10X Writer #105
10xWriter is a newsletter for freelance writers and copywriters who want to build a writing practice that actually pays.
Most writers treat the portfolio as a collection problem — more samples, stronger case. So they wait. They take whatever work comes in, accumulate samples across different industries and formats, and pitch when the portfolio feels full enough. It rarely does.
A single sample written for the exact client type you’re targeting, presented correctly, does more conversion work than ten generic samples from ten different niches. Here’s how to build one that works.
The portfolio isn’t there to impress. It’s there to reduce fear.
A portfolio doesn’t get you hired. It removes the client’s fear that you can’t do the work.
The client scanning your samples is asking one question: has this writer solved a problem like mine before?
If the sample answers that immediately, the portfolio has done its job. If the client has to infer whether your experience transfers, it hasn’t, regardless of how many samples it contains.
Pick one client type and build for them first.
A portfolio that tries to show range shows the wrong thing to every client.
The D2C brand doesn’t want to see your B2B case studies. The SaaS company doesn’t want to see your wellness content. Range signals availability. Specificity signals expertise.
Pick the client type your positioning statement names and build your first sample for them. You can add range later, once the niche work is generating clients.
If you don’t have a relevant sample, create one.
A spec sample written for a real brand without a paid brief functions as well as commissioned work when it’s presented with context.
The key is identifying a visible, specific gap.
A few examples of gaps worth targeting:
A SaaS company whose onboarding emails don’t address the most common reason free users don’t upgrade
A D2C brand whose product page leads with features while their reviews are full of emotional transformation language
A B2B consultant whose homepage positioning is generic but whose case studies contain a sharp, specific POV they’ve never stated directly
A coaching brand running traffic to a webinar registration page that has no social proof above the fold
Pick a brand in your target niche, find one gap like these, and write the piece that fills it.
Present every sample with a brief.
A writing sample without context is just a piece of writing. The client can evaluate craft but not thinking. Add a brief, and it becomes a case study.
Six fields. That’s all a brief needs.
Client type — the industry, size, and business model you were writing for.
Audience — who the piece was targeting and what they care about.
Problem — the specific gap or challenge the piece was solving.
Approach — the strategic or creative decision you made and why.
Result — what happened (more on this in a moment).
Spec note — if applicable, one line: “This is a spec sample created for [Brand]. No paid brief existed.”
On results, be honest about what kind you have.
Actual results are hard numbers: “This landing page increased trial signups 34% over the previous version.”
Client-reported results are direct quotes or paraphrases: “The client said this was the first piece that had prospects responding before the sales call.”
Anticipated outcomes are what you were aiming for, stated plainly: “The goal was to reduce time-to-activation by addressing the three most common setup blockers in the first five days.”
Use anticipated outcomes when you have no data yet. They show strategic intent, which is more persuasive than silence.
Lead with whatever result you have. Don’t bury it.
Build a one-page document before you build a website.
A single Google Doc or Notion page with one well-presented sample, your positioning statement, and a clear next step is enough to send in a pitch.
It loads faster than a website, and you can tailor it per client. Swap the positioning statement for one that speaks directly to their industry and the sample suddenly feels built for them.
Structure it like this:
Positioning statement — one sentence on who you help and what you help them do
Sample brief — the six-field template above
The sample itself — or a link to it
Next step — one clear action (reply, book a call, view more work)
Build the website when the document is generating work.
Update the portfolio every time a client tells you something worked.
After every project, ask one question: what changed because of this work?
The answers become your best portfolio language.
“You wrote the piece that finally made our positioning click for us internally, not just for customers” is more persuasive than anything you’d write about yourself.
The brief that speaks in client language converts better than the one that speaks in writer language.
Before you move on, do this:
Pick one client type. Find one brand in that niche with a visible gap. Write the piece that fills it. Write the brief. Lead with whatever result you have.
Then send that document in your next ten pitches before you add anything else.