Comments on: What’s in Your Clip File?

By: How I Landed My First Freelance Writing Jobs Without Clips : Freelance Writing Jobs | The #1 Online Writing Community for Freelancers

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:36:10 +0000

[...] apart my one and only copy of this now rare, autographed issue of Rock & Roll Tattoos for a clip. I put my copy in a protective bag and packed it away…and haven’t seen it since. Yes, [...]

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:21:01 +0000

This site has been a regular stop of mine for some time but I haven’t jumped into the conversation until now. I have been writing for so long but this site has made me understand I have a lot to learn. I think I have been sending too much. I put together an online professional portfolio linked to my site. In that are full articles as well as a professional history. I should stick to just clips with links to the full pieces? After reading this thread I think I am just providing too much for someone to get through, especially on an initial contact.

By: Sunday Link Love | Writer's Resource Center

Sunday Link Love | Writer's Resource Center — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:20:42 +0000

[...] What’s in Your Clip File? [...]

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:24:37 +0000

Phil – Thanks for the tip. Much appreciated.

By: L. L. Woodard

L. L. Woodard — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:32:41 +0000

There are lots of lots of good ideas here. I especially like Steve Amoia’s idea of including an excerpt of each piece along with its link in the initial email.

At the places where I submit a bid, lately I have been doing a sample piece for the type of project on which I am bidding. I haven’t found it too time-consuming and it gives the buyer a good look at my writing style and my grasp of his/her project.

By: Sue

Sue — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:08:42 +0000

I have a web site that includes my resume and a varied sample of my writing: trade articles, consumer articles, and essays. Editors love reading the essays and often come back to me with a comment about them. When I send a cover letter, I have a line that says, “You’ll find samples and my resume at .” I’ve gotten jobs specifically because editors liked seeing the variety of my work.

By: Steve Amoia

Steve Amoia — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:41:54 +0000

It also helps, in my opinion, to send an excerpt with your linked sample(s). That provides the hiring authority with more detail in your initial email. Especially when they request several published clips and/or writing samples.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:26:36 +0000

Lately, I’ve just been focused on building my client list by applying for jobs here or on bid sites. For these types of jobs, I just give a link to my associated content profile page. I have a variety of different articles published there. If the assignment is for a blogging job or to make squidoo lenses, I’ll give them my blog url or the url to my squidoo profile.

By: Marijke

Marijke — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:33:01 +0000

My main website had links to articles I’ve written and names of hard copy articles. I also send potential clients to my blogs, depending on what type of writing they’re looking for. Patient education people get sent to the Marijke:nurse turned writer and helpmyhurt.com blogs, while professionals may be sent to my Nurses Notes blog.

I also write for continuing medical education for physicians, so they aren’t interested in the patient stuff; I have to show them programs I’ve worked on, usually powerpoint or pdf files.

One problem – and it can be a big one – is when you are trying to break into a niche that you don’t have any written experience in. For example, my quilting article in this month’s The Quilter – I had to really make my pitch so well-written that the editor could see I could write in any style, not just health stuff. Now, it may be a bit easier to go outside of health stuff because I have this article to use as a clip. I hope so.

By: Jenny B

Jenny B — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:42:51 +0000

In my clip file I have the front cover of a book to which I contributed a chapter. I also have the chapter as a clip. My other clip is for a column that I write for an online magazine. I often include the magazine’s web address and indicate the page that my column is on in the current issue. The online magazine for which I write is considering having blogs for its regular contributors. I’m looking forward to this new venture.

I’m thinking about creating a web site/blogging site that will contain clips, current writing, an archive of writing that I have done,(unpublished) and information about me so that I can direct potential employers to the site.