which is half the point of a freelance writer’s portfolio.
Step 4: Don’t Forget to Set Up Your Home, About, and Contact Pages
You cannot just have a website with a singular portfolio page. You must also design a home page, add some contact information, and write an about section. These pages help ensure that your clients can reach out to you if they’d like and make your portfolio website feel a bit more complete.
Add social media links, too, making you seem more like a freelance writer. If you haven’t already, consider making a Facebook page or other social account to go with your freelance writing career.
Step 5: Update Your Portfolio Regularly
If you publish something great, add it to your portfolio! Few things are worse than a portfolio with only 5+ year-old samples. You want your clients to know that you’re still actively writing. Cycle out older samples to make room for newer ones unless you were mentioned in a particularly impressive publication.
Starting From Scratch? Parting Tips to Build Your Portfolio
If you already have writing samples, building an online portfolio is pretty straightforward. If you don’t, you must also create samples that showcase your abilities.
Self-publishing on websites like Medium is a great way to add writing samples. They will be live online, but you can write them before you land your first client. You can also start your own blog in your niche. Even if you don’t plan to monetize it, this blog can provide tons of samples to add to your own portfolio.
Consider offering pro bono work, but don’t go overboard on this. You should be paid for your work once you have a sample or two. It’s very easy to get taken advantage of “for exposure.” The best way to do this is to offer guest posts on popular publications in your niche. These posts aren’t paid but should link to your portfolio website.
Finally, you can prospect digital solopreneurs who may be willing to hire you without any samples. You may not get paid as much, but it does provide an opportunity to get some samples.
Whatever you decide, you should plan to get started right now. Getting your portfolio online is one of the first steps to becoming a paid writer.
You’ve finally decided that you want to be a freelance writer. But you have no clue where to begin. You don’t know how to pitch without any published samples or a writer’s website. How do you start your journey as a freelance writer?
Let me tell you straight away: You start by creating your writing portfolio.
A writing portfolio is a way to showcase some of your best work and accomplishments to your prospective clients. A prospect won’t hire you without looking at a few samples of your work in their niche.
Having a solid writing portfolio is the first step to converting prospects into customers. In this article, I’ll tell you how you can make your writing portfolio, give you examples of some great ones, and give you 5 solid steps to creating samples that land gigs.
Ready?
If you prefer a video version of creating your freelance writing portfolio, here’s a tutorial by Chintan to get you started:
What is a Writing Portfolio?
A writing portfolio is an online page or website that showcases your best writing samples. Is’s target audience is generally your prospective client’s evaluation. There are no strict guidelines on what your writing portfolio should look like, just you should have one or more than one to showcase your writing and subject-matter expertise.
What’s the purpose of a writing portfolio?
The purpose of a writing portfolio is to showcase your achievements as a writer. It is something you can give to your clients so that they can judge the quality of your work. Portfolios allow you to present your best writing in an attractive format.
Is the writing portfolio a resume?
No, a writing portfolio is not a resume. A resume showcases your educational and academic background while a writing portfolio is a demonstration of your writing skill. If you cannot make a writing resume, you can share a writing portfolio with your prospects.
What are some free writing portfolio websites?
Contently remains one of the best choices for free writing portfolio websites. You can use WordPress.com for a basic blog. JournoPortfolio is also a great writing portfolio website that offers up to 10 free articles for hosting. Journalistic writers can use MuckRack for free. Clippings.me’s basic version with up to 10 articles is also free.
With all that clear, let’s get into what websites can help you make your writing portfolio.
Top Portfolio Sites For Freelance Writers
There are many websites out there that help you make your writing portfolio. Not all of them are worth trying. Here are the 8 best ones with their features, pricing, and other details:
WordPress.com
WordPress remains one of the most loved content management platforms. While the site creation here is not specifically geared towards the creation of a writing portfolio, the creative flexibility it offers is a major plus.
If you already have a website, WordPress also allows you to separately manage your portfolio through its Portfolio Projects.
Features:
- Easily customize your portfolio by using drag-and-drop blocks
- Hundreds of impressive themes
- Customizable portfolio
- Creation of a separate portfolio project
- Useful plugins for social media sharing, SEO, etc.
Pricing: Creating a basic WordPress site with the name sitename.wordpress.com is free. There are also paid plans for custom domains and unlimited email support. The cheapest plan starts at $2.20/month. A comparison of all the plans is available here.
Contently
Contently is a marketing and technology company that is also focused on portfolio creation for freelancers. This means that you can not only create the perfect writing portfolio here but can also connect with potential employers.
Features:
- Unlimited articles
- Easily digestible single-page portfolio to display your best work
- Automatic collation possible from the websites you have already worked at
- Customizing options to change themes, biography, areas of expertise, etc.
- Filtering by clients, topics, and skills (great for writers who work in multiple niches)
Pricing: Contently is free. But they do charge an agent’s fee for all the work you attain through Contently.
JournoPortfolio
JournoPortfolio is a modern, easy-to-use online portfolio to showcase your writing. You can choose between six themes, create separate pages within your portfolio, and link directly to clips.
Features:
- URL clips grab the details of your article automatically
- 6 themes and various background images to choose from
- Upload many different kinds of multimedia like PDF, videos, images, etc.
- Built-in analytics to measure visitors easily
- Create multiple pages in your portfolio
Pricing: A free plan is available but you can add only 10 articles here. The paid plan with unlimited articles and unlimited pages begins at $2.75/month.
Clippings.me
Clippings.me is a simple writing portfolio website with minimal technical skills required. It is minimalistic and you can make your writing portfolio within minutes.
It is specifically writing-focused, unlike many of its competitors.
Features:
- Multimedia uploads available
- Personalized design
- Offers a directory that can be used by journalists to search for potential interviewees
- Has a writing portfolio guide
Pricing: Free plan available but you can add only 10 articles under it. The Premium plan starts at $5.99/month.
Squarespace
Squarespace is an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder. Although it isn’t specifically geared towards creating portfolios, it would be the perfect choice for you if you want to create a visually appealing one.
Features:
- Ridiculously easy-to-use and creates a professional-looking website
- Drag-and-drop features to creating all pages
- Thousands of templates to browse from, including portfolio websites
- Mobile optimization
- 24*7 client support
Pricing: No free plans available but there is a free trial for 14 days. The cheapest plan starts at $12/month. Compare all the pricing plans here.
Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a writing portfolio website particularly designed for journalists and PR professionals. The most outstanding part of Muck Rack is that it automatically adds to your portfolio by compiling social media profiles, outlets, and articles.
Features:
- Supports PDFs along with articles
- Automatically compiles your portfolio
- Link your social media profiles easily
- Customize your profile however you want
- Add topics that you don’t cover
Pricing: Muck Rack is completely free.
Pressfolios
Pressfolios is a writing portfolio website exclusively aimed at freelance journalists. But it works perfectly well for all types of content creators as well.
Features:
- Full-text backups for all articles/PDF/image uploads sent to cloud storage
- Customize and layout your portfolio according to your preferences
- Add stories directly to Pressfolios using its Google Chrome extension
- Customizable URL
- Add differentiating links and social media accounts
Pricing: No free plan available. The Lite plan begins at $9.99/month. A 14-day free trial is available, but it allows you to add only 12 stories.
Writerfolio
Writerfolio helps you create a writing portfolio that stands out of the ordinary to attract potential clients and editors. You can create a sleek looking portfolio without having advanced computer skills.
Features:
- Variety of themes
- Upload unlimited writing samples and/or attachments
- 100% satisfaction guarantee – Writerfolio will return your money if you are not satisfied
- Setup your portfolio with simple fill-in-the-blank ease
Pricing: No free plan available. But you can get a free demo without signing up. Plans begin at $4/month.
When I was trying out the “Demo Link” of Writerfolio, the captcha kept reloading despite many tries on multiple browsers and devices.
Now that you know the various resources that you can utilize to create your writing portfolio, let’s see examples of some great ones.
Example Writer Portfolios
A great writer website or portfolio doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be a simple author bio with details about you, some of your best work, and contact details.
You can level up by showcasing some of your achievements and giving some creativity to your writing portfolio.
Whatever you decide to do, good design and clarity are key to a great writing portfolio. Here are some writers whose portfolios stand out:
Jennifer Fernandez
Jennifer Fernandez is a freelance writer and editor talking about design, lifestyle, and travel. Her writing portfolio follows a format and stands out in its minimalistic and aesthetic design. Notice how she has separated her niches into pages, this makes it easy for prospective clients to evaluate her work.
Ann Friedman
Ann Friedman is an established writer, journalist, and podcaster. She does many things, but her writer website showcases them in the most organized and accessible manner possible. Ann’sTumblr blog doubles as her writer website and writing portfolio.
Ellen Shang
Ellen Shang is an editor, writer, and content strategist, with her niche focusing on financial services. Her Contently portfolio is perfect because it lays out the keywords of her profile, her niche, and her LinkedIn.
Hank Herman
It doesn’t hurt to align your writer portfolio’s theme to your niche. Hank Herman’s writer website screams funny. The portfolio is easy to find and navigate. This an example of the kind of creativity that wouldn’t hurt you to use as well.
Zachary Sniderman
Zachary Sniderman is a freelance writer at Mashable. When potential clients hunt her portfolio on Muck Rack, they immediately see her accomplishments and where she has been published. It also helps to ensure there’s a featured image attached to your samples.
Great. You have chosen your portfolio site, and designed a writing portfolio that is aesthetically appealing, easy to navigate, and makes a client’s evaluation of you easy.
But how do you gather samples? Do you put all the articles you’ve written in your portfolio?
How To Make A Notable Writing Portfolio
If you’re a beginner, you’ll hardly have much in your pocket. And even if you are a little ahead in your freelancing journey, should you really put every article you’ve ever written in your writing portfolio?
No. Don’t make that mistake! Given below are 5 steps you can follow to create a notable writing portfolio:
Step #1: Self-Publish Articles
The first place you should publish your articles is your own website. This is your place to shine and show off your writing skills with no “writing requirements” inhibitions.
Your blog can be versatile, here you can not only offer your services but also build your portfolio. Many notable freelancers recommend having a “Portfolio” page on your own website.
Starting a blog and publishing your own articles is easy. You don’t have to be tech-savvy to do it as you can read in that linked article.
But if you cannot create a website right now, self-publish on platforms like Medium and Vocal Media. There are several publications that can help you gain a good quantity of readers.
Step #2: Choose A Niche And Find Authoritative Publications That Accept Guest Posts
Let me get this straight: Choosing a niche for your services is crucial to growing your freelance writing business. When a client looks at your portfolio, they feel more confident knowing you have authority in one niche rather than an intermediate skill level in five different niches.
After choosing a niche, find authoritative publications that accept guest posts in your niche. Guest Posting is when you publish your post on someone else’s blog. This is one of the best ways to build credibility and generate a name for yourself in whatever niche you choose. Guest posts can be paid, but more often than not, it’s a free opportunity to get more readers for your writing and create samples for your portfolio.
How do you find publications that accept guest posts in your niche? Do a simple Google search like this: “your niche + write for us”
Now you can scour through literally hundreds of websites that accept guest posts in your niche. I’d recommend sticking to authoritative publications to gain some street cred in your writing samples.
Step #3: Pitch Article Ideas To Editors
After you read the guest blog guidelines (and adhere to them!), the time comes to pitch the article idea to the editor.
Different blogs will want different things: some will expect you to give the post within the pitch (like Tiny Buddha), some would want to hear a few ideas first (like Psychology Today). Figure out what the website wants and then craft your pitch accordingly.
Your pitch should sound personal and well-researched. One template won’t work for all guest posting websites. Learn more about the blog you are pitching to, the kind of posts they publish, how they format their work, and how long their posts are. This will help your pitch stand out.
And if possible, become a regular contributor to some publications. This will help you build relationships as a freelancer and continue gathering samples in your niche. Here is one of my pitches to a publication where I become a monthly contributor:
Step #4: Write Your Article
Once you have been accepted, write your article. If the publication required you to send it along in the pitch itself, this task would’ve been done already with step #3.
But remember: Do not pitch the same idea to multiple guest posting websites. If the same idea gets accepted for two publications, you won’t be able to publish it in at least one place. You can’t swap ideas and withdrawing your idea after pitching it leaves a bad impression on the editor.
Instead, try pitching on different aspects of the same topic. This way you can write many articles with less effort.
After writing your article, market your freelancing business in your author bio. A good bio can make or break your lead generation from guest posts. Here is the ultimate guide on how you can write a great bio.
Step #5: Rinse And Repeat
Do these first 4 steps for as many good publications as you can and build an amazing portfolio. The key here is consistency and gaining eyeballs in a variety of websites. Remembering that you have to stay out there is crucial.
Not only will this help you build a credible writing portfolio, but you can also gain clients to reach out to you for your services.
Final Thoughts
A writing portfolio can make or break your freelance writing business. It is the first thing prospective clients ask for when they look to hire you. A portfolio that is attention-grabbing and displays your best work and expertise in a particular niche can help you stand out from the competition.
Hopefully, this article provided you with all the resources, inspiration, and steps you need to build your writing portfolio from scratch.
