Articles by Robyn Petrik

If you're ready to create an online writing portfolio or need to give your existing portfolio a makeover, we've found some fantastic portfolios for you to take inspiration from. There are many different ways to lay out your portfolio and these six copywriters have all found a style that showcases their writing and work.

As a freelance writer, you have to spend a fair amount of time looking for new projects to work on. You could end up browsing job boards, sending out cold emails, or attending network events in your area.

One of greatest things about Journo Portfolio is how easy it is to create a unique writing portfolio. After you choose a theme, you get to customize other details such as font styles. Changing your font is simple and helps create a portfolio that is unique to you. We’re going to take a look at some examples from existing Journo Portfolio users, and then we’ll show you how to change the font in your portfolio.

It’s a painful truth for all writers to face, but writing your first draft is only half the battle. If you want your work to really shine, you have to confidently edit your work from murky first draft to polished prose. Fortunately, there are lots of successful editing strategies for writers and we’ve put together a few of them for you.

If you're ready to create an online writing portfolio or need to give your existing portfolio a makeover, we've found some fantastic portfolios for you to take inspiration from. There are many different ways to lay out your portfolio and these six journalists have all found a style that showcases their writing and work.

Have you dreamed about being a writer since you were a kid? Maybe you’re currently in school for journalism or creative writing. In order to have a successful career as a journalist, author, or any other kind of writer, you’ve got to ditch your bad habits.

How many of your articles get posted online, and online only? Writers often write articles for online news sites, publications, and blogs, and that means these organizations have control over how long your article stays posted.

Working for yourself is steadily on the rise and one of the best things about freelance writing is the flexibility - you can do as little or as much writing work as you would like. If you’re thinking about taking on freelance work or turning your part-time hustle into a full-time writing business, we can help you decide between part-time and full-time freelance writing.

When you have a finished piece of writing, the best thing you can do is show it off and share it with the world. It’s important to have a platform where potential clients and raving fans can read what you write. Whether you’re starting with Journo Portfolio for the first time or you just need to give your existing portfolio a refresh, you’ll love these tips for perfecting your portfolio.

At first, writing and working at home feels like a dream… wearing comfortable clothes, no morning commute, and choosing your own hours. But after having no company other than yourself for a while, that dream can turn into a lonely nightmare. You find yourself missing the casual chit-chat of coworkers and you start to cherish that 60-second interaction with the cashier who bags your groceries.

We’re commonly told that ideas are everywhere, but it doesn’t always feel that way. Whether working a fiction or non-fiction project, every writer goes through periods where they can’t come up with anything new and exciting to write about. That’s when you need to actively search for inspiration, and to get you started, I’ve got several unusual sources of inspiration you can try.

Whether you’re a full-time writer, a side-hustler, or a student, you write all the time. You’ve got a full writing schedule and big dreams of being prolific, pumping out thousands of words every day. While the perfect writing environment isn’t a guarantee that you’ll always surpass your word count, it can make a big difference. Make a few simple changes and add a handful of items to create your ideal writing environment at home.

Before getting to the biggest freelance question of all (‘How much should I charge?’), you have to decide how you would like to charge your clients. There are four common ways of pricing your work: per word, per hour, per project, and monthly retainer. Each method of pricing your freelance writing work has its pros and cons to consider.

Between essays, articles, stories, and exams, students do a lot of writing during their college and university career. It’s stressful trying to complete all of your writing assignments but thankfully there is plenty of help on the internet. From brainstorming to citing your references to showing off your finished work, we’ve found several free writing tools that will make your life easier.

No matter how talented you are as a writer, procrastination has the potential to bring your writing career crashing down. We all face procrastination because, dare I say, it’s a normal part of the writing process once in a while.

The writing world has a lot of ups and downs to navigate so let's make a pact to support fellow writers and help each other find our way. We need to lift each other up whenever we can. But as much as we'd love to send money to other writers and shower them with clever gifts, most of us are don't have the resources for that.

Have you jumped on the podcast train yet? There are more podcasts than ever, on every topic you could imagine, with hosts from celebrities to the teens down the street. Podcasts are super convenient since you can listen to them anywhere, and they have the power to entertain, educate, and inspire.

Most writers, regardless of their niche or genre, share several unique traits and habits.

To a newcomer, one of the most appealing things about freelance writing is the low barrier to entry.

Starting a freelance writing career is like mastering a three-ring circus - there’s always more going on than you think.

Doubt. Imposter syndrome. Uncertainty. A lack of confidence is one of the biggest obstacles a writer has to face.

If you want your writing to pack a punch, there are specific words to watch out for. These words tend to be lazy and ambiguous, taking up space without adding clarity to your piece.

Maybe you dreamt of what life would be like as a full-time freelance writer or perhaps your friends and family think you have loads of free time during the day.

Finding freelance writing work can feel like an endless trip on a hamster wheel, so knowing where to look for new gigs will save you time and frustration. We’ve rounded up ten of the most popular and active job boards for freelance writers. The best part is that all of them are free - so get ready to bookmark your new favourite sites!

You’re starting to think about branching out into freelance writing or journalism, while still maintaining your full-time day job. It’s exciting, full of opportunities, and you’re feeling good! Just know that along with all the excitement, you’re about to get very, very busy.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you’re frustrated with parts of your corporate nine-to-five job and you want to do something you’re actually excited about. Something where there’s no Sunday night dread or Monday morning blues.

For the freelance writer who is tired of working by themselves at home, coffee shops are a lifesaver. You get to enjoy human interaction (even if it’s brief), a new environment, and delicious drinks at the ready.

When you’re on the road to building a successful freelance writing career, there are many challenges to navigate like choosing a niche to start with, finding good clients, and raising your rates over time.

A great way to build your freelance writing business is using testimonials that capture the attention of potential clients and editors. By adding a few raving testimonials to your website, you’re showing new clients that you have a proven track record of doing excellent work. That brings them one step closer to hiring you!

We’ve all been there at least once, if not once a week. Staring at our computer screen with no idea what to write. As a freelance writer, sometimes it’s challenging to constantly be coming with new article ideas and new blog posts to write.

It’s a bit of conundrum, isn’t it? You need a full writing portfolio to get hired to write paid articles, but you need to write articles to fill your portfolio.

Freelance writing is often a roller coaster ride of busy periods and dry spells. If you’d like to even out those highs and lows, cold pitching is a great place to start. Send out cold pitches consistently, even during your busy periods, and you’ll have a fairly steady stream of clients wanting to work with you.

We’ve rounded up a list of thoughtful gifts that writers of all kinds will absolutely love. Maybe you need a gift for another writer’s birthday or maybe you’re just looking to treat yourself to something new. Either way, we’ve got a fun and helpful list for you!

I’m willing to place a bet that you’ve either already written for free or have considered it before. Whether or not you should write for exposure is hotly contested on the Internet and you’ll find that some writers stand firm with ‘absolutely not.’

Whether you’re focusing on copywriting for businesses, writing features for magazines, or reporting for your local paper, you need a good writing portfolio to get hired for more work. Obviously, you need to include your best articles but what else should you add to your portfolio? Let’s look at what else you can put in your writing portfolio to catch the attention of potential clients, editors, and employers.

For a writer, finding the perfect writing environment can have a major effect on our productivity. We made a big fuss over finding the right desk, chair, coffee shop, beverages, snacks, and more. Fair enough though, because for me, the right setting can be the difference between 500 and 3000 words in a day.

A quick but polite “No thanks,” from a magazine editor. A short and rude “No way,” from a popular blog. Crickets on your short story submission. Rejections will stack up quickly during your writing career.

One of the many great things about freelance writing is that business expenses can be kept pretty low. When it comes to marketing, sure, you could invest in fancy printed fliers, slick business cards, and catchy Facebook ads… but who’s got the budget for that?

When looking to earn more money and find new writing projects, the first thought that comes to mind for many writers is sending out more pitches and scrolling through job boards. And while that can be an essential part of growing a career in freelance writing, it’s not exactly my favourite part of the job.

While we know that working from home is basically living the dream, it’s not long before I start to go a little mad with cabin fever. Sitting inside and staring at the same four walls all day, every day without any human interaction doesn’t bode well for anyone’s mental health or creative output.

There’s a classic philosophical saying out there: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” I was thinking about it the other night and a similar question could be asked about our online writing portfolios. “If your portfolio doesn’t get any views, does it move your writing career forward?”

When it comes building a beautiful online portfolio, your writing only tells part of the story at a glance. If you want a portfolio that will quickly catch the attention of potential clients and employers, you’ve got to add professional images to make your portfolio ‘POP!’

Working as a writer has a few advantages I would never want to give up. I get to choose my hours, work wherever I like, and partner up with interesting clients. Not to mention the fact I get to wear sweatpants almost every day!

If there’s one thing almost all writers have in common, it’s being masters of procrastination. Set a blank screen in front of us, and we dread it so much that we can find any number of other things to do, like fall down the rabbit hole of social media, watch endless YouTube videos, or even get a few loads of laundry done.

There’s nothing like a new year and the idea of a clean slate to renew the motivation in your writing career. Take advantage of the resolution-setting mindset and set yourself some new writing goals for the year ahead. Not sure what goals to set? We’ve got a few suggestions for you!

When you’re working on a new article, writing the first draft is only half the battle. The editing process is what makes your work start to shine. Yet no matter how good your first draft is, editing can feel like a chore. To make things easier, we’ve rounded up some of the best free online tools for editing your writing.

Traditionally, the workload for writers starts to slow down during summer months and the Christmas season every year. As we approach this next slow period, you might already be seeing clients reducing their budgets and editors getting ready for vacation. However, you don’t have to stand by twiddling your thumbs and waiting for things to pick up again. We’ve got a few suggestions to keep you productive during the quiet periods.

Whether you’re about to put together an online writing portfolio for the first time or have had one for years, you’ve probably asked yourself this question a couple of times.

As a journalist, blogger, or content creator, you should always be looking to improve your writing skills. After all, it’s a natural instinct to want to get better at something. Plus, you can find better writing opportunities and even increase your rates as you improve your writing skills. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can improve your writing.