Choosing a Good Writing Sample for Freelance Article Writing Online

There is quite a difference between knowing how to produce legible content and being a talented writer. Considering that we all might have our bad days, knowing how to determine your best writing sample to present to potential employers either online or in person is extremely important. Especially if you have a large amount of potential samples, being able to distinguish your good work from your great work will ensure that you provide the best writing sample possible for every position that you apply for.
It goes without saying that any writing sample used should be free of grammatical or other unnecessary errors. However, depending on what type of position you might be applying for, making use of your artistic freedom as a writer on some level might be what differentiates you from other writers. This doesn't mean that you should bend or break any rules of the English language; instead, one should simply take full advantage of different writing styles or structures that the language provides within itself.

• Punctuation and grammar act as your main defense against rejection. The first thing that the editors will look for when you apply for any writing job online or otherwise will be incorrect use of punctuation or grammar. Even if your writing sample does contain substantial depth, or is a well written and researched paper, a couple errors in punctuation will likely lead to rejection.
• Providing a writing sample that seems to drone on about a specific topic will rarely produce any results when searching for a solid writing career online. Make sure that whatever samples you plan to send has some sort of originality or ingenuity. You want to show your employer what you are capable of, not what a standard research or informational paper looks like.
• One of the most highly unrecognized aspects of providing a good writing sample for a job is relevance. If you are applying for a position that involves intricate informative article writing and all your writing samples are unrelated to the style or actual content, it is highly unlikely that an employer will find a good reason to hire you. 

The content of your writing sample will usually run second string to the quality and direction of your work, but should still not go unnoticed. The majority of online writing jobs will usually cover a wide range of topics and focuses. Unless you are a professional in any given subject matter, a freelance writer will have to remain flexible in terms of the style of writing they are willing to do. Instead of trying to make a direct connection between the content of your writing samples and the content that you will be writing at any position you might be applying for, instead try to provide articles with content that clearly demonstrates a specific style of writing that you excel in. 

If the writing job that you are applying for will be focusing mostly on informative or research articles, choose a writing sample that expresses the fluency in which you can research and document any sort of information. If an author can write a great article on the cultural differences between two countries, they would likely be able to also write an article focusing on culture or politics of any sort. Unless you are applying for a writing job that focuses mainly on persuasive writing, try to avoid using this style of writing in your writing samples, as it is far from the most difficult or sought-after style of writing.

One of the main deciding factors in the approval or rejection of any potential author or journalist is their ability to maintain focus on a specific subject or topic. Articles that seem to provide irrelevant facts or span out across too many subjects can be very detrimental when creating a freelance writing resume. Be sure that the main focus and content of the article is precisely what the title of the article distinguishes it as. Creativity in your article title is also important for many freelance writing jobs online, so be sure to take some time working on a clear yet clever title. Avoid any article that is too general - employers want to know that their writers can provide them with the exact written information that they request, not a paper that vaguely relates to the subject matter.

If you plan to be providing a lengthy piece of written work - such as a research paper or detailed report - some straying from the subject matter is acceptable, as long as the paper as a whole demonstrates your abilities effectively. As a personal recommendation, you should avoid providing a writing sample that is too long. The more content you provide your potential employer, the more chance they have to see something that they dislike in your writing.

The style in which any author writes is perhaps the most important aspect considered in any resume or writing sample that you provide. Some businesses are looking for a writer that can provide them with official documents, while others seek a more friendly or personal style or tone in their writing. Determine what style of writing would be the most pertinent towards the writing position you are applying for and then select only suitable writing samples to attach to your resume. Once again, persuasive writing is the most common style of writing and should be avoided if at all possible. Instead of convincing your reader of something through a convincing writing style, allow for the facts or aspects you point out to speak for themselves, free of any "salesman's attitude" or unnecessary fluff.