writing portfolio cover page examples

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4 Portfolio Cover Page Tips with Great Examples to Impress Your Future Employer

Klaudia Simon

In an ideal world design leads and recruiters would spend hours reviewing your UX portfolio . In the real world that hardly ever happens. Most of them spend a minute or two sorting through dozens of portfolios to choose the ones they’ll review in depth. During this process, there’s only one page they’re guaranteed to see : your portfolio’s cover.

Defining the cover page

The cover page is the first page of a portfolio, therefore, it’s the first thing people see when handling a physical portfolio, opening a portfolio document, or landing on a digital portfolio website. Its purpose is to hold together the various pieces and parts of a portfolio and to introduce the portfolio’s owner to the visitor/user.

Our research findings

As part of our research at UXfolio , we’ve interviewed many decision-makers to learn about their routines and perspective.

Most of them paint a similar picture about the hiring process: they get dozens of applications in a matter of days and they have limited time to make a hire. For design leads the situation is even worse because reviewing candidates is a task on top of their regular duties.

This means that they have to make quick decisions and be very selective.

Can you change that? The answer is no. But you can optimize your portfolio front page to capture their attention in that limited timeframe, so your application makes the cut and advances to the next stage of the hiring process, like the UX designer interview .

Why should you care?

A lot depends on your portfolio’s cover page since it’s your virtual first impression. If it’s up to par, your visitors will go on and explore your content, like your projects and about page. And this should be your key objective because it’s your projects that seal the deal by showcasing your expertise, talent, and process.

Your portfolio is a product

Your portfolio is a testament to your personal taste. When working for a client, company, or agency it’s part of the job to make compromises and adjust to the project. But in the case of your portfolio, you get a free hand.

Yet, you must remember that you’re not the user of your own portfolio. It’s the potential client, recruiter, or design lead who’ll be interacting with it. So, designing a portfolio means balancing your personal taste with their needs.

The 2 pillars of a cover page

If your portfolio title page makes a great first impression, your user feels compelled to dig deeper. To do that, they have to interact with your portfolio. Based on these facts, we can define two areas of focus:

• Look -> for the first impression.
• Structure -> so they find everything they want.

Easy-peasy, right? Yet, so many designers get it wrong because they get carried away while working on their portfolio, losing sight of its use cases and their own goals.

To avoid this, we’ve gathered a few straightforward rules that your can follow while working on your portfolio cover page design:

1. Look: optimizing for the first impression

The first impression is all about the look of your portfolio’s cover page. The goal is to make something beautiful, universal, and professional. Fonts, colors, whitespace, layout, and visual hierarchy all influence this. Together, these elements are responsible for the first impression your portfolio – and you – make. Therefore, you need to get it right:

Rule 1: Make your user feel at ease

Overdesiging is a common portfolio mistake. Many designers – especially juniors – believe that in order to show their personality every pixel of their portfolio needs to make a statement. The result is usually anxiety-inducing and very of its time.

Meanwhile, simplicity and minimalism are timeless qualities that evoke a sense of familiarity, making your user feel at ease . This is why many portfolios look so similar: people feel more comfortable with things they can pinpoint and categorize: ‘This is a portfolio because it looks like a portfolio.’

What’s even more important is that a simple portfolio cover page will direct your users’ attention to your project thumbnails.

Rule 2: Focus on your project thumbnails

Your portfolio’s cover is a hub from where your users navigate to various content such as projects, about page, contact page, and so on. From these, your projects are the most important because they reveal your talent, process, and experience.

In digital portfolios, projects are usually linked through thumbnails which take up the largest space on the cover page. So, they need to look amazing on their own and as a group.

The biggest project thumbnail mistake is using thumbnails with different styles. Just think about it: your thumbnails are in close proximity on the same page. If they’re not in harmony, you end up with a messy effect, indicating that you’ve failed to consider your portfolio as a whole.

Therefore, if you must prioritize one task above all from your portfolio front page design tasks, it should be your thumbnails.

What to feature on your thumbnails?

1. Snippets of the project deliverables

If you’re from a visual field – such as UX/UI or graphic design – put a preview of the finished design on your thumbnail. You can frame it in a device mockup or leave it naked, just make sure to use a nice layout that works for the rest of your project thumbnails as well.

2. Screenshots

Even if you didn’t do design on a project, your work has contributed to the design. Therefore, you can use a screenshot of the product on your project thumbnail. Again, you can frame it in a device mockup or keep it low-key.

3. Simple text

There’s something very sleek and professional about thumbnails that include nothing but text: a title and maybe a short description. So, don’t be afraid of this approach. It’ll look fantastic if you choose the right font, with legibility in mind.

Another option is to find the companies’ logos, unify them (with an overlay), and place them on harmonizing backgrounds. But keep in mind that this thumbnail type needs some text (title and short description) for context.

Photos work great on thumbnails too. But, you have to be careful. First, choose photos that are relevant to the project. Second, make sure that each project photo has the same color profile. You can achieve this by applying a filter or preset in an app like Lightroom.

4 simple rules for thumbnail consistency

• Use the same device mockup style on each thumbnail, or
• use the same thumbnail layout.
• Use the same background color on each thumbnail, or
• use harmonizing background colors.
• Match the color profiles of your thumbnails.
• Use overlays, presets, or filters to match clashing visuals.

2. Structure: optimizing for the user

Once you have your users’ attention, they will take a closer look at your portfolio. This means that they’ll start interacting with your cover page. Here’s what you should watch out for:

Rule 1: Follow the beaten path

We’ve already alluded to portfolio cover pages looking similar. This is also true for their structure and information architecture. Most portfolios look something like this:

Obviously, there’s some variance to this structure, but the three main elements are almost always constant:

• Short bio/intro
• Project thumbnails

These elements and structure work because the user can access all the necessary destinations in your portfolio right away. It’s their personal choice whether they’ll start with your projects or your about page. What’s important is that they can do so without having to think twice.

Once you start experimenting you risk confusing your users. Here are some of the biggest and most common portfolio cover mistakes:

• Hiding any of the essential elements.
• Over-animating essential elements.
• Forcing users to wait for essential elements to appear or become clickable.
• Making the user work for the information.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment or express your creativity. The twist is that you need to be creative enough to create something that feels yours but doesn’t alienate your user.

So, keep it simple. Make your navigation, short intro, and your project thumbnails at least partially visible in your cover page’s first fold. Apply your creative energies to their style instead of their behavior and placement. If you go in with this mindset, you’ll make your and your users’ life easier:

• You dedicate your time to what matters most, and
• the users will have a delightful experience on your portfolio cover page.

Rule 2: Barebones approach

Let’s take a closer look at the 3 elements of the portfolio cover page and how to optimize them:

1. Navigation

Keep your navigation tidy! Your portfolio’s navigation should link only to the cornerstone content of your portfolio. This includes your about page, resume, and maybe a contact page. You can also include your projects here, but they’ll be linked through thumbnails anyways, so it’s not a must.

2. Projects

Keep your projects on your cover page and, if possible, make them visible in the first fold. After opening your portfolio, most users will want to see your work so you should make it easy for them.

The number of projects you need to include in your portfolio depends on the design discipline you’re practicing. However, these are the universal pointers:

• Quality over quantity: include your best work only.
• Projects that turned out great.
• Projects you’ve learned the most from.
• Projects that highlight most of your skills.
• Projects that have beautiful deliverables.

Everything that you’re second-guessing is better left out or reworked in a way that adds some value to your portfolio.

You can’t predict which project your visitors will click on. What if they choose the half-baked one that you’ve just added to reach a “project count” that some random article advised? That’d be a bummer. So, keep it curated and keep polishing the projects until they add some value to your portfolio.

3. Short bio

‘Tagline’ would be a much better word for the short bio on your portfolio cover page. It’s way more indicative of what it should be: a sentence that describes your perspective. Keep it short, sweet, and – if it’s something that comes to your naturally – witty.

For a long-form introduction, you can use your About page. Based on our research, people will read it if the portfolio makes them interested.

Let’s get to work!

Now you have a realistic image of what a portfolio cover page is all about. If you’ve read this far, you already know that we’re not here to sell you anything that’s not based on reality. Portfolio building is a serious business. Your future and livelihood depend on it.

If you’re looking for a portfolio builder that allows you to focus on what really matters, try UXfolio ! Our portfolio-building tool comes with stunning, minimal templates that can be customized according to your needs. Also, UXfolio comes with unique features like:

• Case study builder.
• Text ideas.
• Built-in device mockups.
• Various galleries.

Try it for free!

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26 Inspiring Writing Portfolio Examples

Last Updated January 5 2024

Written By Juhil Mendpara

The best writing portfolios showcase the writer’s work — may it be an author’s book, a copywriter’s print ad photo, an editor’s case study, a screenwriter’s synopses, or a journalist’s news item — in an obvious way yet in the best light.

The words on the writer’s portfolio site undoubtedly matter, but so do everything else that makes a great portfolio website , including images, animations, fonts, color scheme, whitespace, navigation…every. single. thing!

I looked through hundreds of writers’ websites. This is the collection of the best writing portfolio examples I found!

Tip: Use ← and → arrow keys to browse.

‘My First Website’ Challenge

• • Build your first website in one week.
• • One 10-minute lesson per day.
• • Free email course.

1. Kelsey O'Halloran

Kelsey is a copy and brand messaging consultant who also provides done-for-you copywriting services. She started as a newspaper journalist and has borrowed the interview-inspired writing style from there in her copywriting career.

Her website is the perfect blend of everything a professional copywriter’s website should have.

The homepage has all the necessary elements:

• A navigation bar with links to important pages.
• Professionally shot photographs of Kelsey.
• Well-written heading and subheading copy (highest priority for a copywriter!).
• A short services section that has CTAs to service pages.
• Testimonials that are on brand with her style of work.
• Call to action buttons (CTAs) spread throughout the page.
• Nice font choice and color palette.

The copywriter’s portfolio page is equally good.

• The color palette and all other style elements are consistent with other pages, including the homepage.
• At the top, she briefly & persuasively describes her job profile and the successes her clients have had with her work, implying you’ll have similar results too.

Then, she goes into portfolio items.

• There’s one featured project, and the others are arranged neatly in a three-column layout.
• Each portfolio item has a screenshot of the web page where her work is published, the client’s name, the role she played in the job, a testimonial, and a CTA to the client’s website.
• All testimonials describe Kelsey as the expert she claims she is. Examples: “Kelsey put words to my brand, services, and personality that I’ve never been able to articulate before…”, “Kelsey asks concise questions that really make you think about your service or product in a whole new way during an in-depth interview, and she pulls out slivers of gold from your responses.”

2. Sally M Fox

Sally is a freelance copywriter and brand identity writer. She has worked with massive companies like Dove and SendInBlue.

Her portfolio is excellent. She has neatly displayed her work in a one-below-the-other, single-column manner. Each portfolio piece has a screenshot, the job she did for the client, and a short quote from the client.

I am pretty sure her clients must have given big testimonials, and she cut it down to the core, so the website page doesn’t look crammed. That’s something to learn.

3. Chris Harrison

Chris is confident in his ability to deliver great copy — I don’t personally know Chris, but that’s what his portfolio website communicates. He has been writing for the marketing world for 15+ years, and his results speak for the quality he delivers.

On the homepage: Top of the fold, Chris has a confident-looking, smiling picture. Plus, there’s outstanding copywriting showcasing his writing prowess with the classic problem-solution version of the PAS formula:

• Heading : “Getting traffic but going nowhere?” — a question addressing the potential client’s pain point.
• Subheading : “Get more customers with website copy that converts—keep them coming back with unique content.” — the solution to the client’s problem.
• CTA : “See my portfolio”

Just below, there’s also a testimonial that reads, “Chris was, is, and will be the solution to my problems concerning copywriting and content generation.” What a line to immediately build authority!

The portfolio section has screenshots of his work arranged in a vertical slider layout. I am not a fan of vertical sliders because people naturally scroll horizontally, but Chris’s portfolio works — potential clients see Chris’s work in full-sized screenshots, and they know there’s more because of the thumbnails (that they can click to see the screenshot).

Still, I prefer Kelsey’s portfolio page over Chris’s because it is straightforward, + each project has a testimonial alongside it; Chris’s testimonials are on a separate page.

4. John Green

John Green is a bestselling author well-known for his novels The Fault in Our Stars , Paper Towns , Looking for Alaska , etc. Some of his books are also turned into popular movies.

John’s website is clean, elegant, and modern. Right at the top of the homepage is a concise bio of John (with a picture) and links to his popular books. Those links open a sort of portfolio item page that goes in-depth about the work, including a short description of the book, accolades it’s gotten, and quotes from the book’s reviews.

5. Mai Nguyen

Mai Nguyen graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Ryerson University. Her journalistic works have been published in big-name publications like Wired and Washington Post . Besides being a journalist, she’s also an author and a copywriter.

Her homepage has two main elements in a two-column layout: a friendly, smiling photo and a bio section.

The bio section is in a third person, formal writing style, which suits her website. Personally, though, I love copywriting portfolio websites written in the first person, indicating that the copywriter wrote the persuasive words you are reading.

Mai’s portfolio page is accurately titled “Latest Bylines.” Inside, she lists the latest articles published under her name. They are organized minimally, with plenty of whitespaces highlighting her work beautifully.

6. Joe Coleman

Joe’s website homepage is brilliant. He has created 50+ different versions of his bio and has arranged them in a range from Less Hard Sell to More Hard Sell .

• Less Hard Sell example : “So, yeah. I’m a freelance writer. What of it?”
• Somewhere in the middle : “Hello. I’m Joe Coleman. I’m a freelance copywriter. I come up with words and concepts that can help you win pitches and pick up a few awards. I’ve got quite a bit of experience and can tackle most things from ad campaigns to brand books. My job is different every day, and I work with lots of well-known advertising and design agencies.”
• More Hard Sell example : A very persuasive, almost warning-like copy that tells the visitor if they don’t hire Joe, their competitors will :

I don’t like the blurry images in Joe’s copywriting portfolio, though. The thumbnails could be high-quality:

7. Johnny Harris

Johnny Harris is an Emmy-nominated American filmmaker, journalist, and YouTuber known for his geopolitical series “Borders” on Vox. Post-Vox, he continues exploring global issues on his personal YouTube channel, also contributing to The New York Times, amassing over 4 million subscribers.

This site serves as a portfolio for Johnny, showcasing his work as a filmmaker and journalist. It includes a page about his biography, his works (which include Vox Borders), a link to his Presets and LUTs shop, a contact page for inquiries​, a form to collect ideas (currently 404), and other typical stuff​.

8. Gari Cruze

Gari has converted his passion for words into a profession. He is an advertising copywriter who has created digital and social ads for big brands like Lyft, CES, and P&G, among others.

Gari’s portfolio looks like a typical photography website portfolio — with good quality photos, unlike Joe’s copywriting portfolio.

Note : I expect a copywriter’s portfolio to have persuasive words on the homepage. But Gari’s work is like screenwriting — it’s presented best through a visual medium. And he does a good job of presenting his ideas in full capacity through his images and video-filled portfolio.

He writes a pretty good About page copy, though:

9. Copy Kat Creative Copywriting

I am stunned by the range of things Kathryn can write. To give you an overview, she is both a fiction writer and a copywriter. If you dig into her copywriting services, here are the things she is confident in doing really well:

• About Me pages
• Our Story pages
• Full website copy MOTs
• Back-of-pack copy
• TOV guidelines
• Recipe writing
• Social copy

And she has done these for a range of clients. Her portfolio includes brands in categories like agency, beauty & skincare, fashion, food, homeware, photography, tech & software, etc.

She also runs a book club, a podcast, and her own blog!

How do I know so much about Kathryn? Through the copywriter’s well-structured website!

The homepage has a left sidebar to navigate to important pages - portfolio, about, contact page, podcast , etc. All pages have well-written, scannable copy and a clear hierarchy. She also uses other elements like filters to make the website easy to navigate:

10. Cassidy Horton

Cassidy writes for personal finance brands, specifically those serving women, people of color, and underserved communities. Her services include writing articles, sales copy, and UX writing.

The copywriter’s website is a one-page website / landing page with a clear hierarchy. The sections (from top-to-bottom) are listed in the navigation bar with jump links: Welcome > Clients > Services > About > Portfolio > How It Works > Contact.

Through the page, you’ll learn about Cassidy’s experience with debt and getting out of it, her writing experience and background, client testimonials, and more. At the bottom, there’s her writing portfolio section, in a three-column layout:

Each portfolio item has a suitable title and a minimal description. Some even have numbers/results of her work, which is sort of like mini-case studies. Examples: ‘the open and clickthrough rates increased’, ‘14 of the 16 people I contacted replied — a stellar conversion rate for cold pitches’, etc.

11. Kayla Hollatz

Kayla is a Minneapolis-based copywriter who helps creative entrepreneurs and small businesses with personality-packed, impactful copies.

Her writing portfolio page includes case studies as well as a list of portfolio items. The mentioned case studies showcase trust-infusing testimonials from the clients at the top – example: ““Your website copywriting helped us reach $1.9 million in the following year!””

12. Vibe Copy

James Schlesinger is the creative director, account director, project manager, marketing director, brand strategist, head of new business, finance director, office manager, copywriter, and probably more at Vibe Copy. He is a former actor, so this totally makes sense:

After seeing the about page, his portfolio page looks a bit lame, though, doesn’t it?

13. The Copy Canary

When marketers, copywriters, and authors speak highly of someone’s copywriting prowess, you know they are a darn good copywriter. Adele Costa, aka The Copy Canary, is that someone.

Adel’s writing portfolio page is filled with a range of work in a nice two-column format. You can click each portfolio item to see the case study of the work.

14. Alisha Selena

Alisha Selena is a copywriter with a fun personality and a passion for the power of words. Her copywriting offerings range from blog writing to radio advertisement scripts.

Alisha’s website is more of a copywriter’s resume website , but she also has a nice portfolio page that features her magazine work, sales presentation work, email & social posts, and more.

15. Stuart Writes Copy

“Stuart Writes Copy” — the website title says it all.

“I MAKE YOU SOUND FANTASTIC” — the hero text sells the offering.

And whatever more needs to be said and shown, Stuart says and shows through his portfolio of web, email, social, and print work.

16. Lauren Alejo

Lauren is a Senior UX Content Strategist at NerdWallet. Sometimes she also copywrites for NerdWallet.

I like the different-from-usual-writing-portfolios font, the UX design portfolio , and everything. But I don’t like this dropdown much:

17. MedPenPal

Margaret is an experienced medical writer and writing coach who is passionate about helping readers stay in the loop through simple health news. She has written for Forbes Health, WebMD, Verywell Health, Medical News Today, Healthline, and many similar sites.

The copywriter’s portfolio communicates exactly that with a big list of some of her top posts.

18. Drew Collins

Drew started off as a web content editor and moved up the ladder as a copywriter, senior copywriter, and associate creative director. Now, he is the owner and creative director of bond creative + branding , a creative services, and marketing studio. You can see all the work he has done throughout the years on his portfolio website.

19. Jonathan Wilcock

I love Jonathan’s hero text: “The world’s best freelance brand voice copywriter. And other slight exaggerations.” At the very least, it tells his profession and how good he is at it.

The portfolio of this writer shows just the logos of his clients. You’ll have to hover over the logo to see what he has done for the client and click on the portfolio item to see the case study of his work.

20. Locke Hughes

Freelance writer and health coach Locke Hughes, is the author of “Melatonin: The Natural Supplement for Better Sleep.” Her wellness articles have been featured in popular publishing’s such as Shape and Women’s Health Magazine.

You can see more of her work from the “Recent Articles” dropdown on her site.

21. Quotidian Writer

Quotidian Writer by Diane Callahan offers videos and articles filled with practical advice to assist aspiring authors in improving their writing craft and becoming published. Diane is a developmental editor and ghost plotter, and her niche-popular YouTube channel, Quotidian Writer, provides practical tips for aspiring authors.

22. Andy Mendes

This is the portfolio of copywriter Andy Mendes. It’s made with Format, one of the two best portfolio website builders .

23. Ally Denton

Ally Denton is a freelance writer located in Indianapolis with a portfolio in editorial, copywriting, and content writing. She’s also a musician performing at live events and a yoga teacher offering group and private lessons.

I like the simple design of her portfolio pages. It’s just a test list of her works with links to them.

24. Rod Moore

Rod offers copywriting, content strategy, and ghostwriting services. His website is different than your typical copywriting portfolio site, and I dig it.

25. Austin Copywriting

Ryan has over 25 years of experience in IT and Medical Simulation support. Now, he is a healthcare and technology copywriter. He uses a one-page Carrd website to introduce himself and then has a CTA to his notion page for portfolio.

I am not a fan of having the portfolio page separate from the main site, but maybe Ryan realized that he couldn’t have a solid portfolio on Carrd after he made the site.

Side Note : Ryan’s website title is Austin Copywriting. It’s probably for SEO purposes to rank for copywriting-related local search queries in Austin. But people may confuse the site as if it’s from a person named Austin (like the one below).

26. Austin Powe

Austin is a Brooklyn-based copywriter who has worked with brands like Starbucks, YouTube, and Google Maps. He doesn’t have a dedicated portfolio page; instead, his website’s sidebar acts as navigation to his best work.

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12 best writing portfolio examples and how to create your own

• Brandi Hunter

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

When it comes to starting a business  around your writing, visibility is everything. The more well-curated and attention-grabbing your writing is, the higher the chance that potential clients and publications will notice your talent. Making a website  that presents your writing portfolio can help introduce the industry to your talent and invite new work.

You may be thinking, “I’m a writer, not a website designer”—that’s where Wix can help. Its templates and beginner-friendly website builder make getting started as straightforward as it can get. To get the creative juices flowing, here are 12 writing portfolio examples from Wix users. Later on, we’ll provide a more straightforward step-by-step guide to building your own.

Start building your online portfolio  with Wix today.

12 writing portfolio examples

Jed Donahue

Sam Carlson Creative

Lauryn Higgins

Jessica Van Devanter

Madison Gray

Jane-Ellen Robinet

Christina Sterbenz

Bryn Dippold

Charlotte Kho

Emma Newell

Maddie Pfeiffer

Rachel A.G. Gilman

01. Jed Donahue

Jed Donahue’s website is a great example of how speaking to your client’s pain points can compel them to reach out. The homepage header copy, “When you need great content, I’m here to help,” focuses on the customer’s needs. Testimonials from previous clients provide proof that Jed can deliver results. Meanwhile, the “What I can do for you” section gives a practical breakdown of the workflow and services that clients can expect.

02. Sam Carlson

Sam Carlson takes his writing portfolio a step further by putting his client work front and center. He highlights his creative flair and prowess as a copywriter by including engaging introductions for each case study. Every project page boasts a concise and clever summary, followed by the client's logo and key project assets. Additionally, his "Fun" page, which presents his personal projects, offers a glimpse of his hobbies and talents outside of writing.

03. Lauryn Higgins

If you, like Lauryn Higgins , have an extensive writing portfolio that includes several bylines with well-known media companies, you can strategically add publication logos to your website and link them to your author pages to show off your credibility. On her “Awards and Publications” page, she features snapshots of some of her best clips, along with several awards.

04. Jessica Van Devanter 

If you don’t have any visual content to display and don’t want to go through the process of finding a set of free-to-use visuals that match your branding and content, take a look at Jessica Van Devanter’s writing portfolio. By making the site’s design the focal point, she bypasses the need for external graphics or images that may not align with her branding. 

Her logo, a shrewd-looking fox, serves as the background for the large header, which captures the viewer's attention upon arrival. Below it, a mountain graphic underlays the main content area, providing a sense of continuity without overpowering the text. 

The structure of each page is reminiscent of a timeline, with her written works positioned as milestones, guiding visitors through her professional journey. The bright green and white font colors provide a deliberate contrast against the muted blue background, ensuring readability and drawing the eye to her written work.

Use Wix’s logo maker  to start building out your personal brand.

05. Madison Gray

As a writer and an artist, Madison Gray masterfully demonstrates both skill sets throughout her portfolio. Pairing her highlighted works with original images draws visitors in and creates a visually engaging narrative of her talents. Each project page indicates which skills she utilized to complete the project, offering a comprehensive understanding of her multifaceted abilities.

06. Jane-Ellen Robinet  

Jane-Ellen Robinet limits her writing portfolio to a page to help website visitors get the information they need quickly. The above-the-fold section summarizes her unique value proposition (“INSIGHT + PERSPECTIVE + EXPERIENCE”) and provides specific job titles for the services she provides (“Editor | Writer”). The header features anchor links to each section of the page to ensure easy navigation. 

07. Christina Sterbenz

Rather than categorizing work by publications, Christina Sterbenz structures her portfolio page around writing topics and pairs each section with a compelling image from one of the relevant clips. This strategy adds visual appeal and gives each topic a personal touch, making the stories more approachable and intriguing to visitors. The images, paired with informative captions, humanize the subjects, enticing readers to delve deeper into her work.

In terms of website design, the portfolio benefits from a clean layout and a modern, minimalist font, which together enhance the site's readability and aesthetic appeal. Visitors can effortlessly scan the pages, finding what they are looking for without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, the consistent use of design motifs—such as circles and lines throughout the site—contributes to a cohesive and memorable brand identity.

Like this format? Use this creative CV website template  to get started.

08. Bryn Dippold  

Bryn Dippold uses Wix’s blog maker  to showcase her work samples. This approach of republishing content directly on her portfolio, rather than merely linking out to external publications, serves as a strategic method for keeping visitors on her site for longer and providing a comprehensive view of her work.

Many Wix website templates already come with an integrated blog. Alternatively, you can choose to add the blog feature to any template, tailoring it to fit your unique style. Wix allows you to customize the blog settings, enabling you to curate and present your best work in a manner that aligns with your professional image and goals. 

09. Charlotte Kho 

Charlotte Kho uses neutral colors, layered design elements and striking imagery to introduce herself as a digital and creative storyteller. The “Resume” page provides a lot of information, but its clean layout is easy on the eyes, and you have the option to download her CV. On the “Work” page, Charlotte offers a small selection of her best work, plus links to view more of her published pieces.

Like this layout? Make it your own as Charlotte did by customizing this business CV website template .

10. Emma Newell 

Emma Newell's website demonstrates a balance of simplicity and engaging elements, creating a visually appealing and user-friendly experience. The site employs subtle animations that add a dynamic touch without overwhelming the visitor. Notably, when you click on any link in the menu bar, the content below appears to swipe out of view as new content takes its place. This seamless effect maintains the homepage's structure and provides an uninterrupted browsing experience.

11. Maddie Pfeifer

Maddie Pfeifer effectively leads with her experience by featuring her resume on the homepage. It details her past work, highlights her skillset and lists the awards she has received in the course of her career. We appreciate that she prominently placed her contact information above the fold for easy accessibility.

Her website is a model of organization, making excellent use of Wix’s advanced menu features . The dropdown functionality in her navigation bar allows for an expanded array of options, enhancing the user experience. Visitors, when exploring the “Portfolio” page link, are greeted with the option to select content categories like “Event coverage” or “Crime & courts,” tailoring their browsing to their interests.

12. Rachel A.G. Gilman 

Rachel A.G. Gilman elevates her homepage's simplicity with a playful, animated headshot, contrasting colors and a classic font choice, creating a dynamic first impression. Under the “Writing” tab, her comprehensive archive is meticulously sorted into distinct categories, making it easy to sift through her published work and accomplishments.

How to make a writing portfolio of your own

After exploring some of the best portfolio website examples , you’re probably eager to get started on learning how to make a portfolio  of your own. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just getting started, these tips will help you present your work in a way that captivates and communicates your unique voice and skills. 

01. Identify your target audience

To properly tailor your site design to your audience, you need to identify who you’re looking to impress. For instance, if you’re using this type of website  to pitch to editors, you might consider spotlighting your best features or most impressive bylines. On the other hand, if you’re cultivating a professional portfolio  for freelance clients, you might want to put testimonials or a list of services front and center.

02. Establish your goals 

Setting clear goals is crucial to track your progress and success. If your objective is to boost engagement with freelance clients, you might measure this by the number of inquiries or project offers you receive through your portfolio site. On the other hand, if increasing your visibility as a writer online is your goal, you could focus on monitoring website traffic, page views, or how long visitors stay on your site. Regularly assessing these aspects will help you understand what's effective and what needs improvement in your portfolio.

03. Choose the right platform

When looking for a platform for your online presence, choose a portfolio website builder  that aligns with your technical ability and the amount of time you can dedicate to maintenance. Although creating a bespoke website might be impressive and a simple clippings curator (such as Muck Rack) would be convenient, it’s a better idea to go for a builder that combines the best of both worlds, offering both customizability and convenience. 

With Wix, you’ll have hundreds of customizable templates to choose from and AI tools that make designing and filling it with images a breeze. Furthermore, Wix enriches your website with features like built-in forms, custom email addresses, and newsletter capabilities, ensuring you can easily connect with your audience and maintain those connections effortlessly.

Check out this selection of Wix website templates for writers .

04. Decide how you want to structure your showcase

When building the “Works” or “Clips” section of your online writing portfolio, your focus should be on showcasing your writing as well as highlighting the outlets you've collaborated with. Select pieces that represent your best work and reflect the type of work you aspire to continue doing. Remember, it's always about quality over quantity. A handful of outstanding pieces will have a greater impact than a multitude of average ones.

If you're at the beginning of your career and lack professional bylines, don't hesitate to include your best work from college or independent projects. Additionally, consider starting a blog that reflects the kind of work you aim to do professionally. 

05. Build an archive

Imagine losing your most valued work if a website goes down or a publisher removes your article. To prevent this, create an archive on your portfolio site. By uploading and publishing posts using the Wix content management system, you not only safeguard your work but also boost your site’s SEO and engage visitors more effectively. However, remember to check your contracts, as some publishers may restrict this. If time is limited, consider downloading your articles as PDFs and linking to them on a dedicated page. It's best to maintain this archive separately from your featured works, ensuring they continue to be the main attraction.

06. Flesh out the rest of your site

Your writing portfolio is more than just your work; it's a complete presentation of your professional persona. Each page on your site plays a critical role in telling your story. Here's how to make them count:

Home: The homepage is your portfolio's front door, welcoming and guiding visitors. It's crucial that this page clearly communicates what you offer as a writer. Make sure visitors can instantly understand your area of expertise and writing style.

About: On your “About” page, detail your professional journey, educational background and skill set. This page is an excellent place to infuse personality into your resume. Consider including a PDF version of your resume so hiring managers can add it to their databases.

Contact:  The “Contact” page is your open invitation for communication. Offer multiple methods to reach you, such as a contact form and an email address. Consider using scheduling software  to make it easy for potential clients to set up consultation calls. 

When writing the copy for these pages, make sure your tone is consistent, engaging and speaks to your desired audience. If incorporating imagery, make sure they’re high-quality, complement the text and reinforce your professional image. Each element should seamlessly blend to form a cohesive and inviting online presence.

07. Test and publish

Broken links, grammatical errors or faulty contact forms may lead visitors to doubt the quality of your work or discourage them from reaching out. Make sure to do a thorough assessment of your site, and consider sharing your writing portfolio with others to get their feedback.

08. Update your website

Regularly update your portfolio with your latest work. This keeps your site fresh and shows potential clients your active involvement and range of skills. A current portfolio can also inspire new project ideas among visitors.

Top tips for your writing portfolio

When it comes to planning, creating and maintaining your writing portfolio, there are a number of tips to help you create a great one.

Tailor your portfolio to the specific writing niche or genre you're pursuing. Include samples that demonstrate your expertise and writing style in that area. Your writing portfolio is a showcase of how well you with with words and content, make sure it reflects that to the best of your ability and experience.

Prioritize showcasing your strongest writing samplespieces, even if it means having fewer samples. Choose work that highlights your skills, versatility, and ability to meet client expectations.

Each piece in your portfolio should tell a story. Briefly explain the project's context, your approach, the challenges faced and the outcomes achieved.

Include testimonials from satisfied clients for the purpose of adding social proof and to demonstrate the quality of your work.

Make your portfolio easy to navigate. Use a clear menu, categorize your work and implement smooth transitions between pages.

Let your personality and writing style shine through. Use visuals, tone of voice, and layout to create a cohesive and memorable brand identity that reflects you and your work.

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14 mins read

25 Writing Portfolio Examples (PDF & Other Formats) + Useful Portfolio Tips

Are you struggling to create the perfect writing portfolio? Here are 25 writing portfolio examples + 7 useful tips to make it happen!

Protim Bhaumik

Director, Content Marketing

Written by Protim Bhaumik , edited by Shreya Bose , reviewed by Eric Hauch .

2. Dec 2022 , updated 8. Feb 2024

Looking to create a writing portfolio? Curious how to do that without futzing with a website builder for days? We’ve been there.

We know that building a writing portfolio is hard — questions like what you should include, where you should host it, and how to effectively create something that gets you work, need answering! To that end, we've put together a list of 25 writing portfolio examples from our customer base that can inspire you as you make your own and included their tips on how they use Authory. (This is a collection of amazing writers, top journalists, and more.)

I also flagged examples that include PDFs because this type of content is notoriously clunky to upload in some website builders. Some clients and employers ask for PDFs, and building that into a portfolio website can be tricky. So, we'll cover how to do that by showing you 5 PDF writing portfolio examples and then 20 regular writing portfolio examples.

5 Writing portfolio examples in PDF format

When you want to save your writing samples, many people start by downloading a PDF that’s saved in a folder and then sometimes, maybe, once a month/year/panic attack, uploaded to a website. It’s a pain to constantly upload your writing samples, but it’s also risky. There’s always the potential your work is edited or removed before you think to save it.

With that in mind, we built Authory. We search the internet for your content and automatically add it to your website. However, we also make it easy to upload existing PDFs you might have.

Here’s how you can do it:

Here are a few examples of how it looks and advice from our customers on building a smart portfolio.

1. Sarah Sparks

Sarah is an advocate, consultant and writer.

For Sarah, Authory is “easy to use and I like how it aggregates media links before I do sometimes.”

That’s our goal. We automatically collect and back up your work so you don’t have to.  

Sarah’s tip: Just make it easy to navigate - one of the reasons I like Authory. One of the easiest ways to do this is by creating collections.

For example, Sarah’s collections include “legal” “social justice” “Indigenous” and “opinion.” Collections make it easy to categorize your content and then send specific collections to editors and publications when you’re asked for writing samples. You can watch a video on creating collections here.

Sarah Sparks' PDF portfolio.

Here are a few additional PDF portfolio examples that you can review.

2. Alex Hargrave

Alex Hargrave's PDF portfolio

You’ll notice that Alex has two collection examples; education and COVID-19.

3. Kevin Johnston

Kevin Johnston's PDF portfolio.

4. Kerry Sunderland

Kerry Sunderland's PDF portfolio.

5. Urvashi Aneja

Urvashi Aneja's PDF portfolio.

20 Writing portfolio examples in other formats

Besides PDF focused portfolios, we pulled examples of other portfolios and tips for how our expert customers are adapting them to make the best use of them.

Authory is a great additional branding tool

For many people, they have an Authory account to collect their work samples in addition to other branding tools.

1. Brian Clegg

Brian is a science writer with over 40 (fourty!) books in print.

Brian’s Authory site isn’t his only site. It works in addition to his other properties and supports his other online properties. When you google Brian, you’ll find all of these properties. Of note, it’s also possible to integrate an Authory portfolio into an existing online portfolio builder like Wix or SquareSpace.

But why bother? Brian uses Authory to “make my online writing easily available to my book readers and to support my book review site www.popularscience.co.uk .” And with our automatic tools, it takes little time to create this additional homebase for readers.

For Brian, Authory also collects his work, saves it, and he distributes it in a newsletter. It automates and does a lot of work quickly.

Brian Clegg's writing portfolio.

2. Brandon Hill

Brandon is a multimedia journalist covering music and culture, public policy, mental health, the labor movement and social inequality.

“Authory is a great resource for freelancer writers in more ways than you would expect. By automatically updating and feeding your work into a newsletter, it both saves the time and frustration of managing a website and makes for more reliable one to one connections with your audience than social media. Also, by creating automatic pdf back-ups of your publications, you’ll never loose a portfolio piece,” he said.

Like many people in this list, he’s thoughtful about his categories and collections.

“Include some pretty specific categories to lesson the time an employers spends looking at content that might not be relevant to them,” he said.

Brandon Hill's writing portfolio.

3. Scott Matthewman

Scott is a theater critic who is frequently writing reviews. It can be quite a pain to keep these recorded and organized.

“I review over 100 theatre shows a year for various online publications. Authory’s automated tools gives me a single URL where all those reviews can live, hassle-free,” Scott said.

You’ll notice that Scott’s profile shares collections.

“[Authory’s] been useful to promote my reviews to a wider audience on social media. At the end of last year I built a dedicated collection of my 20 favourite reviews for 2022, which was so easy to do and then link to from everywhere.”

Scott Matthewman's writing portfolio.

Use Authory and never worry your work will disappear

4. Tabitha Potts

Tabitha is a published writer with several short stories in print anthologies as well as online.

She uses Authory to share her work with “potential employers, literary agents or publishers (my creative writing, book reviews and journalism are all there).”

The big reason she recommends using Authory is to avoid the situation where your content might be lost and because much of the work is done for you automatically.

And of course it makes it easy to showcase your work.

“I share my Authory profile with every new and potential new client so they can sort and view my published work by category,” she told us.

Tabitha Potts' writing portfolio.

5. Diana Rosen

Diana is an essayist, flash fiction writer, and poet. For her, Authory is “an elaborate business card.”

Her advice is simple: When capturing published work, review thoroughly to avoid duplication or (Egads!) errors.

Diana Rosen's writing portfolio.

Create collections to share what’s relevant

When you’re sharing your work, with an editor, employer, or even just another writer, you don’t always want to share all of your work. It’s key to create and categorize your work by niche or category. You can create collections that make this very easy and share only specific pieces of content with certain people.

6. Carrie Cousins

Carrie  has 15 years of experience in media, design, and content marketing and is a freelance writer and designer.

We asked her for advice for other portfolio builders.

“Think about ways to group content that showcases specific niches that you work in or want to work in. It can really help make sharing and getting new work a lot easier,” Carrie said.

That’s easy to do with Authory’s collection tools. It’s easy to categorize content, give it a label, and share just this grouping with editors.

Carrie Cousins' writing portfolio.

7. Stephanie Bernaba

Stephanie is a writer, multimedia journalist, and photographer.

This is easy to do with our collections feature. We want to make it easy for you to organize your work and send exactly what you need to editors so you can land the gig.

Stephanie had a bit of advice, too.

“Communicate your passion with your header. Make your headline impactful but succinct. Lastly, arrange your work into easily-searchable categories,” she said.

Stephanie Bernaba's writing portfolio.

8. David Worsfold

David is a journalist and author, specialising in finance and insurance

You’ll notice that his portfolio uses the collection feature, too.

“By making it easy to share my work. The collections help showcase writing on specific topics,” he said.

Of course, be thoughtful with your categories.

“Think about the audiences you want to reach and organise your work accordingly,” he mentioned.

David Worsfold's writing portfolio.

9. Kathy Parker

Kathy Parker's writing portfolio.

10. Geraldine Brook

Geraldine Brook's writing portfolio.

11. Pam Moore

Pam Moore's writing portfolio.

12. Mary Ann Gwinn

Mary Ann Gwinn's writing portfolio.

13. Simon Denyer

Simon Denyer's writing portfolio.

14. Jarrod Kimber

Jarrod Kimber's writing portfolio.

15. Carrie Back

Carrie Back's writing portfolio.

16. Crystal Housman

Crystal Housman's writing portfolio.

17. Steven Levy

Steven Levy's writing portfolio.

18. Carin Marais

Carin Marais' writing portfolio.

19. Rosanne Barrett

Rosanne Barrett's writing portfolio.

20. Dan Rosenbaum

Dan Rosenbaum's writing portfolio.

What your takeaways should be from these writing portfolio examples

What a writer portfolio is, and why you need a writing portfolio.

A writing portfolio is a collection of your best (and possibly all) writing samples put together on a website so that potential clients and employers can make a "buying" decision — in essence, all the information that they may need to engage you for your writing services.

An online writing portfolio can also do wonders for your personal branding if managed well. So, in a word, your portfolio is a single place through which you can source work.

Curating the perfect set of writing samples for your portfolio

It's important to figure out what kind of writer you are and the type of writing work you're looking for. This process will inform the writing samples that you'll highlight in your writing portfolio.

Remember, writers come in all shapes and sizes (literally!), and you could be a content writer, copywriter, novelist, author, non-fiction writer, poet, journalist, and more... the list is practically endless.

With that in mind, it's essential that you curate the content on your writing portfolio with examples that will impress upon readers your specific set (and type) of writing skills so that they can make an informed decision when hiring you.

To that end, if you feel that you don't have a good set of writing samples to upload to your portfolio, then it might be best to get writing!

To help you build out your writing portfolio, I've put together a small set of ideas/resources that I turn to for inspiration, support, and general diversion:

• Subreddits like r/writingpromts, r/thedailyprompt, and r/promptoftheday are excellent for trying out amateur storytelling.
• Other subreddits like r/writing, r/freelancewriters, r/keepwriting, r/writers, r/selfpublish, r/blogging, r/copywriting, r/technicalwriting, r/wordcount, r/writingmotivation, offer up a plethora of options for3 you to explore as writer.
• To find work, subreddits like r/hireawriter, r/forhire, r/b2bforhire, r/writersforhire, r/jobbit, and r/writingopportunities can be a source for work if you're lucky.
• What's more in your control is writing for your personal social media accounts to build up that personal brand.
• You could also provide your services for free or reduced rates to friends and family who run a business — this can be for their social media accounts or even their websites.
• Form a writing group with a friend — I have a weekly writing meetup with a close friend, and this can be an online meetup — my friend is half a planet away!
• Write about what you know: everyone knows something and has a lot to offer, even if it's a personal experience. For example, when I am stuck, I write about content marketing and SEO — I don't publish these pieces necessarily, but they're great for getting the juices flowing. That said, I could post them in my writing portfolio.

Seven tips for creating the ideal writing portfolio website based on the writing portfolio examples above

The writing portfolio examples above should give you a great idea of what a writing portfolio must look like, and the various ways other writers choose to exhibit their work.

We've also gone over why you need a writing portfolio and how you can create a few writing samples in case you feel the need to.

Now, let's get down to how you should create a writing portfolio website. We'll go over the best and most efficient ways to go about creating it.

1. Make your website more organized for simpler navigation.

It's vital to organize your online writing portfolio in a way that's easy for your readers to follow. Place your top projects front and center for simple accessibility. Note: what the ideal projects are may differ from client to client. So, suppose you divide your work into carefully curated collections with different URLs. In that case, that specific URL that contains projects pertaining to that particular client can be shared with them.

2. The "correct" number of your projects for easy viewability

The conventional wisdom is that you should limit the number of projects on your online writing portfolio so that a prospective client can make a quick and easy assessment.

I think this is WRONG.

Your portfolio website HAS to have ALL your content. Why? Well, because hiring managers, clients, and employers are looking for both quality AND quantity. Yes, they aren't going to read your entire portfolio website, but they are looking for consistency and experience.

Obviously, if you wrote a terrible article long ago as a young budding freelance writer, don't include it. So, I'll change my caveat to " nearly ALL your content."

Hence, the navigation of your writing portfolio becomes super important. Remember how I spoke about dividing your work into collections? Well, that is a must if you're including a ton of content. Split it by topic, type, publication, etc., and then share the correct URL with your prospect. Let them begin their journey through your writing portfolio from a starting point that you have determined for them.

Place your contact information in an easy-to-find spot so that when a prospect is satisfied with your writing, they can contact you immediately.

3. Imagery for better conversion rates

Human beings positively respond to visual stimuli, especially faces, which means if you're able to include graphics in your writing sample, you have a better chance of converting your readers.

4. Write case studies to exhibit results

If you have the bandwidth to do so, then you should take some time to write case studies for the work that you have done. A simple format to follow for writing case studies is as follows:

• Start with the results: usually exhibited in the form of "increase X by Y." So, for example, I could say I increased traffic to the blog by 11X.
• Then outline the problems and challenges that the client was facing before you joined the project.
• Next, explain how you solved those problems with your writing, your work, and general professionalism.
• And finally, round it off by digging into the details of the results you achieved a bit more and touch upon how the client is doing now.

5. Add social proof to lend credibility to your work

Unfortunately, writing is a creative art, and there are always critics. If you can get a past client to vouch for you and your writing, then that social proof can stand you in good stead when soliciting even more work. Add all the social proof (read: testimonials) you can in your writing portfolio to bump up that conversion rate.

If you have done work for friends and family, this would be a great place to begin hunting for testimonials.

6. Present your contact info in an easily accessible place

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating because it's so important. The whole point of having a writer's portfolio is to get work. If people cannot contact you or can't find your contact details, that will severely affect your chances of getting new projects. Social media handles will do if you're uncomfortable with sharing your email address or phone number publicly.

7. Use a website builder for writers like Authory to create your portfolio quickly and back up your work

All of the tips here are excellent (if I say so myself!), but that said, creating a writer's portfolio is a lot of work !

So, leaving the best for last: my final piece of advice is to use a portfolio website builder so that you can cut down the time to build one.

A couple of major issues that writers face are:

• Updating their writing portfolios when they write new content, especially when creating a portfolio from scratch, takes effort. So, in essence, most writing portfolios are out-of-date.
• And writers also lose access to their work when websites go down, and content gets re-bylined, etc.

That's why a service like Authory is perfect for writers worldwide. With Authory, you get a self-updating portfolio plus a full auto-updating backup of ALL your content. It's super simple to set up your Authory portfolio:

• Sign up for Authory for free !
• Add your sources, i.e., all the places where you've published content on the web. Authory will automatically find your bylined content from these sources and import it into your Authory account.
• Build a collection from the collection tab: click "+ Create collection" and follow the instructions.
• Then go to the portfolio tab : go to the "Content" tab on the left menu and add the collection you just created.
• And then, toggle your portfolio on from the "Portfolio" tab on the left menu, and check out your portfolio!

And now you'll have a self-updating portfolio that also automatically backs up all your content!

To see more writing portfolio examples, check out our other collection :

• Content Marketers
• Journalists

Protim is a startup founder & marketer with over a decade of experience in content marketing, content writing, SEO, and more. He loves dogs, D&D, and music!

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10 Portfolio Cover Page Templates [+Examples]

Portfolio cover page templates are an excellent option to make a stunning portfolio that stands out. It enables you to focus more on your work instead of thinking about its presentation. Portfolio sites are essential for freelance creators who want to attract more potential by effectively showcasing their work. 

Portfolio templates and website themes for photographers, artists, and graphic designers save time and budget. Simple CSS tinkering can make most portfolio themes unique.

Below are portfolio cover page design templates from major web platforms that you can consider to showcase your portfolio.

10 Portfolio Cover Page Examples

1.  thomas.

Thomas is one of the most stylish Adobe Portfolio website templates available. Simple and elegant, this portfolio cover page makes the work speak for itself. A scroll displays the project’s title and provides more images and information.

Existing Creative Cloud subscribers may prefer this template because it has Adobe Portfolio. Many creatives leverage Thomas to significant effect.

2.  Flatiron

Flatiron is a portfolio template from Squarespace. It has a visually appealing gallery display that integrates images of varying aspect ratios. Another option is to keep the site navigation unobtrusive and straightforward to ensure your portfolio reflects accurately. The puzzle structure maximizes the space available on the site for your work, while the menu is in the top left.

WordPress offers a lot of customization if you know a little coding. Helium is an excellent WordPress template for portfolio cover pages as it provides a broader range of features.

Helium provides an excellent user experience for anyone visiting your site, with three various portfolio layouts, a lovely blog, and a sophisticated AJAX navigation system. Helium’s full integration with Easy Digital Downloads makes selling digital goods or prints easy.

4. 3D portfolio design template

We adore the design of this template from Wix that works beautifully for a 3D artist. It’s suitable for showcasing any creative portfolio, but it works best for moving images.

You may showcase your top three images on the full-screen using parallax scrolling. You can leverage grid-style to show more work samples below. It’s a no-nonsense portfolio template to help you stand out with your 3D work.

5.  Malken-Hill

Cargo Collective provides a selection of outstanding portfolio layouts. A clean, white background displays your work and provides access to more images and info. The top navigation bar contributes to the minimalistic mood and sets the tone for less is more for portfolio sites.

6. Marta

Marta is an elegant theme from Adobe Portfolio. It is designed by an Amsterdam-based designer Marta Veludo. Visitors can always see your most vital information because of the fixed navigation feature that fluidity transforms colors while scrolling.

Navigation options are on the left side of the page, and the logo is positioned in the center. Responsive grid and fixed gutters are leveraged to build the entire site. This results in an eye-catching and slick option for a portfolio cover page.

York is a stylish Squarespace portfolio cover page template designed considering the unique needs of creative designers. It’s delightfully minimalistic in comparison to thumbnail-based alternatives. It focuses more on standalone projects with half-width or full-width images. Above the fold, an essential part of the Portfolio Cover Page is that it reserves an elaborate introduction.

You need work to support a straightforward portfolio template that positions the designer with complete confidence. It also offers the option to highlight a few of your genuinely outstanding projects.

8. Emma Brewer

Many of Wix’s portfolio templates are incredibly flexible regarding the kind of work they may display, although each one typically has a suggested discipline.

Art directors and graphic designers are the target audience for this Emma Brewer theme. The homepage features large, half-page thumbnails that link to expansive project galleries.

For projects with multiple touchpoints, this is ideal for displaying a hero image at the top, followed by a paragraph of information and a selection of secondary images.

9. Throne

Throne, another highly adaptable WordPress template, is apt for a full-fledged studio or a freelance creative. There are many options for customization, making it ideal for those with diverse portfolios that span multiple disciplines, as the navigation lets you search by category.

This portfolio cover design offers more video support, widgets, icons, fonts, CSS3 animations, and page layout options.

This WordPress theme requires high-resolution images, but it’s worth it. You can also include social media links with this portfolio website template if that’s your thing.

Snaps is a portfolio template for portrait-oriented images, illustrations, and other works of art. The simple, basic design focuses on your tasks and fits any screen size.

3 Tips For Designing Your Portfolio Cover Page

1. your portfolio cover page should stand alone..

Your portfolio page is so much more than a collection of projects! Design is always crucial, even if you can’t design your portfolio cover page. Fonts, colors, whitespace, layout, and visual hierarchy are significant factors. Not just your projects, but these elements can make a first impression.

2. Show some personality

When applying for a job, you should spice up your portfolio. Remember that most companies are looking for like-minded individuals. Why wait for a phone or in-person UX designer interview when you can leapfrog? 

Display it on your portfolio cover page, show your name, position, and contact information prominently where people can see them immediately. However, adding hobbies or activities can help you get ahead.

3. Your projects are the star.

Your portfolio design goes beyond your header and bio. Instead, it begins when you complete your projects. Your projects are vital in your portfolio; therefore, make them big. Grab all the attention now! Portfolios should contain three to five projects – your best work. Putting them in a single line or a carousel won’t work.

A portfolio cover page records an individual’s achievements, skills, and abilities. Unlike a resume, which lists a person’s qualifications and recent accomplishments, a portfolio showcases a person’s past work and current skills and interests.

The portfolio cover page is a concise summary of that person’s work. The purpose of the cover page is to promote a person’s skills and achievements. It’s a way to attract prospective employers’ attention.

Employers rarely have the time to look through a candidate’s entire resume. The portfolio cover page is a savior for both the employer and the individual. The person can highlight their best work and abilities, and the employer can decide whether to hire or promote them based on their cover page .

Key Takeaways

• Portfolio cover templates can save time and energy.
• We can customize templates and add information.
• A professional appearance would be an attractive feature for employers and meet their needs.
• A portfolio cover page is a great marketing tool. The available templates can help simplify this process.

You should include projects and significant pieces of work that you’ve managed or involved in your portfolio. Include any relevant outcomes and lessons you’ve learned and any relevant skills or methods you’ve used in the past.

Physical or digital records of your achievements and accomplishments are formats for a portfolio. A professional portfolio can help you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs that don’t typically require a resume or cover letter.

Portfolios enable you to show, rather than tell, about the skills you’d like to highlight on your resume or in an interview. When you’re searching for a new job, a portfolio is an excellent approach to showcase your abilities.

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Table of contents

• Made with Copyfolio
• Portfolio Tips

13 Creative Writing Portfolio Examples & How to Create Yours

Just as you need inspiration for writing, it also helps with putting together your writing portfolio . We’re here to provide you with exactly that, in the form of 13 creative writing portfolio examples.

They’re portfolio websites from different kinds of creative writers: some do poetry, some scriptwriting, some copywriting… One thing is for sure though: you’ll leave with ideas, excitement, and a clear vision of how to make your ideas come to life in your own portfolio.

Read until the end because we'll also show you how you can build yours easily, in 5 simple steps.

13 creative writing portfolio examples & why they’re excellent

1. macy fidel.

Macy used Copyfolio's Premier template and "Cardboard Clip" color palette to create her portfolio

This portfolio is great because...

• It has a crystal-clear tagline: you'll know at first glance what Macy does
• The projects are upfront: you don't need to search and click around to check out Macy's writing skills and style
• The homepage has a great about section with a CTA: you can find out a little more about her and know exactly what to do if you'd like to know more
• The bold background color makes it memorable amongst simple white portfolio websites

2. Esa Haddad

Esa's portfolio was made with Copyfolio's "Wallscape" template

• It beautifully shows how a creative writer can do more than just that. He's also a communications professional, doing technical and academic writing next to his creative and poetic endeavors.
• With a black background and white text , this site stands out. Having such a canvas makes it easy for bolder headlines and images to pop, leading the eyes nicely along the page.
• It has an easy way for you to get in touch. All you need to do is click the LinkedIn icon to visit his profile or navigate to the contact page to find out more.

3. Julia Tula

Julia created her portfolio with Copyfolio's "Artboard" template

• It has an aesthetic and consistent design. Using simple squares for thumbnails, in colors matching the color palette pulls the whole site's design together.
• Julia shows a great variety of creative writing pieces in her projects, including discussions about the theory of creative writing, creative non-fiction short stories, and fiction writing as well.
• It showcases Julia's brilliant writing skills with every word she's written on the site. From the tagline, to her about me section, it's all written beautifully.

4. Larissa Vasquez

Larissa created her site with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Billboard" template .

• It sets the mood for her writing portfolio with a white, beige, and brown color scheme.
• The homepage features a photo of scraps of paper on the top —very fitting for a writer.
• Choosing a photo of herself with similar colors , then creating custom beige and brown project thumbnails really pulled it all together.
• It has a simple layout. On the homepage, Larissa added a short introduction, then dove right into her writing samples . This makes it easy for everyone to read her pieces and see her writing skills shine.

5. Andrea Arcia

Andrea created her portfolio with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Letterpress" template

• Andrea used a constantly changing, but cohesive layout to keep you interested and engaged, even with a lot of text on the page.
• She started out with three projects in a portfolio grid but then went on to use columns to display text, adding images every second block. This is a great way if you want to introduce projects or showcase longer stories or poems without overwhelming your visitors.

6. Hannah Rogers

Hannah created her writer website using Copyfolio, and the “Typewriter” template .

• You'll know who Hannah is and what she does right away. She's a versatile creative writer and editor, currently sailing with Firmenich.
• It's easy to learn about her background too : after finishing her degree in English and Creative Writing, she perfected her skills, now offering copywriting, concept content creation, editing, and more.
• Her fields of expertise are also clear : creative writing, brand storytelling, and editing. Displayed with short descriptions for each, it's the perfect way to introduce them.
• It has great creative writing project displays . In the title, you can see her role (e.g. writer, creative lead, producer) —then you can check each piece published online if you click through.

Overall, the portfolio flows well, it’s clear at every step where you need to look, and she showcases her expertise wonderfully.

7. Shweta Shreyarthi

A brilliant structure and clear layout, if we do say so ourselves. She created it with Copyfolio .

• Shweta decided to use a crips white canvas, simple black text, and black and white photos as the base of her site. But to shake it up a little, she’s using an orange accent color, and a pastel but colorful background photo for a few of her sections.
• She has an amazing creative writing portfolio page , where she outlines what she does: she’s a creative communicator, using her copywriting and content creation skills in her work.
• Her expertise is illustrated with work samples , and supplemented with short explanations. You can explore her work in different categories: social media, executive communications, proposal writing, website copywriting, and more.
• The portfolio has a great variety of projects. In each category, she included 2-4 samples for visitors to check: illustrating them with a picture, writing a very brief description (with the client + category), and adding a clear CTA with a link.

8. Magd Elzahed

Magd made her creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio, using the “Typewriter” template .

• It has a distinctive and consistent branding , with the black-and-white top section and typewriter-like serif fonts.
• Shows Magd's mission upfront. She makes it clear that her aim is “to bring your ideas to life through the power of language.”
• an on-brand picture to illustrate it,
• a clear title with the name of the client,
• a short description of what the project was about,
• and a call-to-action button.
• Makes it easy to find out even more about each project if you're interested. Clicking on the buttons takes you to a page going into more detail on what exactly the project entailed, what her task was, and how the final results turned out.
• It has a lot more information available on additional pages: you can read about her journey, services, references, and more.

9. Charlie Labbett

Charlie's portfolio website was made with Copyfolio's "Typewriter" template

• The dark background makes it different from most creative writing portfolios. It also helps the lighter text and silver graphics to pop and draw your attention to them.
• Has a clear tagline , from which you'll know that Charlie's focus is writing horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories within the realm of creative writing.
• It showcases multiple types of writing projects: extracts from longer-form pieces alongside some poetry work. This shows how versatile his writing skills are.

10. Melissa Wade

This lovely portfolio website was built with Copyfolio, using one of the legacy templates, “Agenda” .

• It showcases the many talents Melissa has. She’s an Amazon best-selling author, content creator, brand ambassador, and more.
• Right at the start, she grabs readers’ attention with a strong headline. How? By talking not about herself per se —but about what she can provide them .
• She also added a nicely designed banner. On it are the things you’d typically write in that tagline: what it is exactly that you do, illustrated with more pictures of her and her book.
• The portfolio site uses pictures with harmonizing colors. The pink in her blouse matches the background of the banner and the colorful wall. It helped her create a professional look and stylish design.

11. Lara Ramirez

Lara built a fun and creative writing portfolio using Copyfolio’s “Journal” template .

• It sticks to one, cohesive color palette. See how she chose just a handful of colors, all matching her site’s palette, and only used them throughout the site? Follow her lead to ensure a great look for your own creative writing portfolio too!
• It features fun and unique design elements. Using simple blobs and flower shapes as the background of photos and mockups gives the portfolio a youthful and fun personality.
• Lara used mockups in her project thumbnails , which is an amazing way to elevate a portfolio and make it look even more professional.

12. Deeya Sonalkar

This creative writing portfolio website was made with Copyfolio’s “Journal’ template , combined with the “Charcoal” color palette.

• It sets the tone for a true creative writer portfolio with a Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
• Deeya builds rapport with a portrait and a short introduction talking about her life-long passion for writing.
• It showcases her various projects , with the thumbnails mostly leading to websites and social media profiles she’s worked on. So visitors can see her words live, in action.
• The website has a consistent design , only using black-and-white images, and simple black text on a white background.

13. Genie Smith

Genie created her portfolio with one of Copyfolio's legacy templates, "Agenda"

• Genie uses images intentionally , to set the mood: hands in black and white, a typewriter, windows, etc.
• It has a deeper purpose other than just showcasing creative writing work . Formerly dealing with mental health issues, Genie turned to writing to help her heal herself —and to help others.
• The layout leads you along the page, keeping you interested . First, you can learn about the big picture of her life and work, then learn more about her, and in the end, check her writing pieces.

How to build your creative writing portfolio based on these examples

Checking out examples and getting ideas is an important first step… But then you’ll have to actually get started. Don’t worry, we’ll help you with the building process: we’ll outline how to create a stunning creative writing portfolio in just 5 easy steps.

1. Choose a platform & create an account

The first and maybe most important choice you’ll have to make is choosing a platform to build your portfolio website. Our recommendation is Copyfolio, a portfolio website builder that was designed for writers. It’s incredibly fast and easy to use, giving you all the help you need to create something powerful.

When you sign up, you can pick your profession (e.g. creative writer) and the goal of your site. Based on these, Copyfolio will generate a starter site for you.

The page and types of sections on them will be determined by your goal, while all the content inside the sections will be based on your profession. And yes, the latter applies to newly added sections too!

This will give you lots of ideas about what to write and where. All you'll have to do is personalize the text here and there and upload your own pictures. This leads us to the second step, to...

2. Personalize the content of your pages

You'll have an almost-complete site on your hands, but you still have to make it yours. So go over your pages and personalize their contents.

The most important part will be the top of your homepage. That's what everyone sees at first —and whether they'll keep checking your portfolio will depend on it too.

If you chose a writing portfolio template with a photo at the top, then try to find a nice picture of yourself to upload there. That'll help build rapport with your visitors.

If you're not comfortable putting yourself out there like that, you can choose a template with no picture, or upload a decorative one like Macy or Julia did above.

3. Add your creative writing samples

Once the basics are done, it’s time to add your projects. Creative writing samples give viewers a chance to see your writing skills in action and as such, they’re an essential part of your portfolio.

(Need a little help with writing yours? Check out our writing sample templates !)

Make sure you choose thumbnail images for them that all go together color- and design-wise, and add 4-6 of them for a good variety.

In Copyfolio , you can add 3 types of projects: case study pages, PDF files, or external links. Whichever you choose, we'll add a thumbnail image for you. When someone clicks on it, the project will open, in the case of PDFs and external links, in a new tab.

4. Set a custom portfolio URL

To put the cherry on top of a professional creative writing portfolio website, you should set a custom URL for it.

If you're not a freelancer, you can simply customize the ending of your URL. In that case, it's going to look something like this: https://copyfol.io/v/dorka —that's the link to our writer's own site, actually.

If you have bigger plans for personal branding, expanding your career, or going freelance, it's best you get a proper domain. You can buy one right in Copyfolio that'll be automatically connected to your site. Or if you've bought one already somewhere else, you can easily connect that too.

+1: Customize your extra settings : SEO, favicon, and more

This 5th step is not essential —that's why we named it a +1. But these little things can add a lot to the overall feel and performance of your portfolio. So if you have the time, we recommend you to go through them and customize each to your brand.

Extra things you could do are:

• Optimizing your SEO settings. You can write custom meta titles and descriptions for each page + upload a preview image that appears when the page is shared online.
• Set a custom favicon. It's the browser icon that appears next to the name of your page and it helps people to recognize your site amongst all the tabs they have open.
• Write a blog. All it takes is adding a blog section and clicking the "Add new blog post button" and your blog is ready to go. It's amazing to showcase your writing skills and share your musings with the world.
• Finetune your design. In Copyfolio, you can switch up the look of your site in one click, using global palettes and presets. Play around with the colors and fonts to see which one matches your brand the most.

Create your creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio!

Sounds pretty easy, right? And even if you have questions along the way, the blog and the in-app prompts and guiding questions will be there to give a helping hand. The Copyfolio Team is also always just an email away.

Give it a try, create your creative writing portfolio for free with Copyfolio today!

Dorka Kardos-Latif

Digital marketer & portfolio expert, the face behind all content on Copyfolio 👋

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• Get the Job
• Resumes and CVs
• Applications
• Cover Letters
• Professional References

Professional Licenses and Exams

• Get a Promotion
• Negotiation
• Professional Ethics
• Professionalism
• Dealing with Coworkers
• Dealing with Bosses

Communication Skills

Managing the office, disabilities, harassment and discrimination, unemployment.

• Career Paths
• Compare Careers
• Switching Careers
• Training and Certifications
• Start a Company
• Internships and Apprenticeships
• Entry Level Jobs
• College Degrees

Growth Trends for Related Jobs

How to do a cover page for a portfolio.

A portfolio is an organized collection of your best work that showcases your skills, abilities and accomplishments. In some creative fields, such as architecture and graphic design, a portfolio is a requirement, but you can also develop a portfolio containing writing samples, letters of recommendation, transcripts, news clippings and more. A portfolio should include only your best work. It should be organized so it can be easily reviewed, and that begins with a cover page, which tells reviewers what to expect inside.

Include Important Information

The purpose of the portfolio cover page is to provide the reviewer with information about the contents. Give your portfolio a descriptive name; for instance, “John Smith Design Portfolio” or “Kate Jones Career Portfolio.” Include the date range of the work included (i.e., Design Portfolio 2017) and the source of the work, such as “Writing Portfolio, 2013-2017, Harvard University.” Don’t forget your contact information, including your mailing address, phone number and email address.

Designing the Page

Your portfolio cover page is a chance to show some personality and be creative. In fact, if your portfolio is a showcase of graphic design or artwork, a creative cover page that displays your abilities is a must. However, if you do not have graphic design skills, most word processing programs offer cover page templates, or you can design a simple page.

To design your own cover page:

1. Begin with a blank document. Type the title of your portfolio, and center it about a third of the way down the page.

2. Choose a title font that is easy to read. Increase the font size to at least 18-point type.

3. Add the additional information about the portfolio as needed.

4. Type your contact information at the bottom of the page, centered and in a smaller type size than the title.

Cover Page Vs. Cover Letter

The cover page of your portfolio is not the cover letter. The cover letter is a more detailed description of the contents of the portfolio. In the case of a portfolio of creative works, such as writing or photography, the cover letter may provide a description of the portfolio contents along with the motivation for including those particular items, notes about the process of creating them and what you learned. The contents of the cover letter may also be determined by the requirements of the recipient. If you are submitting a portfolio for review for a specific purpose, follow those cover letter specifications.

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• San Diego State University: Preparing a Portfolio
• Elon University: Getting Your Portfolio Started

An adjunct instructor at Central Maine Community College, Kristen Hamlin is also a freelance writer and editor, specializing in careers, business, education, and lifestyle topics. The author of Graduate! Everything You Need to Succeed After College (Capital Books), which covers everything from career and financial advice to furnishing your first apartment, her work has also appeared in Young Money, Lewiston Auburn Magazine, USA Today, and a variety of online outlets. She's also been quoted as a career expert in many newspapers and magazines, including Cosmopolitan and Parade. She has a B.A. in Communication from Stonehill College, and a Master of Liberal Studies in Creative Writing from the University of Denver.

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What Is a Portfolio Cover Page?

What jobs and industries use portfolios, top tips for your portfolio cover page, final thoughts, how to design a portfolio cover page.

Updated May 15, 2024

You may have perfected the art of writing resumes and cover letters , but for some job openings, you’ll also be required to submit a portfolio of work as part of your application . This is primarily for jobs in the creative industries.

A portfolio is usually a digital file that gives an employer insight into your abilities through past projects. These may have been completed:

• In previous employment
• As part of a college degree
• As a work placement
• During an internship
• As a self-led side project

The problem is that recruiters and HR managers see a high number of applications for any single vacancy – and they don’t always have time to properly look through them all.

This means your portfolio has to grab their attention .

For this, you need to design an eye-catching portfolio cover page .

This is, basically, your professional shop window. It’s the first thing a recruiter will see of your work and will help them decide whether or not to take a closer look.

Exactly what your portfolio cover page looks like will depend on your profession and personal style but, in all cases, it should provide key details and enough of an incentive for the reader to continue .

A portfolio is a way of showcasing talent, typically of a visible or audible nature. As such, they are most commonly used in creative industries .

Professions for which you’ll be expected to have a portfolio include:

• Photography
• Graphic design
• Illustration
• Interior design
• Pattern design
• Architecture
• Video production
• Voice-over work
• Make-up artistry

They are also used in most writing and editing professions , and are increasingly crossing over into the tech space , for example, as a method to assess talent in fields such as app development and UX design.

What Should Be On a Portfolio Cover Page?

The elements that make up your portfolio cover page may vary according to job role .

For example, it’s not vital for a writer to add visual elements but they will be integral for anyone in an artistic or design-focused profession.

Remember, though, that the point of your cover page is to make an impact – so it’s worth considering aesthetics regardless of whether your job is visual or not.

There are some details, however, that all portfolio cover pages should include.

Name and Document Title

Absolutely critical to your portfolio cover page is your name. The hiring manager should know who the document, and the work inside, belongs to.

You should also consider a title that tells the reader exactly what they’re looking at, such as 'Web Design Portfolio' .

To save space, you could combine the two: 'Alison Smith: Professional Portfolio' is perfectly acceptable, as the reader knows what role they’re hiring for.

However, avoid this if [making a speculative application] (/application-advice/job-applications/speculative-application-email) and stick to a title that makes it explicitly clear what you do.

Your name and title should stand out over any other written content on your portfolio cover page, so use a larger font size of around 18 points.

Contact Details

The recruiter may not have your contact details to hand, so be sure to include your email address and telephone number on your portfolio cover page.

You may also want to include links to your LinkedIn profile , as this gives the recruiter an additional source of information should they want more detail on your professional experience and network.

Other social media links may prove useful too, such as Twitter for writers and Instagram for visual artists.

Stick to platforms that add value, as you want to avoid clutter or a confusing layout. You also don’t want to link to social media channels that contain potentially embarrassing material.

Your contact information should be clearly visible, but less apparent than any other details, so place it somewhere discreet and choose your font size wisely.

Academic Background/Current Position

If you’re a recent college graduate after your first role, it can be useful to include details of what you studied and where, plus the year of your graduation. This gives the reader more context for your portfolio.

If you already have experience and are currently in employment, you might consider including your existing job title to give more context around who you are and where you’re coming from.

If you’ve submitted a resume with your portfolio, the recruiter will already have access to this information, but it can be useful to jog their memory. You don’t want them to have to hunt it down; having to put in more effort may put them off contacting you.

Career Objective

For written content , include a short paragraph that hooks the reader in and makes them want to look beyond the front cover.

Much like a good resume objective , this should succinctly explain your key skills, motivations and long-term career goals .

Your Photograph

This is optional, but including a photograph on your portfolio cover page adds a personal touch that can make you stand out. It helps the reader feel connected to you, which can really help bring your work to life.

Of course, if you do not feel comfortable with this, you’re under no obligation to have one, just as you’re under no obligation to add a photo to your resume.

If you do include one, go for a professional headshot that makes you look suited to the role.

Cover Design

This is really job-specific but, as stated, an attractive cover page can help catch the eye of a busy recruiter.

If you work in some aspect of visual art, this should come fairly easy to you; whatever design elements you incorporate should reflect the style of your work .

If you’re not a designer, you could opt for stock imagery, provided you have the rights for its use, or you could use a template offered by an online design solution like Canva .

Alternatively, you could pay to have your cover professionally designed . It’s a wise investment when you consider your portfolio cover page could help you land your dream job.

Step 1 . Tailor It For Each Application

You may not think there’s much you can do to tailor your portfolio cover page. After all, your name and job/degree title remain the same whatever job you apply for.

However, you can, and should, tailor your short career objective , and try to match it as closely as possible with the person specification provided in the job description .

Step 2 . Develop Your Own Personal Brand Identity

Much like the company you’re applying to has an established brand identity, it’s beneficial to create your own . It shows consistency, attention to detail and individuality.

Whatever design you settle on for the cover page, make sure it extends throughout your portfolio and matches with other personal brand assets like your website, business cards and social profiles.

You may even choose to create a matching letterhead for your accompanying cover letter.

Step 3 . Keep It Simple and Neat

Consider carefully the layout of your cover page. Written information should be easy to read at a glance and you should try to make the best possible use of white space.

Be consistent in your choice of font and colours, keeping the latter to a minimum for a professional look.

Step 4 . Proofread It

You wouldn’t submit your resume without giving it a final check over. The same applies to your portfolio cover page.

Any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors can mark you as unprofessional from the outset, so proofread it until you're absolutely sure there are no mistakes.

Step 5 . Have Someone Critique Your Design

It can be hard to look objectively at something you’ve designed yourself, so it’s a good idea to get a family member, friend or colleague to give their thoughts on your portfolio cover page.

They’ll likely be able to spot any mistakes you’ve missed after looking at it for too long and may well have a little creative input to take it to the next level.

Your portfolio cover page is one of the easiest parts of your professional image to optimize – and one of the most worthwhile.

Consider all the hard work you've put into the projects you’re trying to showcase and how disappointed you’d be if they never reached a recruiter's eyes because your front cover let you down.

It’s well worth investing your time to make sure your cover page is a good representation of who you are, and the skills, passion and creativity you can offer any potential employer.

You might also be interested in these other Wikijob articles:

Or explore the Application Advice / Job Applications sections.

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10 Writers with Portfolios that Stand Out

These freelance writers know an attention-grabbing portfolio is a key factor when it comes to landing gigs. Check out these tips to create a killer portfolio.

A well-made writer website is an important tool for networking online as a freelance writer or editor. Twitter can be useful for making connections and finding gigs or potential clients, but a professional online portfolio is necessary when pitching new article ideas or applying for jobs.

Your online portfolio website can be simple, such as a biography and list of published clips. Or, you can add more depth with a CV, personal projects, and a blog post or two to showcase your writing.

Our Pick of the Best Writing Portfolio Examples

A well-designed writing portfolio is essential for showcasing your work as a writer. Format has compiled a list of some of the best writer websites to help inspire you.

These writers cover a range of genres, from journalism to fiction to fashion, and their online writing portfolios reflect the quality of their work. Format’s website builder and these writing portfolio examples provide a winning combination for success in your writing career.

Our collection of online writing portfolios can provide inspiration and help you think about what to include in your own portfolio.

Find more website design ideas at our round-up of the best online portfolios built using Format .

Jennifer Fernandez

Brooklyn-based writer Jennifer Fernandez uses a grid-based theme to showcase a range of links to writing samples, including a thumbnail image and title for each one. Fernandez has been on staff at Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, and Martha Stewart Weddings, and has worked for business clients including Zappos and Brooklinen. She organizes her writing website into categories of Design, Travel, and Lifestyle content to make browsing easy and to showcase the type of writing she has experience in.

www.jennifermfernandez.com Format Theme: Hue

Akwaeke Emezi

Award-winning Igbo and Tamil writer and artist Akwaeke Emezi keeps things simple on their writing portfolio with a text-focused design and lots of information about their work. Their debut autobiographical novel FRESHWATER was critically acclaimed by publications like The New Yorker and NPR, and they also have two new books forthcoming from Knopf and Riverhead Books. Their website is a simple way to put the main focus on their work.

www.akwaeke.com Format Theme: Offset

Kristen V. Bateman

Fashion and culture writer and editor Kristen V. Bateman keeps her online portfolio visually interesting with a theme that introduces each of her published clips via an image and title. Bateman’s extensive portfolio can be browsed by publications (which include Vogue, New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and many more), as well as by category.

www.kristenbateman.com Format Theme: Coral

Elise R. Peterson

The work of New York artist and writer Elise R. Peterson has appeared in Paper Magazine, Lenny Letter, and Elle, among other publications. Her recent book with Feminist Press, How Mamas Love Their Babies, explores an inclusive idea of motherhood along with co-author Juniper Fitzgerald. Including a link to pre-order her book right on her sidebar menu ensures that visitors to Peterson’s site will be up to date on her latest work.

www.eliserpeterson.com Format Theme: Ora

Rebecca Hobson

Freelance journalist and writer Rebecca Hobson introduces her online portfolio with a professional photograph of herself and links to different sections of her writing website. Based in Bristol, Hobson has also lived and worked in India. She has written for publications including the BBC, Vice, and The Times . Organizing her writing portfolio into different sections such as Content Marketing and Current Affairs, her freelance writing portfolio allows viewers to explore all the different facets of her work.

Format Theme: Peak

Alice Driver

Award-winning and widely-published journalist Alice Driver includes a detailed yet concise biography introducing who she is and what she does, a great way of allowing visitors to her site to quickly understand the focus of her work. An additional page of recent clips, organized with titles and thumbnail images, makes further reading of her published projects instantly accessible. Based in Mexico City, Driver’s work focuses on migration, human rights, and gender equality.

www.alicedriver.com Format Theme: Mica

Tara Pixley

Los-Angeles based photojournalist and scholar Tara Pixley was a recent Visiting Fellow at Harvard’s Nieman Foundation, and has published her photography and writing on media in a range of publications such as Newsweek, New York Times, and ProPublica. Pixley’s online portfolio features a selection of her photojournalism as well as a section showcasing some of her published writing.

www.tarapixley.com Format Theme: Horizon Left

A Chinese writer and reporter based in Beijing, Qin Chen writes about Chinese society for English-speaking readers. With experiences as a senior video producer for The New Yorker and a documentary producer at CNBC , Qin’s online portfolio showcases her published writing and videography.

www.qinvisual.com Format Theme: Order

Elaine Bleakney

Writer Elaine Bleakney introduces her works on her website with images of the book covers and recommendations from peers and critics. Her simple layout keeps the focus on her work, easily allowing visitors to follow links to her published work or consider purchasing one of her publications.

www.elainebleakney.com Format Theme: Mica

Scott Broker

Scott Broker’s writing website features a headshot and brief biography right on the homepage, instantly giving visitors a feel for who he is. Based in Ohio, Broker is currently an MFA candidate at Ohio State University, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His writing portfolio includes a selection of publications with a brief description of each one.

www.scottjbroker.com Format Theme: Mica

Tips for Building Your Own Killer Writer Portfolio Website

After reviewing the writer portfolio examples for inspiration, you can build your own portfolio. To effectively showcase your work as a writer, you must also have an eye for design.

Brainstorm Creative Portfolio Titles

A writer’s portfolio isn’t complete without a creative and catchy title. Writing portfolio titles can be difficult to come up with, but they are an important first step in creating a great portfolio site. The title is the first thing a prospective client reads, so you must grab their attention if you want them to continue.

A well-conceived creative portfolio title should be big, bold, and targeted to your audience. Consider the tone you are setting and how it relates to the message you want to convey with your work. Consider including your name in the title so the reader will remember who you are. Also, consider how the title will look before selecting a font for your writing portfolio site.

Portfolio Essentials:

A portfolio typically includes examples of your work, an about me section, and contact information for clients. Using the right writing portfolio format to showcase your work is a great way to attract engaged clients. The best writer portfolio sites, such as Format, offer a range of templates and a drag and drop builder to help you create a professional portfolio.

Creative Writing Portfolios

To create a strong writer portfolio, choose a website builder with customizable features and an easy editing process. Format offers a feature-rich portfolio site builder specifically designed for creative writers. Their range of templates and examples can also help provide inspiration. This allows writers to focus on creating content for their clients, rather than web design.

Creative Writing Portfolio Examples

We’ve compiled some of the most striking creative writing portfolio examples on the web, so you can get your creative juices flowing. Our recommendations above highlight Rebecca Hobson and Elise R. Peterson as creative portfolio writing samples that hit the right level of charm, sophistication, and individuality. Like what you see? Use Format’s website-building platform to set up a beautiful creative writing portfolio that exhibits the best of your work, just how you wanted it to look.

Freelance Writer Websites

The best writer websites express the writers’ flexibility and competency across a broad range of writing contexts. Bringing together examples of work produced for various sectors and requirements is crucial to conveying your writing abilities. However, It is also important to consider your personal skills and tailor your portfolio to highlight your strengths and industry-specific experience. Our pick of great writer website examples, such as Elaine Bleakney and Akwaeke Emezi , find the right balance of personal writing skills and subject-focus.

Journalism Portfolio

An online journalism portfolio should showcase your career highlights and best work as a journalist. Format’s template builder can help you effectively present your skills and experience to news agencies. This is crucial for advancing your career in journalism, whether you specialize in print, broadcast, or online journalism. A high-quality portfolio website is key to standing out and attracting new opportunities.

Journalism Portfolio Examples

Looking for examples of some of the best journalist websites to spark your creative mind? We’ve identified Tara Pixley , a Los-Angeles-based photojournalist, and scholar, as a case in point of a journalist site that uses photography as a method to engage clients with her journalistic competencies.

Similarly, award-winning journalist, Alice Driver , uses her online journalism portfolio to help clients understand more about her career and her areas of focus as a journalist. Both of these journalists, among many others, rely on Format as the best website for journalism portfolios.

An appealing online portfolio for journalists should feature your best and most recent work, as well as a list of the news agencies you have written for. If you haven’t got any published articles yet in your repertoire, that’s no problem at all. You can write several articles right on your new site. Just ensure that they are formatted like a real news article and have no grammar or spelling mistakes.

How to Make a Writing Portfolio for College

A well-formatted writer portfolio can give you that added boost for your college applications and help you stand out from the rest of the competition. Moving your existing portfolio online can make it easy for college admission departments to see the depth and breadth of your work. The best way to do this is to use a dedicated writers portfolio website such as Format, which is built to help writers network put their talents on full display. We have writers portfolios examples and intuitive templates to help you get started.

How to Share Your Online Writing Portfolio and Gain Traction

Once you have built your writer portfolio website and feel happy with the aesthetic, it is time to get the word out. The best websites online writing portfolio examples are also highly integrated with social media and are SEO-friendly. Format benefits from all of the latest SEO tools as well as social sharing features. This ensures that your personal brand stays at the top of the search results, making it easy for potential clients to find you.

Which Writing Portfolio Website Should I Use?

Format offers a comprehensive and user-friendly website builder for content writers. The platform’s customizable templates and digital marketing tools make it easy to create a professional online portfolio.

This allows writers to showcase their work and communicate with clients, while also focusing on writing and advancing their careers. Format is voted among the best portfolio sites for writers, and our customer support team is available to assist with any questions or issues.

Consider using Format to create your online writing portfolio and elevate your writing career.

Want to see more inspiring websites? 10 Animation Portfolios that Get Creative with Website Design 10 Artists Taking Ceramics to the Next Level 5 Websites Built Using Format’s New Spruce Theme

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Freelance writer portfolio: The best examples and how to build one

As a freelance writer, your portfolio is one of the most critical factors in landing new clients. It shows who you are, and what you’re capable of doing. But if you don’t do it right, you could just as easily turn potential clients off from working with you.

In this guide, we’re covering everything you need to know about freelance writing portfolios, whether you're a beginner or advanced freelancer.

What is a freelance writer portfolio?

In the traditional sense of the word, a freelance writer portfolio is a collection of your past work that you can show to potential clients.

In the modern sense of the word, portfolios do three things:

1. Introduce you and your work

Your online portfolio (along with a cover letter ) is one of the first things a potential client sees when they are considering working with you. Because of that, it’s one of the best ways to introduce who you are, the type of work you do, and explain what someone will see in your freelance writing portfolio.

2. Demonstrate your expertise

Share examples that make it clear you know what you’re doing. You can post any example that you feel best demonstrates a specific type of expertise. For example: experience with a certain type of writing, a certain topic, or with a certain publication.

3. Begin the sales process

The best portfolios encourage potential clients to reach out. They make it easy to contact you and highlight the best possible examples of your work—the stuff that makes customers excited at the prospect of working with you.

The two kinds of freelance writer portfolios

Freelance writers will often have two different kinds of portfolios, both used in different times and for different purposes: the general portfolio and the specific portfolio.

1. The general portfolio

This kind of online portfolio acts as your CV, showcasing as much of your work as you can possibly fit in. You might also categorize or tag the content based on what it is: the topic, the outlet, the style of article, or the type of writing.

This is an internal document. Use this kind of portfolio to capture all your work that you can pull from later, but you don’t often send this to a client.

2. The specific portfolio

In contrast to the general portfolio, a specific portfolio is an external document that’s aimed at helping you sell more as a freelance writer. It’s where you showcase your best work or specific examples tailored to a pitch you’re making. That way you can show the most relevant work samples to help you close a deal.

Why do freelance writers need a portfolio?

Portfolios can do a lot more for freelancers than just sharing some work samples. Here are four key reasons why every freelance writer needs a portfolio:

1. Personal branding : Your online portfolio—and how you build it—says a lot about you as a freelancer. It demonstrates not only your visual style, but also your organizational process and what you feel are your best work samples.

2. Demonstrating topical expertise : Portfolios offer definitive proof that you know how to write about a topic (because you actually wrote about it). You might still get questions about how much editing went into the piece, but the portfolio provides a foundation.

3. Showcasing your range as a writer : If you’re great at different kinds of writing—nonfiction, fiction, long form, interviews, research, etc.—you can showcase that in portfolio navigation.

4. Avoiding the need to share references : Many clients will want to know that you can deliver the work they want. In the absence of a portfolio, they may ask for references, which is time-consuming and uncomfortable for you to find a previous client, ask if they will serve as a reference, then make the introduction and hope for the best.

What makes a good freelance writer portfolio?

The strongest portfolios have four key elements:

Introduction : Every portfolio should introduce who you are, what kind of work you do, and any other relevant information (such as awards or accolades).

Categorization : Good portfolios make it easy to see your range of work, whether that’s topical or type of content.

Good flow : Your portfolio is part of your overall sales experience, so a visually-appealing flow that’s easy to skim or click through is critical.

Comprehensive but not overly long : You need to include enough samples to prove that you’re good at your job, but not so many that you confuse or inundate a potential customer.

Amazing examples of freelance writer portfolio sites

Need some inspiration for your portfolio? Here are 10 online writing portfolio examples that you can steal ideas from.

Shayna Conde

Shayna Conde is a freelance writer that focuses on storytelling around diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Portfolio style : Shayna built a minimalist portfolio that showcases her as a person. It’s part of her personal website, so you can learn more about her on other pages—but this portfolio page is succinct and easy to share with potential clients.

Why the portfolio stands out : Her portfolio stands out because it’s curated. She doesn’t just throw out every article she’s ever written. Instead, she’s hand-picked the writing samples that encapsulate her writing style and range, so potential clients know exactly what she might produce for them.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you have one key focus that you want all potential clients to know about.

Hank Herman

Hank Herman is a humorist writer that has written multiple books, articles, and even teaches seminars on writing.

Portfolio style : Hank’s portfolio is also part of his personal site, but the design is very focused on being brand-relevant. It’s sleek for its own sake, and feels very custom to Hank and his personality.

Why the portfolio stands out : His portfolio is a great reflection of his personality. It’s lighthearted, comprehensive, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. This gives potential clients a bit of a chuckle when they first land on the page—which is precisely what Hank can deliver for his clients.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you have a style of freelancing that’s highly influenced by your personality—especially if that personality trait is difficult to showcase when you’re not face-to-face with someone.

Charlane Oliver

Charlane Oliver is a writer and designer that uses Pinterest as her portfolio base.

Portfolio style : Charlane went for a visual-first focus, but using Pinterest as the platform evokes a sense comfort and ease (since a lot of people know what Pinterest looks like).

Why the portfolio stands out : Using Pinterest for her freelance writing portfolio, she’s able to combine the visuals from her design eye with easy click-through to read the text. This helps a great deal with visual style. Despite Pinterest having a very well-known visual style, Charlane is able to make it her own and showcase the writing samples she wants to.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you have visual-first freelance work that is highly complex, so the simple template of a Pinterest board makes it easier for potential customers to digest everything.

Scott Broker

Scott Broker is an American writer who has won multiple awards for fiction and creative writing.

Portfolio style : Scott went for a minimalist site that focuses on who he is as a writer: his identity, his accolades, and his explorations.

Why the portfolio stands out : His portfolio is highly identity-focused, which is critical for Scott’s work as a fiction writer. He demonstrates not only his credibility on his landing page, but also offers numerous examples of his award-winning writing samples under the “Publications” tab of his personal site and portfolio.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : For freelance work that is exploratory in nature, or when you use awards and certifications as a key part of your pitches (for example: journalism).

John Espirian is a technical content writer that specializes in B2B blogs, copy, and web writing.

Portfolio style : This website and portfolio feels very much like an agency, which is sleek, copy-focused, and features a clean design.

Why the portfolio stands out : John created a site that is purpose-built for his intended audience. When B2B companies look for technical copywriters, they want to feel like the writer knows their pains and goals. By designing his website to look like a B2B website, John directly demonstrates he knows what he’s talking about.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you are producing content for a specific type of business.

Anita Chauhan

Anita Chauhan is a marketer and content writer with a niche helping startups.

Portfolio style : This freelance writing portfolio site has serious “tech” vibes, where Anita’s website feels almost like a startup’s website.

Why the portfolio stands out : By having different categories that apply to startup marketing—content marketing, writing, lead gen, newsletters, etc.—Anita demonstrates she knows the different content challenges that her ideal clients might have. Further, it’s a super clean way to demonstrate her range as a writer, since she has examples of each type of writing within the portfolio.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you offer a wide range of writing services.

Neville Medhora

Neville Medhora is an American copywriter in the sales niche who posts his numerous blog posts and other work samples.

Portfolio style : Unlike many freelancers that use Wordpress or Squarespace, Neville used a template in Google Docs to create a journalism portfolio site with different sections. By including the left side navigation, he makes it easy for people to look at whichever section they’d like to see.

Why the portfolio stands out : Most people expect a flashy website, so a Google Doc automatically stands out. And because he formatted it well, people don’t get lost in the document.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you don’t have technical skills but know you’re good at writing.

Elaine Bleakney

Elaine Bleakney is a freelance writer who uses video and visuals as part of her niche storytelling.

Portfolio style : She picked a simple, clean freelance writer website theme, yet created enticement with a video at the top of the page (instead of immediately diving into links).

Why the portfolio stands out : Its visual elements and clean design make it simple to navigate.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you want to communicate simplistic elegance as part of your writing style.

Laura Sutton

Laura Sutton is a B2B copywriter and content marketer.

Portfolio style : Laura chose a shareable PDF that feels almost like an agency pitch deck rather than a freelancer sharing a portfolio.

Why the portfolio stands out : As a B2B copywriter, Laura regularly works with companies that might otherwise consider using an agency. By creating her portfolio to emulate what an agency might send in a pitch, Laura stands out as more professional and up to the task when compared to other freelancers that might only send personal websites.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you want to create a freelance writing portfolio that looks like a piece of content you might produce for your clients.

Akwaeke Emezi

Akwaeke Emezi is a Nigerian creator, artist, and writer that focuses on the freelance writing niche of the Black experience. Their work (and art) engages with what it means to inhabit certain identities.

Portfolio style : This freelance writer website is very visual on the main page, but minimalistic navigation on the left side. It makes it easy to send the whole site to a potential customer, highlighting one specific URL page so you can show them exactly what they want to see.

Why the portfolio stands out : Their freelance writing portfolio focuses on demonstrating this balance of art and writing—meaning it shows range very well. Akwaeke has written and created multiple different works, and having an easy menu on the side of the page is a great way for potential clients to click into what they want to see, but also know that Akwaeke is capable of more.

When to take inspiration from this portfolio : When you have either a visual component to your freelance work or you take one thing (for example, writing) and apply it across multiple disciplines (like Emezi who writes books, TV, essays, and video scripts).

How to build a portfolio as a freelance writer

If you want to build your freelance writing business , you need a good portfolio. Here’s how to build both a general and a specific portfolio:

Building a general freelance writing portfolio

Step 1 : Write down all the types of writing you do in a Google Doc or Sheet.

Step 2 : Collect links from all your published work to date—for yourself, for clients, or volunteer work—and paste them in the document or sheet in a list. Add information about:

• Who the writing was for
• What the writing was about (topic)
• What type of writing you did (article, longform, interview, etc.)

Step 3 : Find your best 2-3 examples for each type of writing you want to highlight (based on topic, structure, or client), and put those links at the top of your portfolio.

(Optional) Step 4 : Create a visual portfolio. Because you don’t have to general out a general portfolio, you don’t need to spend time designing one. This is especially true if you’ve had ongoing clients and written hundreds of pieces of content for them over multiple years.

Building a pitch-specific freelance writing portfolio

Step 1 : Ask what kinds of examples your prospective client would like to see.

• A specific type of writing
• A specific topic
• Highlighting your style or personality as a writer

Step 2 : Refer back to your general freelance writing portfolio, pulling 3-5 examples that you feel best capture what your prospective client wants to see.

Step 3 : You have three options

• Create a sub-page or category in your portfolio website dedicated to that pitch.
• Create a portfolio with multiple categories, and send a link to the one category the potential client asked you to highlight.
• Post relevant links via email directly to the content samples, bypassing a portfolio for that pitch or including it as an addendum.

Freelance writing portfolio building tools you can use as a freelance writer

There are many tools that help freelance writers host their portfolios. Here are a few to consider:

Clippings.me

Pros : Clippings.me is easy and quick to use. Reports also say that customer service is really friendly.

Cons : The free version has limited features. For example, you can’t use a spam-protected contact form in the free version.

Price : The premium plan is $9.99 per month.

Link : https://www.clippings.me/

Pressfolios

Pros : The page design is sleek and you can organize stories by section. You also get a full backup included in your plan.

Cons : There is no free plan, only a free 14 day trial.

Price : Lite is $9.99 and Pro is $14.99 per month.

Link : https://pressfolios.com/

Journo portfolio

Pros : You can pick from multiple different themes to build a custom design—almost like Wordpress for freelance writer portfolios.

Cons : No networking component—it’s just a hosting site and nothing else.

Price : There’s a free plan, a $5 monthly (Plus), and a $10 monthly (Pro) plan.

Link : https://www.journoportfolio.com/

Pros : It’s one of the biggest social media networks in the world, so you get discoverability built in (especially with LinkedIn’s “Open To Work” feature).

Cons : There’s very limited customizability and it’s hard to know where to put your work—in your profile, as posts, or as articles.

Price : Free

Link : https://www.linkedin.com/

Pros : Visual and easy to use, so you can focus on content creation instead of platform set up.

Cons : Millions of people post different types of content on Pinterest, so your portfolio could get lost in all the images.

Link : https://www.pinterest.ca/

Pros : Twitter is an easy platform to gain followers on, which means you can actually bring freelance work to you while you display your work via your feed.

Cons : Like all social media platforms, you have no control over your Twitter account's look and feel.

Link : http://twitter.com/

Pros : Muck Rack is professional-looking and highly regarded in the journalism industry.

Cons : No way to customize the look and feel.

Price : Free for having a portfolio page account.

Link : https://muckrack.com/

Your personal blog or writer website

Pros : You get total customization and control over the look and feel with your writer website in a way you can't get with any other platform or social media. You can also connect it to tools like Google Analytics to track visitors and improve your site over time through data.

Cons : You have to build it yourself—which means learning how to use builders like Wordpress themes or Webflow—or pay someone to do it for you.

Price : Varies.

Portfolio pitfalls to avoid

When building your portfolio website, here are some pitfalls to make sure you avoid:

General portfolio pitfalls

Working for free just for a portfolio sample : Outside of nonprofits and volunteer work, never work for free just to get a work sample. You can create a sample for yourself, but for-profit businesses should pay for your labor and writing service. If you want to build your brand, you could try guest blogging and guest posting on other websites. That way you get your blog posts on someone else's domain name, you get feedback from their editor that you can use to improve your craft, and you can share your expertise and skills in different freelance writing niches.

Sharing too much or too little : If you’ve written hundreds of pieces of content, keep those links somewhere private. Only post about 10-25 samples in a public portfolio. If you keep writing a lot, curate your work over time to only highlight your best work.

Not having permission to post client samples : One of the worst things you can do is post client work on your website without their knowledge or permission. You can include this permission in your contracts to save you the hassle of asking, but you should always be transparent with your clients.

Obsessing over the portfolio : This is just one piece of your overall sales and marketing plan as a freelancer. Don’t obsess over it to the point where you don’t spend time on other things that matter.

Pitch-specific portfolio pitfalls

Sharing irrelevant samples : Only share the types of content that a prospective client asked for. Don’t bombard them.

Not customizing your pitches : You may have a lot of examples of longform articles. You should always curate and customize, hand picking the best samples that make sense for any given pitch.

Not having any welcome text : Don’t just send links. Whether in an email or through a portfolio page, have a quick introduction to you. This makes it easy for other people to know who you are if your prospect shares your email or writer website link with colleagues.

Your portfolio is the foundation you stand on

As a freelancer, being able to prove you can do the work you say you can is critical. A portfolio does that and so much more: With a good writer website, you can express your personality and style on top of your writing ability. It’s the perfect place for prospective clients to get a sense of who you are, what you can do, and get excited about the thought of working with you.

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12 of the Best Online Writing Portfolio Examples – Updated for 2024

Jessica Michael

Sometimes when it comes to how to create a writing portfolio, we can all use some inspiration. With that in mind, I've gathered 12 of the best writing portfolios I've seen. We will go over what makes them so great and great lessons that you can use for your own writing portfolio website .

But first, let's make sure we're all on the same page by answering the question, what is a writing portfolio and how can you have one of the best?

What is a Writing Portfolio?

A writing portfolio is an online website where you promote your writing skills and expertise. In addition to samples of your past writing, your writing portfolio might also include an About Me page, a Contact page, and a Services page.

There are a few different ways that you can create a writing portfolio online.

You can always use a website builder like Squarespace or Wix , or even build it yourself with Wordpress. These are a great option if you have specific design needs and are comfortable with platforms like these.

A quicker, easier way is to use a writing portfolio website like JournoPortfolio . Sites like this are specifically designed with tools for writers and anyone else who needs a writing portfolio. You will be up and running in minutes, with quick article upload tools that allow you to import all of your writing samples in just a few minutes.

Why You Need an Online Writing Portfolio

Your writing portfolio is not just a place to house your writing. It is a strategic tool that you can use throughout your writing career to attract clients.

Whether you are a freelance journalist , copywriter, content marketer, or ghostwriter, your writing portfolio will always be a place where you can send potential clients.

Once there, your portfolio is a one-stop-shop where clients can get an idea for your writing style, your character, and your experience.

Without your portfolio, they would most likely have to piece together what they could from your social media and whatever else they could find online. And, after a few aggravating minutes, there's a very real risk that they will give up entirely and move on to someone else.

So now that we all understand what a writing portfolio is and why it's important, let's look at real-life examples of writers who are absolutely killing it on their portfolio. These are the best writing portfolios online right now, in no particular order.

12 of the Best Online Writing Portfolios Examples

1. ann friedman.

As a freelance journalist, Ann Friedman has written for such big-name publications as The New York Times , Elle magazine , and The Los Angeles Times , to name but a few.

But it's more than just her bylines that make this portfolio a stellar example for freelance writers and journalists.

Let's start with her minimalist design. Because she has so many projects going on – writing, a newsletter, and a podcast — she uses her home page strategically to filter you where you need to go.

Depending on your own writing portfolio and business goals, you might want to follow suit. Remember, less is sometimes more. After all, you don't want to overwhelm your website visitors with too much information up front.

2. Brittany Berger

I must say, I rather love the fact that this writer/content marketer greets you on her home page in a T-shirt and headphones.

It goes to show that you don't have to fit into a certain mold to be a freelance writer. It actually pays off to be unique and stand out from the crowd. Whether that's with your visuals, your color palette, or your witty writing style, it's up to you.

As you create your writing portfolio, ask yourself…

• What makes me different?
• How can I make my writing portfolio stand out?

In addition, she backs up her tongue-in-cheek writing style with evidence of her writing and strategy chops. Every bit of content on her site backs her up, from her Services page where she goes in-depth into content strategy, to her About page where she shares her background and press mentions.

So, even if you want to stand out on your page, make sure that you can back up every claim with hard evidence.

3. Tyler J. Koenig

I must say, I always love when portfolios greet you with a healthy dose of personality. And Tyler Koenig does that, with mix of confident and casual vibes that are completely in-line with his brand.

While he exudes a casual confidence, you can clearly see the amount of work that he puts into his portfolio. There are tons of content that showcases his expertise, as well as a solid block of experience that he discusses in his About section.

Another aspect that I enjoy about his profile is that he's not afraid to talk about his personal life and interests. You can see it on his home page where he gives a nod to his love of basketball, as well as his About page, where he goes deeper into how the love of the sport has shaped his career path. These details clearly enhance his portfolio.

You, too, can take your writing portfolio one step further by including relevant details that speak to your life experience and how you've been molded you as a writer.

4. Susan Shain

As a freelance journalist, I love how Susan Shain breaks through many stereotypes in her portfolio. From her down-to-earth photos to the engaging backstory on her bio page, she showcases her witty writing and her adventurous spirit.

You can tell right out of the gate that Shain is a natural storyteller. In everything that she writes, she pulls you in, including into the journey that she took to become a freelance journalist.

In her writing portfolio, she shares her vast catalog of past work, including bylines in The New York Times , The Atlantic , and NPR .

As you build your writing portfolio, you might also look for ways to expand your bylines – perhaps guest posting for prominent blogs or checking out industry publications. They'll usually have a page that outlines what they require of freelance writers and journalists who write for them.

5. Alice Lemée

Alice Lemée uses the space on her home page to warmly welcome her audience. She doesn't have a bold statement or an outrageous claim. She simply introduces herself and lets you know in the very first paragraph what she does and for whom.

Plus, let's take a second to talk about her picture. It's not a classically professional photo – and that's a good thing! It fits her copywriting brand, is high quality and clear, and includes a beautiful smile.

She also uses her portfolio website to feature many samples of her work, both in her blog and her portfolio itself. It gives ample proof of the consistent quality of her work.

And she also has a newsletter – which is a wonderful strategy to nurture interest in your brand. It's definitely something to consider if you have the time to contribute to it in a meaningful way!

6. Allie Decker

I love how the first image you see of Allie Decker is an animated version of her photo. It is a playful, creative way to greet her audience.

Her intro deals with the whimsical and the practical. She goes from describing her writing as the "intersection of SEO and storytelling" – both major commodities in the writing world – and then goes on to tell you about the major websites and publications where she has written. If you have similar bylines, putting them on the topfold of your homepage is a great way to showcase your expertise.

I also enjoy her Contact page. In addition to her form, she also outlines the various reasons you might contact her, including hiring her as a freelance writer or editor, working with her marketing brand to develop a content strategy, or even to invite her as a speaker on a podcast. This is a subtle way to let people know exactly how she can help their brand.

7. Tiffany Regaudie

You know what Tiffany Regaudie does as soon as her page loads – freelance copywriting. This saves you time. Now you only have to scroll down to publications where she is published, samples of her work, and testimonials from past clients.

Having a bold statement up top like this can really draw in your audience and make them want to learn more.

And we see another example of a call to action, this one for a free, 30 minutes chat. Even the word "chat" is very unassuming and straightforward, as opposed to words like "strategy session" or "discussion," which can intimidate your audience.

If you want to use a similar CTA on your portfolio, take the time to analyze your word choices to make sure you hit on the right tone for your brand.

8. Sara Clemence

This freelance writer leads with her writing, with samples of her writing right on her home page.

And, instead of including a photo of herself, she introduces her with a simple, one-liner that grabs your attention: Award-winning freelance journalist, travel writer, author, editor.

Many of the examples we've seen so far include a photo or a bold statement, but this one intrigued me because of its straightforward, down-to-business feel. It's professional and gets right to the reason why you're there – to see her work.

She also separates her site into sections where you can learn more about her as a writer, editor, or author of a book. If you have several different services you would like to offer, this is a great way to showcase each one individually.

9. Jolene Cheok

Jolene takes client engagement to the next level on her portfolio. Not only does she offer a direct line through her Contact page, but she also strategically places a button beneath her biography, inviting visitors to book a 15-minute consultation via bookk.me. This approach stands out as a top-notch conversion strategy for copywriter websites, exemplifying how to craft a copywriter portfolio that provides clients with diverse avenues for connection.

10. Allen Wildes

Allen Wildes stands out as a B2B/B2C copywriter and content expert, boasting collaborations with renowned entities like Nike, Architectural Digest, and Trendhim. His portfolio meticulously highlights his elite experience, showcasing the prominent brands he has partnered with right on the homepage. Each brand is clickable, leading to a dedicated page that narrates the projects he's undertaken, complemented by carefully selected images. Additionally, his highest-ranking blog posts are showcased on a distinct page, with the site's minimalistic design ensuring a professional atmosphere throughout.

11. Gracia Kleijnen

Gracia Kleijnen, hailing from the Netherlands, melds her talents as a freelance copywriter and Medium blogger into an engaging portfolio. The homepage welcomes visitors with captivating images that reflect her personality, offering a glimpse into her journey and professional focus. Additionally, she provides a Tools and Resources page, outlining the essential platforms and apps that power her copywriting ventures, complete with affiliate links for a touch of entrepreneurship. Gracia's portfolio is further enriched by a blog, blending personal insights with her professional facade.

12. Adriana Calado

Adriana Calado, a freelance copywriter and digital marketer, specializes in human rights, sustainability, and cultural topics. Her portfolio's homepage features an extensive About Me section, offering insight into her background and passions, along with links to other site areas for easy navigation. The services page breaks down into six subpages, each detailing Adriana's offerings in copywriting and digital marketing.

This layout simplifies the process for potential clients, providing them with precise information they're seeking without unnecessary searching.

Concluding Thoughts About the Best Writing Portfolios

If there's anything I want you to take away from this article, it's this: Writing portfolios come in every shape and size. Don't tie yourself down to imitating any one portfolio.

Of course, there are certain things that all portfolios should have:

• Writing samples, so people can actually see your work.
• A bio , so people can learn about you and your background as a writer.
• A contact page so people can easily get in touch.
• Images, to break up the text and connect with your audience.

But outside of these things, you have a lot of creative freedom. Create something that not only displays your writing chops, but also, infuse it with your individual personality.

I hope you've enjoyed this sampling of the best writing portfolios I've seen on the internet and that they inspire you to go forth and create your own great portfolio .

Happy writing!

Jamie Mendes

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How to Make a Writing Portfolio Website (With 19 Examples)

When someone who wants to be a professional writer asks me for advice, the first thing I tell them to do is to make a portfolio. By sharing your best writing in a portfolio, potential clients feel confident they are making the right choice by hiring you for their projects.

But, if you’ve never created a portfolio, that tip will bring up a lot of questions. What components go into a portfolio? How do you make yours successful?

By the time you finish reading this blog post, you’ll know how to build a professional-looking portfolio website for your writing, no matter what kind of writing you do. I’ll share plenty of inspiring examples and explain how to make one with WordPress.com.

Table of Contents

Why should every writer have a portfolio website?

1. sarah kendzior, 2. damien walter, 3. alexandra shimo, 4. david walbert, 5. emily gera, 6. mary laura philpott, 7. emma taylor prang, 8. cory doctorow, 9. megan jones, 10. carmine mastropierro, 11. bernadine evaristo, 12. ta-nehisi coates, 13. haruki murakami, 14. jacob mcmillen, 15. ariana benson, 16. austin kleon, 17. jacob bacharach, 18. vandana singh, 19. tim alan white, how many pieces should my portfolio display, should i focus on a specific genre or writing style, how often should i update my portfolio, portfolio page, about me page, contact page, blog (optional), newsletter signup page (optional), 1. round up your best work, 2. write your website copy, 3. create your wordpress.com account, 4. choose a wordpress theme, 5. turn on portfolio projects in wordpress or setup your portfolio plugin, 6. add your pages and content, 7. publish your site, promote yourself with your portfolio.

Whether you want to become a full-time writer or dabble in it here and there, you should have a portfolio for your work. Your portfolio website will enable you to:

• Showcase your best work: You’ll have all of your highest-quality pieces ready to share when a potential client or publication asks for them.
• Get more clients, publishing opportunities, or accepted pitches: When you have a portfolio, you communicate to potential clients and publications that you take writing seriously. Your professional presence and easy-to-access samples will improve your chances of getting writing opportunities.
• Own your online presence: A writing portfolio website gives you full control over how you present your work and professional history. You own your website and its creative direction, as opposed to posts on social media websites.

19 writing portfolio example websites (built with WordPress) to inspire your own

What does a portfolio site look like in action? Here are 19 examples from writers with different specialties and industries:

As an author, Sarah Kendzior needs to keep her books at the top of her readers’ minds to keep getting royalties. So, she advertises her available and upcoming books right in her website header. You know what she has to offer as soon as you open her portfolio site.

Portfolio websites can do more than just showcase your writing. Damien Walter’s website hosts a podcast, online courses, and a writing portfolio. This example shows that you can keep other kinds of content on your portfolio in addition to your writing.

Your portfolio website’s About page introduces you to your readers, making it important for building a connection with visitors. Alexandra Shimo’s About page on her portfolio shows how you can write an effective bio for yourself in one paragraph. It covers her professional history and personal life in a few sentences.

If you work in multiple creative areas, you can cover all of them on your portfolio website, as David Walbert demonstrates. His site includes his writing and his woodworking portfolios so he can provide both services to interested visitors.

Emily Gera writes about artificial intelligence and interactive worlds for online publications like Variety and Eurogamer. She uses WordPress’s blogging features as a portfolio by sharing a screenshot and link to every new article in a blog post. With this clever use of WordPress features, visitors can visit different blog categories to see the type of work they’re looking for.

People rely on word-of-mouth recommendations for the products they buy and the services they use. The same principle applies to writing.

Mary Laura Philpott shows off her books’ reception with plenty of testimonials from respected reviewers and authors. If you provide business writing services, you can achieve the same effect with client testimonials. 

Emma Taylor Prang’s website shows how you can experiment with your website structure to change how you present yourself. She uses her About page as her home page, so you get introduced to her immediately. This approach combined with her use of the first person makes it feel like Emma welcomes you to her portfolio when you visit her site.

When you visit Cory Doctorow’s Craphound website , you’ll notice two halves in the design. — One half has each page’s unique content, and the other shares links to his books on every page. This split layout makes it easy for visitors to explore his work wherever they go on the website.

Here’s our first freelance content writing example for those of you who want to sell writing as a service. Notice how Megan Jones uses her home page to list the services she provides and explain why she should be the one to do them for you. Consider how you can use your home page to convince potential clients to learn more about your services.

Carmine Mastropierro’s website shows how a writing portfolio can support the owner’s credibility in other areas. He mainly works as a professional development coach now, but the portfolio he keeps on his website shows the expertise he developed through his writing.

You might notice that Carmine includes a lot of ghostwritten work in his portfolio. If you want to share ghostwritten work as well, make sure to get your client’s permission first.

When you visit Bernadine Evaristo’s website, you’ll see just how comprehensive a portfolio can get. She has pages for her honors, tours, activism, and other ongoing aspects of her work that other sites don’t often give dedicated space to. Her statement page is especially unique in that it gives her a place to explain her approach to writing.

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ portfolio stands out in its bold design. Its mainly black-and-white design uses hints of red to highlight text and icons for striking results.

He also has a homepage that provides snippets of some of the website’s other pages to draw you into the rest of his content. Here, you’ll also see a call to action to follow his work by subscribing to his newsletter.

Haruki Murakami also has a standout website design. His homepage uses background designs based on his book art specially adapted for the site.

The community page on this website could also provide some inspiration for yours. It shares readers’ favorite memories of the author’s work to demonstrate how dedicated his fanbase is.

When you need to sell business services or a product, a clear and upfront approach helps visitors understand your selling points and intentions. Freelance writer Jacob McMillen offers a call to action to sign up for his educational materials off the bat. He pulls it off by making the benefit clear (helping you build a six-figure freelance writing business) and explaining the topics he’ll cover.

Ariana Benson’s portfolio shows that you don’t need to pull out all the stops to have an effective portfolio. She uses pictures of flowers to create a beautiful and compelling navigation on her homepage. Throughout the site, she uses columns and short paragraphs to break up text for easy reading.

Author Austin Kleon’s website is another case study of how your website layout can keep your selling points at the top of your visitors’ minds. He uses a three-column layout — one with links to his books, one with the page content, and one with his profile and newsletter. Wherever you go on his website, you can navigate to his books, newsletters, and social media accounts.

When you visit Jacob Bacharach’s portfolio site , you’ll see how far organization and a clear layout go in successful website design. His portfolio has standard black text on a white background, letting images of his books do the talking. On his articles and essays page, he highlights links in a different color and uses generous line spacing to help the reader browse his writing.

Speculative fiction writer Vandana Singh’s website provides a full history of her work. Her about page stands out because of its personal perspective and level of detail. This website demonstrates how a portfolio can act as a record of your career if you want to give visitors the full story.

Tim Alan White interweaves his portfolio and his blog using a simple technique. At the top of each portfolio category page, he includes a link to a corresponding blog category. If you plan on blogging frequently on your website, think of how you can connect your blog and your portfolio.

What work should a writing portfolio include?

At its foundation, an online writing portfolio should share links to your very best work. These links should:

• Have no errors: Make sure the pieces of writing you link to don’t have any factual or grammatical errors. The links on your website themselves should work properly, too.
• Show your capabilities: Demonstrate your writing skills by including your best work. These could be articles with in-depth reporting, poetry that speaks to your artistic vision, or blog posts with interesting angles.
• Express the variety of work you do: Include writing related to all the genres, industries, and formats you would like to cover in the future. If you’d like to focus on a certain area in your work moving forward, include that kind of work in your portfolio.

There are no hard and fast rules, but generally, 10 to 15 of your very best pieces of writing should be sufficient. When in doubt, lean toward quality over quantity.

If you write in multiple different genres or styles (for example, you might be a copywriter by day but publish poetry in your spare time), consider creating a portfolio page for each one, or focus on the style that you are trying to sell or would like to be doing most often.

As often as you have new work to share! If work is old, use your best judgment, and replace outdated pieces with fresh work.

Pages to include in your portfolio website

As you learned from the examples I shared, there are no hard and fast rules to how you structure your portfolio website. But, if you need to know where to get started, portfolio sites commonly have these types of pages on them:

The homepage is the page visitors see when they first visit your site’s address.

You have multiple strategies to choose from when you design your homepage. Most commonly, website creators use the homepage to introduce the website and direct visitors to other parts of it. But you could also share your bio or work right away.

If you decide to take the classic route of introducing the other parts of your website on your homepage, keep things brief. Use only a few sentences each on the sections describing other website pages.

Here’s where you’ll share links to your best work. If you perform different types of writing, you might find it easier to use multiple portfolio pages.

Writers usually present their work in a list of text links or use pictures to highlight each piece. If you have a lot of writing to link to, text links organized with headers will do the trick. But, if you have a smaller, curated portfolio, images will bring more attention to each link.

Your about page introduces you to your readers and explains why you do your work. As we explained in our guide on the subject , successful about pages include:

• The most important details about you — who you are, what you do, and why you do it
• Additional details like your professional history or your personal life
• Visuals — most commonly, a photo of yourself

Personal touches and humor especially shine on about pages because they show your personality. Feel free to throw in details about your personal interests or a play on words to connect with your readers.

Here’s where you’ll share your public contact info for people to reach out to you about your work. Most writers share an email address here — no need to share your phone number or mailing address if you don’t have one for business.

If you’re a published author, you might also share contact information for your publisher, literary agent, or event manager. Consider what people might contact you for, and direct them to the proper channels on this page.

You can also add a contact form to this page to make it simple for visitors to send you a message. WordPress has plenty of contact form plugins with different designs and features.

While not necessary for a successful portfolio, you can also run a blog on your website. Writers tend to create blog posts about topics like:

• Updates on their work, such as a book release or signing tour
• Links to new articles on other websites
• Personal updates
• Short-form prose
• Advice related to their industry

If you’re not familiar with writing for the web, our guide to writing a blog post will help you understand the best practices and mindset to follow. But, if you plan on writing more personal blog posts, you can skip many of the steps suggested there.

If you have a newsletter, your portfolio site makes a great place for you to advertise it. Many writers use a page on their website as the primary sign-up page for their newsletters. Here, you can include details like:

• Your newsletter sign-up box
• What people can expect from your newsletter
• Reasons people should sign up for your newsletter
• Links to sample issues

Getting started with your newsletter? Use WordPress.com Newsletter or one of the many WordPress newsletter plugins so you can create your website and newsletter content all from the same place.

How to make a writing portfolio with WordPress.com in 7 steps

Now that you know what goes into a writing portfolio website, it’s time to make yours. Follow these steps to build a portfolio site in WordPress:

Using the criteria I shared earlier, go through your past writing and find your best samples. You have a few approaches to take depending on the type of work you want to share:

• Online articles: Save the links to your work in a bookmarks folder in your browser for easy reference.
• Books: Collect any links to buy your books online and download the highest-resolution pictures you have of their covers.
• Documents: Scan your documents as PDFs and save them to a dedicated computer folder.

Now, set these all aside to have on hand in later steps.

Decide what pages you want to include on your portfolio website and write the copy for them. You can write them on whatever platform you write best, whether that’s a word processor or your notepad app. Keep in mind that formatting like headers, bold text, and bullet points will carry over to WordPress when you paste your content in later.

Go to WordPress’s account creation page to make an account for your website. During this process, you’ll choose a plan and website name.

Once you’re in the WordPress dashboard, you can start building your website . Begin with a theme — code that determines what your website looks like. Thanks to your theme, you won’t have to worry about fiddling with design elements or source code (unless you want to).

All of the themes WordPress offers support portfolio features. But, you might be particularly interested in portfolio-based themes .

Check the left sidebar of your WordPress dashboard for a “Portfolio” option. If you don’t see it, you’ll need to turn on the Portfolio Projects feature.

Visit the Settings option on your sidebar, then go to Writing > Content Types. Turn on the “Portfolio Projects” option. Under the toggle switch, you can also choose how many projects you want to display on each of your portfolio’s pages.

You may also use a portfolio plugin if you have a plan that supports plugins. Follow your plugin’s specific instructions to set it up on your website.

With your website set up to share your portfolio, you can add your content.

Add a page to your website by clicking the “Pages” option in your WordPress dashboard sidebar, then selecting “Add new page.” You’ll have a full selection of page layouts to choose from.

Our guide to using the WordPress editor will walk you through using it. Since your website isn’t published yet, you can experiment as much as you want to learn it firsthand.

Add projects to your WordPress portfolio by going to the “Portfolio” option on your dashboard sidebar. On this page, you can add and manage your projects individually. You can write and edit your projects just like you would a page.

Once you feel satisfied with your website, publish it so everyone can see it. Go to your dashboard’s home page, then look for your website name and URL at the top of your sidebar. There, you can click on the “Coming Soon” icon to publish your site to the public.

Now that you have a portfolio website, promote it wherever you can. Share it on your social media accounts and give the URL to potential clients.

Don’t forget to maintain your website to keep it as professional-looking as possible. Update your WordPress tools regularly and add new work as you complete it.

Related Reading:

• How to Create an Online Portfolio Website With WordPress to Share Your Best Work
• How to Build a Photography Portfolio Website (With 9 Stellar Examples)
• How to Make a Copywriting Portfolio: 15 Examples + The Process
• How to Create an Art Portfolio Website to Share Your Work (with Examples )
• How to Easily Create a Stunning Web Design Portfolio (+Examples)

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About the author, melissa king.

Melissa King writes actionable blog posts about content, marketing, and productivity for tech companies. Find more of her work at melissakingfreelance.com.

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11 Fabulous Ideas to Make a Professional Portfolio Cover Page

Before a potential client or employer can scan through the contents of your portfolio, the cover page makes the first impression. Making a professional portfolio cover page is no easy feat, but with this CareerStint post, you will find 11 creative ideas.

From a portfolio folder to a website.

Choose the right hosting and content management system that will replicate your work into a unique, user-friendly content online.

It’s a no-brainer that any credible portfolio, regardless of profession, requires a well-designed cover page. No individual can skip this step while creating a portfolio as it sets the tone for the entire presentation. Gone are the days when a title page with the individual’s or company’s name would’ve sufficed. Nowadays, professionals are thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative and eye-catching graphics and photographs as their cover pages.

So, if inspiration is what you seek, then this is the right post for you to go through. Along with 7 tips or guidelines for creating the cover page, we have also provided 11 ideas to make a professional portfolio cover page.

7 Tips to Follow

Browsing through the Internet, searching for portfolio cover page ideas and templates is a good thing. However, there are a few points to consider before you finalize a design.

• If you can’t design your own cover page, don’t feel shy to consult with a professional portfolio designer. ( Hint : Check their portfolio cover pages to get an idea about their experience and creativity.)
• Include striking, bold, and engaging graphics and photographs that explain what your portfolio contains. You want to be innovative, but not so ambiguous with your design that a potential client or employer is puzzled from the get-go.
• Ensure that the images and/or graphics used for the cover page are authentic and not copyrighted.
• Use text on the cover page strategically. It should be placed in such a way that it serves the purpose, but not so loud and in your face that it makes the entire page appear crowded.
• The font used for the text needs to complement the graphics and/or photographs. The page is like a complete picture; everything on it should be there for a reason.
• Keep your target audience in mind when you design the cover page. For example, a cover page for a science undergrad student cannot have over-the-top graphic elements.
• Have a clear picture as to what are you trying to convey or accomplish through the cover page.

11 Portfolio Cover Page Templates

In this section, we have compiled a handful design ideas that you can consider for your cover page. Remember to keep your field of work in mind as you browse the templates.

WEDDING PLANNING

ARCHITECTURE

INTERIOR DESIGN

HAIR & MAKEUP

GRAPHIC DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHY

FASHION DESIGN

Once the cover page is out of the way, you can concentrate on putting together an attractive career portfolio. Showcase your skills and abilities in your chosen field of work with old and current work examples as it highlights your accomplishments till date.

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Download templates in microsoft word, unleash your creative genius: optimal for crafting your unique portfolio.

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Interiors Beyond Imagination: Transform with the Interior Design Portfolio

Frames of Life: Perfectly Framed Moments in the Photography Portfolio

Code Your Dreams: Ignite Innovation with the Programmer/Developer Portfolio

Web Wonders Await: Craft a Modern Legacy with the Web Design Portfolio

Why are Cover Pages Beneficial?

• First Impressions: Leave Your Mark! Think of your cover page as the front door to your professional journey. Making it impressive sets the tone for your entire story.
• Beyond the Resume: Show Your Whole Self While resumes are like quick snapshots, your cover page unveils the bigger picture. It’s where you share your journey, dreams, and talents, giving a fuller view.
• Skills Without Words: Let It Speak for You Imagine your cover page as a quiet advocate for your abilities. It tells employers how capable and creative you are, without needing to say a word.
• Save Time, Make Impact: A Double Win Employers have busy schedules. A compelling cover page lets them grasp your worth quickly, saving their time while boosting your impact.
• Quick Summary: Who You Are in a Glance A speedy look at your cover page should tell the main points. It’s like a snapshot that captures the essence of your professional self.
• Curiosity Beckons: Invite Exploration An interesting cover page sparks curiosity. It’s like a magnet that pulls employers into your portfolio, revealing more about you.
• Lasting Memory: Be Remembered Long after the first look, your cover page stays in their minds. It helps them remember you distinctly among the many applicants.
• Visual Tale: Make a Strong Impression Design your cover page thoughtfully. It showcases your sense of style and professionalism, proving your ability to create appealing content.
• Show You Care: Attention to Detail A careful cover page displays your meticulous nature. It reveals your willingness to put in extra effort, something companies admire.
• Start Conversations: Open the Door to Connection An interesting cover page acts like a friendly handshake. It sparks questions and conversations that go beyond the surface.

How can you make the readers spend more time reading?

• Make it as minimalistic as possible. While most of the job applicants competing, with you will come with overflowing information and overflooding design, you would not want to be one of those. Try keeping it as simple and as impressive as possible.
• Your struggle into creating a customized cover page would certainly be impactful. It shouldn’t look like someone else’s work!
• Don’t miss out on the requirements that the employer has. Don’t forget to mention keywords.
• Go big on all the major achievements you have; these are your capturing points!
• Be very consistent, and organizes with the formatting, it shows your professionalism.
• Finally, creating your front page in an effort to make it stand alone will surely be useful.

Avoid These Cover Page Slip-Ups that Could Turn Employers Away

• Spelling Errors or Typos: Imagine if your cover page had mistakes in spelling or grammar – it could instantly send the wrong signal. Take the time to proofread and use tools like spell-check to catch any sneaky errors. A polished cover page reflects your attention to detail and professionalism.
• Opt for Balanced Colors: While vibrant colors might seem exciting, be cautious not to overwhelm them. Striking a balance between appealing hues and readability is essential. Aim for a color palette that complements your industry and doesn’t overshadow the content.
• Avoid a Childish Appearance: Your cover page should exude maturity and confidence. Steer clear of overly playful fonts or graphics that might undermine your credibility. Aim for a design that aligns with your field and presents you as a professional.
• Be Clear, Not Vague: Vagueness is a turn-off for employers seeking clarity. Your cover page should succinctly convey who you are and what you bring to the table. Avoid generic buzzwords and instead, showcase your unique skills and accomplishments.
• Find the Right Space for Information: Less isn’t always more – cramming too much information into a small space can make your cover page overwhelming and difficult to read. Prioritize the most impactful details, allowing the page to breathe and engage the reader.
• Don’t Forget the Details: Leaving out important information, like contact details or key achievements, is a missed opportunity. Ensure your cover page provides a comprehensive snapshot of your value. It’s the little details that can make a big difference.

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