In the world of blogs, online news, iPadsand e-Readers, digital portolios are the wy to go for any journalist or writer.

First thing’s first: get a positive, butrealistic, mind-set about creating your portfolio. You might not be Ernest Hemingway yet, but you’ve got potential, and this portfolio’s purpose is to show it.

1. Get in the right mind set

8. Write a lot!

The more you write, the better you willbecome. But noy only that - you will also have so much more to pick from for your portfolio. You’ll be able to only take the creame of the crop!

As famous author Edgar Rice Burroughs said: “If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.”

Brian Clark’s 10 Steps to Becoming

a Better Writer

1. Write.2. Write more.3. Write even more.4. Write even more than that.5. Write when you don’t wantto.6. Write when you do.7. Write when you havesomething to say.8. Write when you don’t.9. Write every day.10. Keep writing.”

2. Identify the purpose and audience

Are you creating a portfolio to:● Apply for a journalism job?● Get online exposure?● Promote yourself as a freelance

writer?

Creating a general portfolioA lot of writers have general online portfolios, often in the form of a blog.

This is a great way to get exposure as a writer. But when you apply for a specific job, you might want to create a tailored online portfolio for that job application. You can always link it back to your general portfolio, for those who want to read more of your work.

3. Pick the right pieces

T. S. Eliot

“If you start with a bang, you won't

end with a whimper”

Pick between 5 and 15 pieces (if you don’thave enough strong pieces, don’t dilute your work by adding weak examples).

● Select pieces that demonstrate differentqualities.● Show a range of skills.● Always keep the purpose and audience inmind.● Apply for a journalism job?

Make sure each piece contributes to the objective of your portfolio, if it doesn’t, then don’t add it.

How to Create an Impressive Digital Writer’s Portfolio

5. Organise it

4. Pick your platform

There are countless online platforms that are ideal for hosting yourportfolio. Each of them have advantages and disadvantages, some ofthem are free and some of them are paid, and some of them are simple to use and others more complex. So make sure to do your research.!

Here are some of your options:● Blogger● Tumblr● Wordpress● Clippings.me● Flavors● MuckRack

● Pressfolio● Wix● Weebly● Scribd● Journo Portfolio● Squarespace

“Write without pay until

somebody offers to pay”

Mark Twain

Narrow your portfolio’s focus according to its purpose, and the audience you are intending it for.

Organise your portfolio with care. Putyour strongest pieces first. Let there be a logical flow. Think of the impression you want to create.

Pro tip:

Avoid mentioning your age as it is easy to sound too young and inexperienced, or too old and out oftouch. Rather talk about being “young and enthusiastic or about having “x years of experience”

7. Style your portfolio

OxbridgeAcademyeffortless excellence in education

6. Write your intro and bioYou can write anintroduction to your portfolio if you want, telling readers more about your work and your selection.

Make sure to have an About page or biography somewhere on your portfoio. You can add your publising his-tory, testimonials, and other proofs of competence here. You can even brag about a blog post that got a lot ofsocial media shares!

The internet is getting more and more visual,so make sure to have a good looking portfolio. But remember, this is not a graphic design portfolio, but a writer’s!

● Make your portfolio easily navigatable● Pick a clean clear and professional layout● Don’t add to many images and other media● No decorative fonts, pick easily legable fonts● Don’t destract with design, use it to draw

attention to the work

Nicholas Burroughs

“Minimalism is not thelack of something. It’s

simply the perfect amount of something”