creative writing portfolio cover page

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 👋

More articles like this

5 Portfolio Design Tips for a Consistent Website Design

Check these 5 simple tips to make sure your portfolio has a top-notch and cohesive design.

21 Social Media Portfolio Examples & The Guide to Build Yours

Check inspiring examples, learn how to navigate projects under NDAs, and find out how to create a social media portfolio quickly and easily with Copyfolio!

• Portfolio Tips
• Career Tips
• Portfolio Examples
• Get UXfolio!

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!

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.

Latest Blogs

In this blog, explore the golden rules of using AI marketing tools so you can leverage the benefits to their maximum potential.

In this blog, you’ll learn how to avoid the pitfalls of SEO over-optimization while enhancing your site’s performance.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what AMP is, its advantages and disadvantages, and how it affects SEO.

Get your hands on the latest news!

Similar posts.

7 mins read

15 Best Firms Offering Design Services in India

5 mins read

All You Need to Know About Data-Driven Design

6 mins read

Decoding Design Communities and Their Advantages

WEBSITE ESSENTIALS

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.

Related Posts

How to make a professional portfolio in 5 steps

How to create a marketing portfolio: tips and examples

17 best portfolio layouts for creative professionals

Was this article helpful?

Our work is supported by affiliate commissions. Learn More

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.

I tried every email marketing tool — this is the BEST

I tried every FREE website builder — this is the best

I made $2,000 selling used burlap sacks

Related inspirations.

Squarespace Examples

Writer Websites

Copywriting Portfolios

Portfolio Websites

Squarespace Portfolio Examples

Author Websites

Marketing Portfolios

Related templates.

© 2024 Site Builder Report Back To Top ↑ Sitemap Contact Terms Privacy

How to Build A Creative Writing Portfolio That Attracts Clients [With Examples]

Kara Devlin

Building a creative writing portfolio is essential if you want to work as a professional writer.

Your portfolio is your one-stop-shop that you steer every client and collaborator towards. It gives them an idea of who you are and what you do. Putting together a high-quality creative writing portfolio is one of the most effective ways to attract clients and gain new projects to work on.

Unfortunately, this is part of the business that many writers struggle with. It can be intimidating to build up an entire website dedicated to just you and your work.

This guide will take you through every step to create a portfolio from scratch. By the end of this article, you will have a fully customized creative writing portfolio that showcases your talent and introduces yourself to the writing world. 

The Importance of a Strong Creative Writing Portfolio

Why is it necessary to have a portfolio for your work in the first place?

In the US alone, there are more than 50,000 professional writers. As time goes on, the number of writers is growing and the job opportunities are decreasing.

While the market grows more competitive, it is becoming more and more essential to have a way to promote your unique abilities and showcase your talent.

Whatever goals you have for your writing career, you will need a way to convince people to invest in you or hire you in order to get there. This is where your portfolio comes into play. Your creative writing portfolio is proof of what you are capable of as a writer. It gives a little introduction of who you are and what you offer, but most importantly, it illustrates to potential clients that you have the capabilities to pull off what they want, whether this is a television script or a ghostwritten autobiography.

A strong creative writing portfolio will have the following characteristics:

A Short, but Strong Headline: Sum up what you do within the first few words of your landing page. Potential clients need to know immediately whether they are in the right place to get what they are looking for. 

The Very Best Examples You Have to Offer : A strong portfolio does not just pile together everything the author has written. It brings together the author's best examples in their specific niche. This makes any potential client immediately realize that this is the exact person they need for the project they want to deliver. 

A Section Introducing Yourself : A strong portfolio considers that potential clients are not just interested in working with a good writer, they also want to collaborate with a friendly and responsive person. Take the time to introduce yourself and build up the picture that you will not just be an awesome writer, but a fantastic collaborator as well. 

An Effective Call-to-Action : You need to easily guide potential clients to not just read through your portfolio but hire you immediately. This will usually be a "contact me" button at the bottom of the page that will encourage clients to inquire about your work.

5 Easy Steps to Build Your Own Creative Writing Portfolio

1. choose a platform to host your content.

There are hundreds of websites out there offering to host your portfolio for you. Some come with a steep learning curve, and others are just downright confusing. For this reason we strongly recommend Journo Portfolio .

Journo Portfolio is designed specifically to create your own professional creative writing portfolio within minutes. It allows you to create multiple pages, click and drop elements, and use your own custom URL. You can easily create a professional and unique portfolio to showcase your writing with this simple platform. 

2. Upload Your Collection of Writing Samples

Gather together the pieces you have written and start adding them to your website. Include images, links, and descriptions of your work where necessary to add context to your completed works.

Remember not to add every piece you have ever written. Carefully curate your work to give the best impression of yourself, picking only the highlights of your career to show off to potential clients.

3. Get Creative with How You Present Your Work

If you are a creative writer then clients will be looking for you to be creative and expressive with everything you do. This includes the way you present your work within your portfolio. Take advantage of color, fonts, and formatting to build captivating designs that show off your unique style outside of the written word. Create multiple collections to show off your different forms of writing, each with their own distinctive formatting to show off your versatility.

Find an interesting way to illustrate your approach to your work. Introducing yourself in a friendly manner and employing creative design strategies will show potential partners that you are the ideal choice for them.

4. Utilize The Full Potential of Your Website

Some websites thrive off of simplicity, while others find effective ways to display work over dozens of sections and multiple pages. The point is: your website is entirely customizable to fit your specific needs. If you are an author that covers multiple genres or styles within your writing, you may want to use additional pages to show off your versatility.

A couple of pages can add a lot to even the simplest portfolios. A simple "about me" or "contact me" page can give your clients all the information they need to determine why and how they will hire you for their next project.

You can ensure clients see your website as professional and unique by using a custom URL. This adds a sense of authority as clients will see that you have invested in building your personal brand. 

5. Share Your Portfolio

Now that you have completed creating your portfolio, you can share it with the world! The goal of your portfolio is to give a full picture of who you are as a person and a writer, which makes it ideal to send to everyone you know, even if you don't really know them. Pitching new clients and publications is easy with your new portfolio.

Utilize any and all social media channels you are active on to share your new portfolio. Even people who may not be looking for writers themselves may know someone else who is, and they can pass your portfolio along. The more eyeballs on your work, the better chance you have of getting contacted for new and exciting projects.

Every time you update or change your portfolio, you can renew interest in your work by sharing your developments online. There is no restriction on how many times or ways you can show off your work to others.

Common Questions on How to Create an Effective Writing Portfolio

Can i create a writing portfolio with no published work.

Of course! Many new writers feel anxious about creating a collection of their stories if they have had no paid work or testimonials to back them up. There is no rule that says you can only use published work for your writing samples.

It is a good idea to create a portfolio even if you have no published work as this will still be your way into gaining more clients and projects. Pick out some of your best samples, or write them up specifically for this purpose, and showcase them on your website.

How do I Build a Writing Portfolio for University?

Creating a portfolio to use for MFA applications or university grading is not so different from creating one to find work. Follow the steps listed in this guide and simply personalize your portfolio to meet the specific requirements you are looking for. For example, include a page on your academic experience or a section dedicated to why you are interested in an MFA. Your portfolio is entirely yours to customize, so take advantage of this if you are creating it for a specific purpose.

Should I Include Every Piece I Have Ever Written in my Portfolio?

The answer to this question is a definite no. While you may be a fantastic writer, there is no doubt that some of your pieces are better than others. Cut out the pieces you are not so happy with, and leave your best pieces to fill out your portfolio. Remember: quality is much better than quantity. 

The Best Writing Portfolio Examples to Help You Get Started

Isabel wyatt.

See Isabel's portfolio here: isabelwyatt.journoportfolio.com

This portfolio includes so many fantastic elements in a truly creative way. Isabel Wyatt starts off her landing page with a succinct header to immediately showcase her three roles within the create industry : writer, editor, and creative producer. Wyatt also employs a side bar with a description and photo of herself, introducing her personality and experience alongside each other to potential new clients.

Wyatt formats her portfolio as a story, describing her different work and adding examples as she goes along. She does not let her examples sit by themselves, adding her creative thought process and project approach to enhance her completed work.

This portfolio is the perfect example of how to pick and choose your best work. Wyatt only picks work samples that illustrate her process and results, limiting herself to two or three pieces per section. This prevents overwhelming or confusing readers. 

Abigail Miller

See Abigail's portfolio here: abigailjoannachicago.journoportfolio.com

Abigail Miller effectively presents her portfolio for her readers to have easy access to each part of her work. She puts the sections of her site right at the top of the landing pages, directing clients to click through to see her short stories, current projects, or just to directly contact her. This means that clients do not have to read through lots of irrelevant examples if they are just looking for one specific piece.

Miller also makes use of creative imagery and a succinct, friendly description to introduce her readers to who she is as soon as they land in her portfolio. This means potential clients get an instant impression of who she is and whether they want to work with her or not.

Additionally, Miller is transparent about her creative process, giving examples of her character concepts alongside her work. This allows clients to see how she approaches projects and achieves successful results.

Nick Pullara

See Nick's portfolio here: pullaranick.journoportfolio.com

Nick Pullara's minimalist, but evocative landing page draws in readers to click through the rest of his site to learn more about him and his work. He knows he does not need to explain all of his work in the first few words of the page, letting intrigue work for him.

Pullara also utilizes multiple pages for different projects, and gives each section of his work the time it deserves. This means that potential clients will also give each example the time it deserves as they have to devote their attention to one section at a time.

Pullara also includes a page dedicated to his professional resume, making it even easier for potential clients to see his experience with creative projects. While this is not a necessary step for many writers, it can be extremely helpful for writers who are looking for more corporate projects.

Vinati Sukhdev

See Vinati's portfolio here: www.vinatisukhdev.com

Vinita Sukhdev effectively utilizes all aspects of her site to give readers a full picture of her accomplishments as a creative writer.

Sukhdev's "East or West" page gives extended details on her book and its reception, linking images and videos to illustrate various moments of its launch. Sukhdev also includes excerpts from the book and interviews about it, employing all this information to demonstrate how well this project did. Best of all, this page uses an effective call to action for readers, a simple button that directs them to an amazon page to buy the book.

In Sukhdev's " Advertising Case Studies" section, she illustrates her work within advertising, giving each case study an individual page which explains her approach and its success to each campaign. She includes images within these pages, giving proof to back her words. 

Melissa Alvaredo Sierra

See Melissa's portfolio here: melissaalvarado.journoportfolio.com

Another fantastic example of a creative writing portfolio, Melissa Alvadero Sierra's website is an effective landing page for all potential clients. This begins with her succinct header, "writer", which immediately lets readers know they are in the right place.

Her minimalist layout pushes her work to speak for itself, letting potential clients see if she is the right fit using just her completed projects.

Moreover, Sierra's "About" page is also extremely effective, detailing her accomplishments and goals so anyone can get a clear idea of her recognised talent and ambition. 

Time to Get Started on Your Very Own Portfolio

Now that this guide has shown you exactly how to build an effective creative writing portfolio that attracts clients, it is time for you to start making your own.

Hop onto Journo Portfolio, upload your work, and play around with the settings as much as you want to create a website that is uniquely you. Take a good look at your past work and decide what to include, and how to include it. Then, just share your website with the rest of the world, sit back, and watch as clients jump to work with you on their next big project. Remember to keep updating your site with any fresh pieces you work on throughout your career.

Working as a professional writer becomes so much easier once you have made and shared your portfolio. Don't hesitate to get started!

Jessica Michael

How to create a stunning portfolio for interior design.

The Complete Guide to SEO for your Journo Portfolio Website

Sam Hindman

Building your journalist portfolio: the ultimate 2024 guide, curated by journo portfolio.

Subscribe to a monthly email of useful links, tips and advice for people interested in portfolio-building.

No spam, ever. We take your data privacy seriously and you can one-click unsubscribe at any time.

Prefer English?

6 mins read

12 Top Writing Portfolio Examples to Inspire You

A collection of 12 best writing portfolio examples — draw inspiration from these to create your writing portfolio to solicit more work.

Protim Bhaumik

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

6. Oct 2022 , updated 9. Jan 2023

Creating a writing portfolio is challenging. To that end, I've written an extensive guide on how to create the perfect writing portfolio.

For now, let's get you inspired by a collection of writing portfolio examples that I've carefully curated. These contain examples from writers, authors, copywriters, and content marketers built on a variety of portfolio builders or websites.

For each example, I have highlighted my favorite aspects — something that can be used in your writing portfolio when you create yours.

With that in mind, let's look at the top writing portfolios.

The top twelve writing portfolio examples

Gari Cruze is an associate creative director and copywriter . His online portfolio website —which uses a grid layout with all his work — is filled with humor, and I love it! He's divided his portfolio into sections called "About" (fairly normal), "17 Random Things", and "Oh Yes, They're Talking" instead of the usual "Get to know me" or "Testimonials."

Moreover, even in the About section, he uses copy that brings out his creative writing — words such as "the full blah blah" and "pink squiggly stuff in people's skulls" strike a chord. He also has a "testimonial" from his dad that finishes with "... Gari's like one of the slower primates."

So, all in all, it's an excellent representation of his work and who he is!

Kayla Lewkowicz

Kayla Lewkowicz is a writer, content marketer, and teacher . Her writer website landing page is about who she is and what she does — like "turning great ideas into compelling stories" and, more importantly, "arguing about the finer points of the Oxford comma." Hear, hear!

When you scroll down on her landing page, you see various photos of her travels accompanied by client testimonials and service offerings. The portfolio section has been categorized by topic and what's great to see is that each topic has three posts highlighted for the reader to look at first.

Jennifer Fernandez

Jennifer Fernandez is a writer and editor on staff at Architectural Digest , Travel + Leisure , and Martha Stewart Weddings ; her work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal , Elle Decor , House Beautiful , Afar , Departures , and more.

Her beautiful writing portfolio follows a super minimalist style, and her writing samples are divided into three sections so that it's easy to navigate.

Qin Chen is a Beijing-based writer , journalist, and news editor at TechNode and has spent the past two years helping English readers make sense of the top news from the world's second-largest economy.

Her portfolio opens with a quaint picture of a riverboat that's both calming and intriguing. From the off, her work is collected into two sections: writing and video. And her writing samples are arranged into an easily parsable format divided by year.

Ann Friedman

Ann Friedman is a journalist, essayist, and author and currently a contributing editor to The Gentlewoman, having written for places like The Cut , The Los Angeles Times , The New York Times , ELLE , and The Guardian , and has co-written the best-selling book Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close and co-hosts the pioneering podcast Call Your Girlfriend .

Her portfolio is a favorite of many lists like these because of its minimalist, friendly vibe. Her writing samples are collected under headings such as books, essays, interviews, and more, making it super easy to go through.

Tyler Koenig

Tyler Koenig is a copywriter and content strategist living in the Bay area after having traveled the world copywriting for various brands. He's currently the content lead at CapitalG , Alphabet's independent growth fund.

His portfolio is clean and straightforward, and his main landing page says who he is and what he does through both the visuals and the copy, while his work is tucked under the "Content" section.

Alice Lemée

Alice Lemée is a creator, freelance content writer, and copywriter and writes on freelancing, the creator economy, and personal development.

Her portfolio page is an excellent example of how a single landing page can accomplish a lot — intelligent copy coupled with beautiful imagery and call-to-action buttons interspersed in just the right areas.

Muriel Vega

Muriel Vega is a writer and editor living in Atlanta , writing about tech, culture, and food with bylines at Delta Sky Magazine , The Guardian , Apartment Therapy , Eater , VICE , Splinter News , The Washington Post , Atlanta Magazine , The Bitter Southerner , Outside Magazine , and more.

Muriel's clever use of colorful icons in a simple white background for her portfolio evokes a sense of friendliness, approachability, and creativity. Also, her creative writing has been astutely collected under relevant topic headings for easy perusal.

Hank Herman

Hank Herman is an award-winning author, humorist, and writing instructor whose memoir, Accept My Kid, Please! A Dad's Descent Into College Application Hell has led to speaking engagements throughout the Northeast, and his 15-book series of basketball novels, Super Hoops , is read by grade-schoolers everywhere.

His is one of the few portfolio sites to use a comic (of him and a beagle zooming around on a car!), which certainly lends an air of whimsy to an excellently organized website.

Shayna Condé

Shayna Condé is a writer, model, and actor who looks to create spaces that build community, share valuable information, and foster discussions behind brands.

Her beautiful portfolio website is a collection of photos of her, as well as sections for her writing, modeling, and acting.

Colleen Fisher Tully

Colleen Fisher Tully is a content writer & editor working in the health, food, cannabis, nutrition, finance, and family spaces.

Her minimalist portfolio has been separated into easy-to-read collections on the numerous topics she writes on.

Pamela Rosen

Pamela Rosen specializes in creating long- and short-form content for B2B and B2C audiences .

Her portfolio is divided into the various types of content that she writes.

How to create an online writing portfolio with ease

Now that you're adequately inspired let's learn how to create one of these portfolios easily. We highly recommend reading our guide on creating a writing portfolio from scratch .

What we've seen above has been created on an eclectic mix of builders for portfolios, website builders, and more. A lot of these solutions are time-consuming and quite complex to set up.

Authory for all your content needs

And that's why a portfolio builder like Authory makes so much sense. It's super simple to set up, is good-looking, and gives you a portfolio out-of-the-box. Not only that, Authory is self-updating, which means that you don't have to keep track of all your work actively — Authory does that for you! Authory also backs up all your content forever — there's no need to fret about losing access to your work if a site goes down — Authory has it all locked down.

Sign up now for a 14-day free trial!

And that's why a portfolio builder like Authory makes so much sense. It's super simple to set up, is good-looking, and gives you a portfolio out-of-the-box , is good-looking

More articles

Coming soon.

This is Authory Blog, a brand new site by Eric Hauch that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!

almost 2 years ago

6 Content Creator Portfolio Examples to Get Inspired

A handpicked list of 6 brilliant content creator portfolio examples to inform, illustrate, and inspire you to make yours!

This is Authory, a brand new site by Eric Hauch that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!

about 2 years ago

The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Successful Writing Portfolio

A comprehensive yet easy-to-implement guide on creating your writing portfolio. Includes tips, up-to-date examples, and everything you need to have a writing portfolio that will get you more work with minimum effort.

How to Build a Stunning Social Media Portfolio: A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

A step-by-step guide on building a stunning social media portfolio — navigate NDAs, create case studies, see examples — & get more work!

Content Marketing Portfolio — A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

Content marketers range from writers to social media marketers and more. Learn how to make the ideal content marketing portfolio for your profile.

• Collections
• Journalists
• Content Marketers
• Thought Leaders
• Partner Program
• Writing Portfolio
• Journalism Portfolio
• Writing Backup
• Content Marketing Portfolio
• Social Media Portfolio
• Best Portfolio Builders
• Portfolio PDF Examples
• Twitter Archive
• Portfolio Creator

• TemplateLab
• Art & Media
• Cover Page Templates

55 Amazing Cover Page Templates (Word, PowerPoint + PSD)

In the academic and professional arenas, you often need to prepare reports or projects which need a cover page template. The cover page is the very first thing that the reader would see. Therefore, the cover page for project should be well-made.

Table of Contents

• 1 Title Page Templates
• 2 When do you use a cover page?
• 3 The important elements of a cover page template
• 4 Report Cover Page Templates
• 5.1 Academic cover page
• 5.2 Business cover page
• 5.3 Report cover page
• 6 Cover Sheet Examples
• 7 How to make a cover page?
• 8 Cover Page For Project
• 9 How to create a title page?

Title Page Templates

When do you use a cover page?

A cover page template is also known as a title page template, and you can use it in different kinds of projects such as:

• academic essays
• business plans
• professional reports
• white papers

However, this template differs from cover sheets and cover letters. A cover sheet is a type of document sent with fax which provides the recipient with additional information. On the other hand, a cover letter is usually attached to a resume when you apply for a job .

The important elements of a cover page template

Before making your portfolio cover page, you should know what elements to include in it. Simple as this page may seem, there are some things which you need to incorporate into it. These are:

• The title or subtitle of the document
• The name of the author
• The title of the author
• The cover image or cover photo
• The completion or submission date
• The description of the document

Also, the color spread, style, and layout of the report cover page should blend together with the rest of the document seamlessly. Also, you should follow any other requirements set by your instructor or the recipient of the document.

Report Cover Page Templates

Common types of cover page templates

When you look at different cover sheet examples online, you’ll discover that there are different types to choose from. Here are the most common ones:

Academic cover page

In the academic world, making a cover page template requires some rules. In fact, following these guidelines is just as essential as the content within the paper or the document. Also, the cover page should follow the proper format depending on the style set by the instructor. The most common format styles of academic cover pages are:

• American Psychological Association or APA This format is now in its 6th Edition, and it’s commonly used in the field of social sciences. When following this format style, the cover page should include a title, a running header, the name of the author, the name of the institution, and any other notes the author wants to include.
• Modern Language Association or MLA This format is now in its 8th Edition, and it’s commonly used in the fields of humanities and arts. Normally, this format doesn’t require a cover page, but some instructors still ask for it. If you’re required to make a cover page, follow the guidelines set by your instructor .
• Chicago Manual of Style or CMS This format is now in its 16th Edition, and it’s also commonly used in the fields of humanities and arts. In such a format, you might need to make a standalone cover page, or you may add the title on the first page of your document.

Business cover page

This style is very common in the corporate world, and its design would depend on the nature of the company or the organization. Some cover pages require formality and professionalism while others may need more flair and creativity. For instance, some technical reports only show figures and facts which means that you would only need to use a conservative design for the template. But marketing and business plans might need more imagery and color to attract more readers.

Report cover page

There are different styles you can use when making a template for a cover page template for a report. You would use a different style when making a template for a marketing report compared to when making a template for a business proposal . Use your professionalism or creativity as you see fit to impress your target audience.

Cover Sheet Examples

How to make a cover page?

When you’re thinking about preparing a cover page template, remember that it’s all about the first impression. Your document might have a lot of good content, but without a well-made report cover page, your target audience might not even read it. There are many crucial things to keep in mind when creating your report’s cover page.

The cover page is at the very start of a document. From the beginning, the purpose of this page is to provide the reader with a good idea of what your document is all about. You communicate this information by including all the relevant information on this page. Here are some helpful steps to follow when making a cover page for the project in Microsoft Word:

• First, open a new document in Microsoft Word.
• Click on the Insert tab to find the drop-down menu for cover page templates. From there, you can choose which template you’d like to use for your project.
• When you click on a template, it will appear as the first page of your document.
• Click on the fields which have already been pre-formatted and start typing the information. First, the title of your document then the subtitle, the date, your name, and more.
• If you don’t see a style you like in among the available templates, you can also customize one of the pre-formatted templates. For instance, you’d like to change the background image of the template, simply right-click on that picture then select “Click Picture” in the menu.
• If in the middle of making your document, you’d like to change the cover page, you can do this too. Just go back to the first page then choose a new template from the menu. In doing this, the information you’ve added won’t get changed.
• After you’ve added all the information on your cover page, don’t forget to save it in a location that’s easily accessible.

As we’ve said, making a cover page doesn’t require much effort. Even if you want to make your own customized template, you can do this in a matter of steps and in very quick time. The pre-formatted templates available in Microsoft Word will save you a lot of time and effort. However, using such a template would mean that you can’t make your own personality and style shine through. Here are some steps to follow if you plan to design your own portfolio cover page:

• Choose one of the pre-formatted templates from the Insert tab then start editing the template. Change the colors, font styles, and all the other elements in the template.
• You can get stock-free images online and use those for your cover page. Move the elements around and see which arrangement is the most aesthetically appealing.
• When you’re happy with how you cover page, save your document to preserve your customized design.

No matter how you choose to make your cover page, make sure to add all of the important elements which we have discussed in the previous section.

Cover Page For Project

How to create a title page?

Title pages are simple and easy to make. However, you need to follow some specific guidelines when making them. You can download our title page template if it fits into the style you’re instructed to follow. Since making such a template isn’t complicated, you can also make it yourself. Just follow these steps:

• Space the title of the document about a third down the page. If your document has a long title or it has a colon somewhere in it, you can use two lines for the title.
• Make use of “title case capitalization” wherein you use a capital letter at the beginning of the important words such as the verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Add your name as the author of the document right below the title. Use your complete name and start with your first name, middle initial, then your surname. If more than one person wrote the document, include all of the full names.
• Add the name of your institution, organization or university. This will tell the readers where you performed most of your research. If several authors from different institutions wrote the document, add the name of the institution right below the name of the author/s.
• Now it’s time to format your template. Your title page should be double-spaced. To do this, highlight the text and choose the double space option in the line spacing drop-down menu.
• Your title should have a horizontal center alignment.
• Then add a running header which appears at the top of the page and continues throughout the document. But the header isn’t the title of the document, just a few keywords or about 50 characters.
• The next thing to add is the page number which appears at the upper right-hand corner of the cover page and all the other pages in the document.

More Templates

Magazine Cover Templates

Binder Cover Templates

Graph Paper Templates

Spelling Test Templates

Reference Page Templates

Homework Planners

5 Creative Writing Portfolio Examples To Get You Started

As a creative writer, you’re versatile. You’re skilled at weaving narratives that are compelling and inventive. When you’re in the zone, it feels like the words just flow from your fingers and onto the page… well, except when writing your own portfolio. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Sometimes, the hardest writing to do is the kind promoting yourself and your own skills. Yet, it’s an essential task if you want to make a living as a creative writer. To help clear up the writer’s block that can happen when creating your portfolio, take a look at these five creative writing portfolio examples. They showcase a range of different types of writers and will give you fresh inspiration to draw from. 

Sarah Jayne Kipling

UK-based creative writer and literary editor Sarah Jayne Kipling has been published by the likes of The Evening Chronicle and The Sunday Sun. She also works as an editor and proofreads literary manuscripts and academic journal submissions. Kipling does a great job using her portfolio to highlight the breadth and diversity of her work, with sections for news stories, features, blogs and even poetry.

With such a heavy background in journalism, it makes sense that Kipling’s portfolio takes a formal tone, with a bio that’s centered around her literary achievements and accreditations. The tone you use in your bio should be reflective of the work you’re looking to land. For example, if you’re a humor columnist, your bio might be lighthearted and use playful language. If you’re a PR professional, you might take a more conservative approach, and so on.

Laventry Repin

Laventry Repin is a creative writer who has published more than 400 bylines across three countries. He uses his bio to outline his interests, which cover everything from ancient history to adventure travel. Here’s the key–the interests he mentions in his bio are directly tied to the samples in his portfolio, like a clip on hiking the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. Your bio should function not as a standalone item, but as an introduction and segue to the samples you’ve chosen to showcase. 

Though conventionally, the clips in your writing portfolio are meant to link to examples of your work, Repin gets creative and uses one of his clips to link to a PDF of his resume. This is a nice way to give viewers access to more extensive information and professional background than what’s listed in the writer bio. Finally, he invites the viewer to connect with him on other platforms, linking to his website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles along with sharing his email address.  

Cale Anthony Boudreau

The work of creative writer Cale Anthony Boudreau encompasses many different mediums, from blogs and short stories to video games and comics. His creative writing portfolio is not only a great example in and of itself, but an important reminder of the many different ways there are to make a living as a writer. 

In one clip, Boudreau showcases the work he’s done creating character profiles and back story for an upcoming illustrated comic. This is noteworthy because we tend to assume that everything in a writing portfolio needs to be a piece of published work. In fact, that’s far from the truth. Your creative writing portfolio can be used to feature work that is still in progress, pieces that you’re working on getting published and even writing you did just for fun. It’s also a useful way to give readers a sneak peek of a project before the full version of a piece is widely available. 

Giaco Furino

Giaco Furino is a screenwriter, entertainment journalist and branded content creator. His work has been featured by outlets like VICE and Popular Mechanics. Furino is a great example of how you can use your creative writing portfolio as a tool to generate interest and show off buzz about your latest and greatest project. In his bio, he begins by announcing the premiere date and location for his new screenwriting project. Then, he uses the topmost section of his clips to link to news coverage and reviews of the film itself. Genius!

Not everything in your creative writing portfolio has to be written by you. If there are third-party publications where you’ve been interviewed as an expert or your work is covered, don’t neglect the opportunity to promote them in your portfolio. 

Furino uses additional portfolio sections to organize his work both by category (news, branded content, reviews, etc.) and by date range. This is a useful way to help visitors easily skim through all of your work or find a specific piece they’re looking for. 

Carolyn Jung

There’s a saying in the business world: “the riches are in the niches.” Sometimes, it pays to go deep on a single topic. Food writer Caroyln Jung is a shining example of this. She writes about one thing–food–and uses her online writing portfolio to demonstrate that she’s an expert at it. 

Though Jung writes about a narrow subject matter, the samples in her portfolio show us that it doesn’t limit her versatility. She’s covered food for all kinds of media, from newspapers and magazines to public radio and podcasts. Further, she doesn’t just write about recipes or restaurants. Her portfolio showcases creative food-based topics like profiles of noteworthy chefs and food-centric travel pieces. 

If you’re an expert in your niche, be it football or fashion, use your portfolio to prove it. As we mentioned earlier, not every writing sample has to be a byline in a publication like the New York Times . Works in progress, articles for niche online publications and posts on your personal blog are all viable ways to demonstrate your writing skills and subject matter expertise. 

Clippings.me

Now that you have some inspiration on the content for your creative writing portfolio, where should you host it? For a free and easy solution to create your online writing portfolio, check out Clippings.me . 

Clippings.me is an online service that helps writers, journalists and bloggers showcase their best work and share it with the world. With Clippings.me, you can build your bio, add writing samples and customize your page without writing a single line of code or handling any complicated tech setup. 

First, begin by registering for a free Clippings.me account here . Follow a few simple prompts to fill out the content of your writer bio and choose from a variety of design templates. Then, add your writing samples by linking to clips on the web or uploading them from your hard drive. Categorize them so they’re easy to browse. Finally, share your portfolio link far and wide to invite others to check out your work. 

Clippings.me is the highest-ranked writing portfolio website, which ensures your portfolio shows up prominently in search results. Its superb support team answers support inquiries within 24 hours, while upgraded options like custom domains and unlimited clips are available for a low monthly fee with no contract. The free tier of Clippings.me has no strings attached and no credit card is required to sign up. 

Join more than 80,000 writers who use Clippings.me to host their portfolios by signing up here . For more useful information to build your online writing portfolio and jumpstart your writing career , check out the Clippings.me blog . 

Musings and updates from the content management team at Clippings.me.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

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.

Like it? Share it!

Get Updates Right to Your Inbox

Further insights, privacy overview.

Limited Time Offer! Save up to 50% Off annual plans.* View Plans

Save up to 50% Now .* View Plans

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

A Guide to Improving Your Photography Skills

Elevate your photography with our free resource guide. Gain exclusive access to insider tips, tricks, and tools for perfecting your craft, building your online portfolio, and growing your business.

Get the best of Format Magazine delivered to your inbox.

Nigerian Artist Abraham O. Oghobase on Exploring Identity and Representation

Enter the Booooooom Illustration Awards: Supported by Format

Winners Announced: Format Online Portfolio Giveaway in Partnership with BWP

How to Edit an Impactful Montage Reel for Your Portfolio That Highlights Your Skill

21 Essential Design Blogs to Spark Your Creativity in 2024

World Humanitarian Day and the Power of Visual Storytelling

Mastering Pet Photography: 29 Tips for Perfectly Capturing Your Clients’ Pets

Capturing Stunning Images: A Comprehensive Studio Lighting Guide

*Offer must be redeemed by September 30th , 2024 at 11:59 p.m. PST. 50% discount off the subscription price of a new annual Pro Plus plan can be applied at checkout with code PROPLUSANNUAL, 38% discount off the price of a new annual Pro plan can be applied with code PROANNUAL, and 20% discount off the price of a new Basic annual plan can be applied with code BASICANNUAL. The discount applies to the first year only. Cannot be combined with any other promotion.

• Creative Writing (BA) Portfolio Process
• The Undergraduate Experience
• Undergraduate Advising

About Creative Writing at ASU

The Creative Writing Program encourages all interested students, regardless of their field of study, to join our community of writers through

• beginning and intermediate workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction,
• diverse special topics courses, 
• internships with Hayden’s Ferry Review, ASU’s national literary journal, 
• and by participating in the many exciting writing events held on campus. 

About the Creative Writing Concentration

Interested students who have already taken the beginning and intermediate workshops in their genre of specialty, and who are committed to continuing their study of Creative Writing, have an opportunity to develop their skills in supportive, highly focused workshops through the Creative Writing Concentration. 

Please note that acceptance into the Creative Writing Concentration is restricted. Students must submit a portfolio for review and be offered a seat in the advanced workshops.

Students interested in pursuing more than one genre at the 400-level must check with their academic advisor to ensure that the necessary courses will fit their degree plan. Dual-genre students must submit two portfolios—one in each genre—to be considered for admittance into advanced coursework in both areas. 

Students pursuing the Creative Writing Concentration must either have selected as their major the bachelor's in English with a concentration in creative writing upon being admitted to ASU or, after entering the university, meet with an English advisor to change to this major and concentration. Non English-majors will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

• To complete the concentration, English majors completing the concentration in creative writing must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher in their major.
• Concentration students must complete the two advanced courses in their genre. N ote that enrollment into these courses is restricted. Spaces are limited. Students must have submitted a portfolio and been selected to move forward. Completion of the concentration in creative writing is open only to those who pass through Portfolio Review. 
• Transfer students must seek advisement as to whether they will be able to successfully fulfill the creative writing concentration requirements.
• PLEASE NOTE:  Students admitted to begin 400-level coursework through Portfolio Review will start their coursework in the following semester. Workshop classes cannot be taken simultaneously.  
• Students are only allowed to apply for the creative writing concentration twice during their time at ASU.

Portfolio Submission: How to Apply

Your portfolio should include:

• COVER SHEET
• Poetry Sample: 5 poems
• Fiction Sample: 1 piece of fiction of at least 5 double-spaced pages and not longer than 10 double-spaced pages
• Creative Nonfiction Sample: 1 piece of creative nonfiction of at least 5 double-spaced pages and not longer than 10 double-spaced pages 
• Discuss your interest in the relevant genre
• What do you hope to gain from the creative writing concentration
• Submit an essay on a single poem, short story, or short creative nonfiction work, focusing on an element of craft you identify in the piece, how that craft element works within the piece, and how this aspect of craft is pertinent to your own writing.
• Please provide textual examples (quotations) from the creative piece in your essay and make sure to closely read/explain their relevance. 
• A link will be provided each semester to students enrolled in the major and/or registered for the prerequisite creative writing workshops each term to submit for Portfolio Review. Specific submission dates will be included. 
• Fall: October-November
• Spring: March-April