When you contact a potential client, one of the first things they will ask to see is some of your writing samples. This is great news if you’ve been freelancing for years and have a portfolio with hundreds of samples that you can point them to.

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But it can be incredibly nerve-wracking for new freelance writers with little to no experience. You know you can get the job done for the client, but you don’t have any evidence of this to show them.

If you find yourself in this situation then I have good news for you. Until you have some actual bylines, you can hack your way there. And you do this by creating your own writing samples to send to clients.

How to Come Up With Freelance Writing Samples

Coming up with your own samples may feel overwhelming, but I promise you it isn’t that difficult. And you have several options for how you can create and share your samples. Here a few ways to get started:

1. Create a PDF document

If you want to start finding clients as quickly as possible, then I recommend writing your sample article in Google Docs then downloading it as a PDF.

There are several reasons I recommend taking the extra step to creating a downloadable PDF.

First of all, it just looks nicer than sending the client a Google doc link, and that matters to clients.

But it also ensures that they can’t edit or change your sample in any way.

The only downside to going this route is that your sample won’t be published online.

You can find work this way, but you may have to take a couple of lower-paying jobs until you have more experience.

2. Publish your samples on your blog

If you want to have published samples to show clients, then why not write and publish articles on your own blog? Having a blog where you regularly publish content can only help you as a freelance writer.

For one thing, it gives you even more opportunities to practice writing. This will help you become a more skilled, faster writer over time.

But even more importantly, having a blog gives you a place where you can create your own content on your terms. You can write about the subjects that you want to write about.

And regularly publishing and promoting your blog posts will help you build an audience of your own. That’s why some of the most successful freelance writers regularly write and publish blog posts.

3. Publish articles on Medium

Another option is to starting publishing articles on Medium. Medium is an online publishing platform and it’s a great place to share your articles with a built-in audience.

When you post an article, you’ll choose a category and add tags just like you would on your blog. When readers find your article, they can clap for it and leave comments.

They also have the option to follow you on Medium and see your articles posted in their newsfeed. And occasionally, Medium publications will want to share your article which can help you get even more eyes on it.

Medium is a great option for anyone who is looking to put their writing out there and build an audience at the same time.

But the only downside is that you won’t be able to leverage the SEO benefits you’d gain from publishing articles on your website.

4. Guest post for other blogs/websites

Guest posting on other sites is a good way to not only create some samples but also get your name out there.

The connections you make by guest posting for other people could lead to future paid writing work.

However, guest posting will be the most beneficial if you already know what your niche is.

Otherwise, you may end up with some samples that aren’t very useful to you.

And guest blogging takes time. It takes time to reach out to multiple blog owners and it will take time for them to get back to you, assuming they respond at all.

And even if they do agree to publish your post, you have no control over when they publish your article.

All that being said, guest posting could still be a great option for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to go this route:

Make sure you read and follow all the guest posting guidelines for that website.
Be thoughtful when you’re reaching out about guest posting. Always use the person’s first name in your email, be polite, and keep it brief.
Wait a few weeks before following up after sending a guest posting request.

The Elements of a Good Blog Post

A freelance writing sample shouldn’t just be something you throw together in 30 minutes before calling it good; this should be an example of your very best work. It needs to look like something a client would pay you to write for them.

If you’re new to writing online content, then the easiest way for you to get started is to use some kind of template.

A template is helpful because it allows you to figure out the basic structure of the article. From there, you’re just filling in the information and making it sound good.

I recommend that you spend some time looking at other people’s blog posts and seeing how they format and structure their articles. Not so you can copy them, but so you can learn what goes into writing a good article.

But to help you get started here is a basic overview of what you should include in every blog post:

An engaging title
Short, easy to skim paragraphs
Lots of subheadings and bullet points
Friendly, conversational language
Research and statistics that back up your story
Keywords for SEO
A call-to-action (CTA)

Bottom Line

Even if you have zero paid writing experience, you can still build a successful freelancing career.

The easiest way to overcome this hurdle is by creating your own samples to send to potential clients.

I recommend choosing one of the strategies I outlined in this article and going all-in on it.

For instance, if you want to focus on your blog, then commit to writing one blog post a week no matter what.

Even if you don’t seem to be making much traction with your blog, commit to sticking with it for at least six months.

Putting all your energy into one area will maximize your chances of success.

If you want more information about how to kickstart your freelance writing business then you need to download the Freelance Writer’s Starter Guide.

This free guide explains five simple steps you can take to find your next freelance writing client.

Grab your copy here:

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How to Create Writing Samples as a New Freelance Writer