WOW! Women On Writing Blog: online portfolio

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

I was reading an article in a trade magazine about “writing things that we regret,” and the author offered advice as to how to purge these writings from your online portfolio. I sat back and thought about my own history as a writing. Were there things I’ve written in the past that I was embarrassed about?

My evolution as a writer has gone through many incarnations. When I first started trying to write on a freelance basis, there weren’t a lot of places that paid well to write online. There were a few different sites now known as “content mills” that I submitted articles to. I got a thrill seeing my name online, wrote things like 500-600 word count articles on travel destinations and book reviews and got paid a whopping . . . less than $20 per piece. I was also still getting the hang of how to write open-ended articles like those, so they probably weren’t the most quality writing. While I doubt they are still floating around out there for anyone to see (believe me, I’ve googled them), I have to say I’m a bit relieved.

Around this same time period, I started pitching articles to a parenting website and got a few assignments. They paid more than the content mill sites, and the editor began offering me regular articles. This helped to beef up my online portfolio and gave me clips to share when I started pitching print magazines with story ideas. Writing these were fun at first, and timely as I had young children at home back then. Eventually the Walt Disney Internet Company bought out the website and my pay rate increased. Over time, however, it became harder and harder to find experts to quote in the articles because I was writing about vague topics like “when a baby’s eye color changes” or “games to play with baby.” These were assigned to me and not topics I pitched, so I didn’t have as much research to work with. Some of the sources I interviewed (i.e. doctors, developmental experts) thought my topics were hooey and weren’t afraid to say so. I see now that the assignments were probably based on SEO terms/phrases that the company was using to attract parents to the site. This site was later sold to another entity and I quit writing for them. I’m sure those articles contain a few examples of writing I’d rather not share with everyone. But again, they don't show up when I search articles under my name.

Over the years I’ve written bad poetry (none published, thank goodness!), entered unpolished essays and short stories into contests, and pitched novels that still needed work to agents. With each word written, with each revision, I’ve improved my craft. Yes, there have been misses, but there have also been wins. Major wins, like award-winning short stories, articles that turned into magazine cover stories, and story assignments that led to job offers. A writer has to start somewhere, and I’m living proof. Don’t be afraid to evolve as a writer. We all have to start somewhere.

3 comments content mills, evolution of a writer, online portfolio, Renee Roberson, writing advice

Clearing the Clutter From Your Writing Space

Sunday, January 29, 2017

I guess I’m a little old school, but I remember the days of having to put together a portfolio of my work to take to job interviews and meetings with potential clients. This zippered binder would contain samples of my work, such as press releases, newspaper and magazine articles, and more. As I was still holding on that notion until very recently, my home office became more and more cluttered. I would keep copies of magazines I had articles in. I edited a local parenting magazine for three years and kept copies of each issue, because they contained themes I helped developed and article and interviews I wrote to support those themes. I kept copies of trade magazines because I knew I would one day go back to those articles with agents seeking work, or search for a list of resources I marked as useful for querying for work.

The clutter gave me a nice reality check this past week. After living in our house for thirteen years, we’ve finally decided to move to the other side of town to shorten the commute for the kids and me. I know all about how we need to clear the house of all excess items, paint, replace carpet, and stage the home so buyers can imagine themselves in it. I also know that most potential buyers probably aren’t writers, and won’t appreciate the baskets of magazines I had in the office and overflowing from my bookshelves. I took a deep breath and got to work. Here are a few things I told myself to get motivated:

1. You don’t have to have a print copy of every article you’ve ever written to get a job or wow a potential client. I have a website and blog, and although it’s under construction right now, I do have links to my work there. I can also use LinkedIn and social media to spotlight specific work samples.

2. I can find agents looking for my type of writing without having to keep backlogs of trade magazines collecting dust in a pile. As Sue Bradford Edwards wrote yesterday, agents utilize Twitter to seek out manuscripts. Other magazines and websites feature interviews with new agents, and Writer’s Market is also another resource (and can be checked out of your local library, so you don’t have to run out and buy a new edition every year.)

3. There’s probably no need to hold on to notes for an article you wrote five years ago. If the notes don’t contain any information you didn’t use for the piece, and are simply sitting in a manila folder in a desk drawer, chuck it. I did the same thing when cleaning out my closet. If I hadn’t worn it in a year, it got donated. If notes hadn't been looked at in a year, I recycled them.

4. Keep a few physical copies of magazines for reference, but recycle wisely. I did keep a few issues of the parenting magazine so I could show people examples of how I helped organize the content in the future if necessary. I also kept a few copies of magazines where I had a cover story featured. I didn’t get ride of everything, but I feel I did reasonably declutter my workspace.

My home office is tidier than it has been in years, and I feel more comfortable going in there to work now. I had to tell myself I’ve been writing professionally for almost twenty years, and there’s no way I could possibly keep everything. Up next, boxing up all the books. That could turn into a whole other blog post.

How do you keep your writing space tidy? Do you struggle with keeping physical copies of your work, magazines, and other resources? How do you keep track of clips for your portfolio?

Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who is still trying to give her website a new look and organize her online portfolio. It’s under construction at FinishedPages.com.