Monica Shaw's tips on starting an online writing portfolio
THIS is a guest post from Monica Shaw, a freelance writer specialising in science, technology, food and fitness. Monica is the author of smarterfitter.com and co-creator of Writer's Residence, a tool that that lets writers create an online writing portfolio through a web browser.
MOST freelance writers agree that a portfolio website is a must-have for anyone serious about making writing her business.
Not only does it show editors that you're a professional, but it also makes you instantly accessible. I've heard from plenty of writers and editors who say they've used to Google to find a particular writer or to get more information about a writer they've heard good things about. If you're not easily findable on the Internet, paying work might pass you by.
The most useful part of a portfolio website is its ability to let you show off your best work and highlight your achievements. This makes it as easy as cut-and-paste to send editors links to your writing samples. Think about it: if you can send an editor a quick link to your writing sample, then you'll get in ahead of all the other writers who are busy searching their hard drive and uploading email attachments.
Creating a website can be a daunting task. Many writers I meet simply don't know what to put in their portfolio or how to present it.
To help get you started, here are a few basic elements that every writing portfolio website should have:
Samples of your best writing. That two-paragraph blog post you wrote about giving your dog a bath? It probably doesn't count. Try to stick with published work. And if you haven't been published, don't worry. Craft some writing samples of the kind that you want to sell. Many publications will consider unpublished material, as long as it's well written and presented in a professional manner (don't forget to run spell-check!).
Your writing résumé/CV. This should list your work experience and writing credits with links to articles where possible.
Contact information. The whole point is to get paid to write, so make sure that you include, at the bare minimum, an e-mail address so editors can get back to you with those high-paying gigs.
Clean design and easy navigation. Remember, first impressions count. No one expects you to be a web designer, but it is important that your website is clean, well-organized and easy to navigate
A sensible domain name. Avoid generic domain names like geocities.com or blogger.com. Invest in a domain name that describes you or what you do. Remember, writing is your business and your website should reflect that.
Monica -
You've made me realize that maybe I've been going about things a bit wrong. I use tumblemoose for EVERYTHING! I've got another domain registered, I think I'll work on setting up my portfolio there.
I'll let you know how it goes!
George
Posted by: Tumblemoose | October 19, 2008 at 05:23 PM
Monica -
You've made me realize that maybe I've been going about things a bit wrong. I use tumblemoose for EVERYTHING! I've got another domain registered, I think I'll work on setting up my portfolio there.
I'll let you know how it goes!
George
Posted by: Tumblemoose | October 19, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Monica -
You've made me realize that maybe I've been going about things a bit wrong. I use tumblemoose for EVERYTHING! I've got another domain registered, I think I'll work on setting up my portfolio there.
I'll let you know how it goes!
George
Posted by: Tumblemoose | October 19, 2008 at 05:24 PM