How to Build a Writing Portfolio that Attracts Writing Clients

Writing clients don’t come easy! Eight or so years ago, I began to document my stories on Facebook…I wrote for an audience of one like I would 10,000 readers.

Little did I know those epileptic writing efforts were my building blocks. My first writing gig came as a recommendation from someone who had been following my story closely. But this is a story for another day.

Clients Appreciate a Compelling Portfolio

But what happens when you have never really written for any client? Building a writing portfolio is hard! I totally agree with you.

So, let me take a mini-vacation here to encourage you on the need to never give up because writing clients have not been easy to come by.

I understand your struggles

Most people consider themselves writers and so a large percentage of this group will probably never hire you.

You should be happy because they are the percentage who wear writers out with “I’ll pay you half because I can do a better job.” I also pray you never meet these ones in your writing lifetime.

Work to position yourself for the right client

I know writing clients are hard to come by but nevertheless, you must work to position yourself for when that one client who will open the floodgate for others arrive. Usually, after the first client, your journey becomes easy.

Time and chance will happen to you

Keep in mind also that  time and chance happens to every one of us. When the time is right, and when you are prepared, opportunities will begin to seek you.

Preparation hastens your times of manifestation. The more you delay process, the more you chase away progress.

Find ways to deal with writer’s block.

Writer’s block can set in when you write for long without gainful rewards. Read how you can overcome writer’s block here.

11 Lessons to Help You Build a Writing Portfolio that Attracts Clients

1. A platform only gives you public visibility. The value you’ll offer won’t be much different than the one you have been learning in private. What are you currently learning in private that will make you valuable to writing clients?

2. Waiting until you find your first writing client to build a portfolio is suicide. Go pro-bono. Offer to do something nice and excellent for a reputable and credible startup or organization.

3. Leverage on free writing platforms. Medium, Blogspot, WordPress, Wixsite, etc. are all platforms you can use to showcase skill before you land your first paid gig.

4. Target sites that have  poorly written content, replicate their work and correct the errors. When a potential client asks for your portfolio, show them an example of the error you corrected.

5. Start your own blog and build your portfolio on your personal blog. As you can see, I am still doing this on my blog.

6. Start a community and teach people your writing skills. A client will be compelled to take you serious if he knows you have people who find you worth listening to.

7. Optimize and take LinkedIn serious. For someone who has not delivered any paid job before, your credibility and integrity matters a lot to writing clients. LinkedIn helps you build trust levels.

8. Take certification courses online and flaunt them please. I don’t mean courses that make you feel good. I mean courses that help you become better at what you do. You should be better than your client in providing the value they want to hire you for.

9. Visit a good photography studio or hire a photographer to help you change that display picture of you in your diapers. No writing client would willingly give you a job if you look like a vagabond.

10. Curate all your best content in a special file on Google Drive or use a site like clearvoice.com to build an online writing portfolio you can easily refer clients to. Check out mine here.

11. Never over promise and under-deliver when the first client arrives. Do the job so well, they are compelled to write a review 1000 times.

Checkout these websites that  pay you to write here.

If you have any other tip, please share with me.  Someone needs this. Also help me reach more struggling writers by sharing this article.