Questions on online portfolies & can you share your portfolio links as examples

Trebor1415 · Jul 10, 2013

I don't have an online portfolio or any "I'm a writer" websites.

I do have experience, and PDF's of articles in magazines, and stuff published at Examiner.com online.

I want to put together an online portfolio or my own website but I need some guidance and tips.

Question 1: My plan is to host the PDF's of my magazine articles and recopy/reformat my Examiner articles so that everything is hosted on my portfolio/my site. (The Examiner articles will display online, similar to how they appear at Examiner, but on my site instead) That way I won't have links to outside sites and I can control the content if the other sites go down, etc. Does this seem like a good idea?

Question 2: I have experience with corporate writing, news writing, and writing about firearms. I am doing more firearms related work lately, but I still want to pursue corporate work as well.

I'm concerned that the firearms related samples might turn off the potential corporate clients, yet I need those samples for when I pursue other firearms related clients. (I also write about aviation, but I'm not worried about that scaring people off)

Should I have subcategories on my portfolio? Like "Corporate," "Aviation," and "Firearms" and then each subcategory has the relevant articles.

Or, should I have one website, "Rob Reed - Writer" that has the corporate stuff, including case studies, marketing, etc, and a second website "Rob Reed - Gunwriter" (that's what they call it in the industry) devoted just to the firearms stuff?

Question 3: Can some of you guys post links to your online portfolios or writer sites so I can see how you guys are setting your stuff up? Some examples would really help me out and the more I can look at, the better.

Trebor1415 · Jul 15, 2013

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Debbie V · Jul 15, 2013

I'm not sure about this, but I don't think you can post the published articles to the web unless you have the e-rights to them. You would be republishing them. I have links on my website to some of my published work which is available online. This way the person sees the work in context and I'm not in competition with my publishers.

I think a single site with sections is fine, but that could just be me. Here's my link, though I'm not writing anything like what you are writing. http://www.debbievilardi.com/

veinglory · Jul 15, 2013

The first step would be to determine what work you have the right to post. Then divide them by theme.

Alternatively just have a basic site about you and send clip sheets upon request.

Trebor1415 · Jul 15, 2013

Don't worry about the rights issue. I've either cleared this with my editors or will before I put anything up. Yep, it's a concern, but it's taken care of here.

Anyone else have an online portfolio/writer's website they can share? Just seeing other examples to use as a model or get ideas from helps.

veinglory · Jul 15, 2013

I freelance under another name and must admit I arrange everything via email. But it is not my major income stream.

Trebor1415 · Jul 15, 2013

I've been sending links out via e-mail up until now as well. The thing is, some of my more recent work only exists as PDF's (or hard copies) so I can't send a link and I've been told not to avoid sending attachments with a query as it might get trashed without getting seen.

veinglory · Jul 15, 2013

I do have a writer's CV up specific to that name--so they can see the publications I have written for and the topics. I wonder of doing that and hotlinking to articles would work. IMHO, simple is good for anything like a specialist nonfiction market.

Melina · Jul 24, 2013

On my writer's website, I have my clips arranged by category, and linked. For example:

Website copy:

Such and such, a blank business in Anytown, CA

Other business, a something business in Othertown, NV

Magazine articles:

This Article, That Magazine, Jan 2013, appeared in print and online

That Article, Other Magazine, May 2013, appeared in print and online

All of my magazine credits are in one niche, so I don't have any sub-categories, but it's easy to see how it would flow naturally from there...

jeffo · Jul 25, 2013

Well, here's what I do: http://ober.org/clips. This is just for clips, not for general promotion. I like this method for various reasons. Also, at the bottom of the page, you can see the categories. Using the Wordpress software actually allows me to put one article in more than one category when needed (like Magazines, and the specific name of a magazine).

nerdyglam · Jul 26, 2013

jeffo said:
Well, here's what I do: http://ober.org/clips. This is just for clips, not for general promotion. I like this method for various reasons. Also, at the bottom of the page, you can see the categories. Using the Wordpress software actually allows me to put one article in more than one category when needed (like Magazines, and the specific name of a magazine).

I really like that! Is it a certain Wordpress theme that is set up that way?

Angie · Aug 2, 2013

Here's mine.

I think your portfolio should showcase the type of work you want to do. For example, I focus mostly on freelance blogging, so my blogging clips are at the top of my portfolio page. Other types of clips, like catalog product descriptions, are near the bottom of the page because I'm not actively seeking that type of work.

jeffo · Aug 3, 2013

nerdyglam said:
I really like that! Is it a certain Wordpress theme that is set up that way?

It is a theme with just a few minor customizations I added. The theme is listed at the bottom of the page: DePo Masthead by Derek Powazek

Questions on online portfolies & can you share your portfolio links as examples

Trebor1415

practical experience, FTW

Trebor1415

practical experience, FTW

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Trebor1415

practical experience, FTW

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Trebor1415

practical experience, FTW

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Melina

Getting better all the time

jeffo

nerdyglam

Angie

Shaddup and lemme think.

jeffo