Getting Hired: So You Really Think You Can Be a Writer...

This is the second installment of a series of posts for those looking to start a career as a freelance writer. For more posts in this series, please check out the Getting Hired as a Freelance Writer tab. 

Now that you've told yourself—and maybe a few other people—that you are a writer, you will have to back up that statement with some specifics. You don't have to have a long list of clients straight out of the gate (and if you do, please share your secret). What you have to have is a portfolio of work that shows your range.

Before you start gathering pieces to put together a portfolio, you will want to first sit down and think about the types of writing that you love the most—maybe you think product descriptions are really fun, or you have a knack for rhyming poetry that would fit perfectly in a greeting card. Knowing what you love to write the most will help you tailor your portfolio to show off these skills.

Portfolio Pieces

If you are a writer with a wide range of skills, you can put almost anything into your professional portfolio to help showcase your skills. When it comes to creative work, you never know what may catch someone's eye. If you don't know where to start, some of the most common pieces included in a freelancer's portfolio are:

• Articles (newspaper or magazine)
• Blog posts
• Product descriptions
• Business letters and other correspondence
• Brochures
• Social media posts (for clients, not your own)
• Creative writing (it's best only to include this if it is specific to the job you are trying to get)

That's Great, But...

Now you might be wondering, “If I'm new to this freelancing thing, how do I build a portfolio without any clients?” Great question. And you probably won't like the answer. The best way to keep the whole freelancing scene lucrative for people who want to be a part of it is to never work for free. However, if you haven't got a portfolio of work pass around to potential clients, this can be the one and only time that working for free may benefit you—as long as you set boundaries for yourself and anyone who is benefiting from your work.

If you complete some work for a client for free, make sure that they allow you to include the work in your portfolio, otherwise you're doing work for free without any benefit to you. It may also be a great time to ask your freebie client if they know of anyone else that needs similar work done, and if they could recommend you. However, you need to make it clear that the next client will have to pay.

You could also go the John Q. Smith route if you happen to be a person that has a hard time saying no to people. Instead of trying to gather real clients and doing a lot of work for free, you can create writing samples for fake clients and companies, noting clearly that these are examples of what you can do, rather than what you've done for a real client. This is also a good way to build a portfolio for those who have paying clients who do not want the work included in the writer's portfolio. This will get you the standard number of portfolio pieces (10-20) and provide you with a calling card that potential clients can't ignore.

A Quick Note About What NOT to Include in a Portfolio

A writing portfolio can encompass so much—but take note that you cannot include everything you produce for clients in your portfolio. Some freelance writers love to stay under the radar and work for those who have big egos without the skills to back it up—and they are going to want to take credit for what you produce. If you have completed a ghostwriting project, you will need explicit permission from that client to include the work in your portfolio. Along the same line, if you signed a non-disclosure agreement you will not be able to include this work either.

A good way to make sure your best work is getting into your portfolio is to ask the client before the work starts, letting them know whether this will be on a public portfolio or a private one that only potential clients can view. If they decline, you could dangle a small discount in front of them. If they still decline, it's best to leave it—you don't want to appear too pushy, especially before a client gets to know you better.

Getting Hired: What is a Freelance Writer?

This is the first installment of a series of posts for those looking to start a career as a freelance writer. For more posts in this series, please check out the Getting Hired as a Freelance Writer tab. 

What is a freelance writer?

This should be an easy question to answer, but for some, it's not. Do you have to write novels to be considered a writer? Do you have to be earning a good living to be a writer? Does a notable list of clients make you a writer?

The truth is the only thing that makes you a writer is that you write. Maybe not every day, but you write. And you find some joy in the writing process. Maybe it's a diary that no one in the world will ever see. Maybe you write epic poems and burn them in the fireplace once they are complete. I don't care what you write—you are a writer.

And when you add freelancing to the word writer, you are saying you want to earn a living from something you love doing. This is a concept we are all taught—do what you love! But as most of us figured out when adulthood smacked us in the face for the first time, it's not always the easiest choice. Sometimes you feel like you don't have a choice to work at doing something you love. All of those disgruntled miserable people who couldn't find their own happiness will tell you to keep it as a cute hobby, but you'll never make a dime from it. They are dream squashers. Avoid those wretches at all costs.

But enough unqualified psych-talk. Want to be a freelance writer? Tell someone you are a freelance writer. Go ahead. I'll wait.

…

Did you tell them? How did they react? Let me guess—they didn't know exactly what that meant. They equated it to artistic endeavors (which for most people that looks like: artistic = poor) such as acting or being an artist. Or they said, "That's cool. Can I pick your brain?"

WARNING: Some people you know will try to get you to do work for free. They will not appreciate the fact that you have skills worthy to meet a basic standard of living—but we will cover that topic in another post.

Again, their reactions don't matter. You want to be a freelance writer? —POOF!— you are a freelance writer. Give yourself permission to seek out all that comes with the territory. It's not easy, and not every part of it is fun, but as long as there is still a spark every time you sit down to write, you've found something you love to do.

Congrats—a lot of people never get that far.