How to Get Writing Samples When You're Just Starting Out

When you’re just beginning a writing career, pitching yourself to new clients or markets is terrifying.

You study the how-to books and websites, spend hours putting together a letter of introduction or a query, and you still end up stumped by the one thing you’re missing: samples of your work.

I remember being in that position, and I hated it.

A lack of samples can leave you feeling paralyzed, too scared to ever pursue a client – which of course means you’ll never get work! But in order to get those samples, you need someone to hire you in the first place… It seems like a catch-22 situation, but there are several easy (and profitable!) ways out of that cycle.

5 Ways to Get Samples When You’re Just Starting Your Writing Business

1. Volunteer

This one won’t make you money right off the bat, but it can be a great thing to do, for both you and someone else.

If you want to write content for business sites, you need to show you have the skill and tone for it, and usually your own website won’t be enough. So volunteer your skills for a good cause. Ask a local non-profit if they’d like you to do some free writing for them. Write the content for a friend’s new business site, free of charge, and ask them for a testimonial in exchange.

You’ll be able to point to these websites as samples of your work, and you’ll have something to add to your own promotional materials as well.

2. Use What You Have

If you have written in another field, a lot of the time you can use that as a sample. If you’ve done work-for-hire (as an employee of a company, rather than as a freelancer) that would make a good writing sample, ask for permission to use it in your portfolio.

Your prospect wants to see that you can write, and previous work in another area can show them that. All you have to do is convincingly sell your skills.

3. Start a Blog

Though having your own blog can take up a good chunk of time, it serves multiple purposes. You can focus on a specific area of expertise. Blog posts provide consistent updates to your website. Your prospects become regular readers of your work. And, of course, it shows off your writing skills in your niche.

If you start a blog, however, you have to be consistent. Decide how often you want to post – whether that’s every day, once a week, on Tuesday and Thursday – and stick with it.

If prospective clients look at your blog and see that you haven’t written a new post in three months, they may assume that you aren’t on top of your work and look elsewhere.

4. Pitch it Anyway

If you want to write articles for websites or magazine, a good query will get you further than dozens of clips. And if your query is boring or unprofessional, an editor will never get to your clips at all. So stop worrying about samples.

Spend your time putting together the perfect pitch and go for it.

My first writing job was several paid articles for a website, and it all came from a well-crafted pitch — no clips necessary.

5. Unpaid Guest Posting

This one is last on the list because, in my opinion, it should be a last resort.

Many bloggers like to do guest posts to increase their exposure and reach a new audience. But they’re making money from the blog itself – ads, sponsorships, etc. – rather than from their writing. For writers, it’s different.

When I was first starting out, several writers told me I would need to write for free to get samples. And I know writers who will guest post for a website in order to get clips for a new, specific niche that none of their other samples match. But I think it’s best for content writers to go after markets that will value your work enough to pay for it. After all, the exposure you get from them is even better.

That being said, if you think the exposure a website gives you is worth as much (or more) than payment, then go for it. You’re the best judge of what will help your business.

In general, the most important thing for a new writer to have is confidence. If you believe your ideas and your writing are smart and professional, then your prospects will too. The samples will come in time.