ChatGPT prompts to help you build and improve your writing portfolio

Ironically, as a writer, I often find it hard to write about myself, particularly when it comes to self-promotion. I’ve noticed many writers encountering this roadblock while building their online writing portfolios. It’s easy enough to assemble and upload your writing samples, but there’s more to a writing portfolio than just a stack of content. So, what should you include in your portfolio? And how do you bring it all together in a way that really sells your writing skills?

This is where ChatGPT can help. I’m not suggesting you use ChatGPT to write your portfolio for you—that would sort of defeat the purpose. But you can use it as a great tool to refine your portfolio. For example, ChatGPT can help you:

• Summarize your writing experience in a cohesive way (great for writers like me who work in multiple niches and have a wide range of different experiences)
• Brainstorm other assets you should include in your portfolio
• Write short summaries of individual writing samples to highlight outcomes
• Write cover letters and emails you can use to share your writing portfolio
• Brainstorm new writing samples—this is useful if you’re creating a writing portfolio but have no professional experience or publications
• Edit and proofread to make sure your writing portfolio is completely free from misspellings or grammar errors—mission-critical for writers!

If you’ve never used ChatGPT before, make sure to read my intro to ChatGPT for writers first!

Using ChatGPT alongside a writing portfolio builder like Writer’s Residence can help you get your portfolio up and running quickly so you can start using it to get more gigs.

Here, I’ve included some template chatgpt prompts and a few examples from building my own writing portfolio. You’ll notice that the prompts are very detailed. The more specific information you give ChatGPT, the better the output will be. As always with ChatGPT, these should be treated as a starting point. Rewrite to suit your own tone and style.

Give them a try for yourself!

ChatGPT Prompts to Help with Your Writing Portfolio Home Page

Prompt 1: "I’m creating the homepage for my writing portfolio and I want it to make a strong first impression. Can you help me write a compelling introduction that showcases my experience, writing style, and the value I bring to clients or employers? I want the tone to be [describe desired tone, e.g., professional, friendly, creative], and I’d like to highlight my expertise in [specific industry or niche] as well as my ability to produce [types of content you specialize in, e.g., blog posts, technical documentation, marketing copy]."

How to use the prompt:

• [describe desired tone]: Specify the tone you want to convey, such as "professional," "approachable," "creative," etc.
• [specific industry or niche]: Replace this with the industry or niche you specialize in, like "SaaS," "healthcare," "finance," etc.
• [types of content you specialize in]: Insert the types of content you excel at, such as "case studies," "SEO-optimized blog posts," "whitepapers," "social media content," etc.

An Example From My Own Portfolio: "I’m creating the homepage for my writing portfolio and I want it to make a strong first impression. Can you help me write a compelling introduction that showcases my experience, writing style, and the value I bring to clients or employers? I want the tone to be professional and friendly, and I’d like to highlight my expertise in SaaS content creation as well as my ability to produce high-converting blog posts, detailed technical documentation, and persuasive marketing copy."

ChatGPT Prompts to Help with Your Writing Portfolio About Page

Prompt: "I’m writing the 'About' page for my writing portfolio and I want it to tell my story in a way that resonates with potential clients or employers. Can you help me craft a narrative that highlights my background, writing journey, and unique approach to content creation? I want the tone to be [describe desired tone, e.g., personable, authentic, professional], and I’d like to emphasize my expertise in [specific industry or niche], my passion for [specific writing focus or philosophy], and the impact my work has had on [audience, clients, industries]. Additionally, I want to include any relevant personal details or interests that help to build a connection with my audience."

How to Use the Prompt:

• [describe desired tone]: Specify the tone you want, such as "personable," "authentic," "approachable," or "professional."
• [specific industry or niche]: Replace this with the industry or niche you specialize in, such as "SaaS," "nonprofit writing," "creative storytelling," etc.
• [specific writing focus or philosophy]: Insert what drives your writing, like "helping brands find their voice," "making complex ideas accessible," "storytelling that connects," etc.
• [audience, clients, industries]: Mention the impact your writing has had on specific groups or sectors, like "small businesses," "tech startups," "readers," etc.

An Example From My Own Portfolio: "I’m writing the 'About' page for my writing portfolio and I want it to tell my story in a way that resonates with potential clients or employers. Can you help me craft a narrative that highlights my background, writing journey, and unique approach to content creation? I want the tone to be personable and authentic, and I’d like to emphasize my expertise in tech writing, my passion for making complex ideas accessible, and the impact my work has had on tech startups and their user engagement. Additionally, I want to include relevant personal details or interests that help to build a connection with my audience."

ChatGPT Prompts for Refining Existing Content in Your Writing Portfolio

Prompt for Enhancing Clarity and Impact: 
"I’d like to improve the clarity and impact of the content on my writing portfolio’s homepage. Can you review the existing text and suggest ways to make the messaging more concise, engaging, and aligned with my target audience’s needs? Please focus on ensuring the tone is [desired tone, e.g., professional, approachable, creative] and that it clearly communicates my value proposition as a writer."

Prompt for Strengthening Personal Branding on the About Page: 
"I want to strengthen the personal branding on my About page. Can you review the current content and suggest edits or additions that better highlight my unique writing style, background, and the value I bring to clients? I’d like the tone to be [desired tone, e.g., authentic, personable, professional], and I want to ensure that my story resonates with potential clients or employers."

Prompt for Aligning Content with Industry and Audience:
"I’m looking to better align the content on my homepage and About page with the expectations and needs of my target industry [specific industry, e.g., SaaS, healthcare, finance]. Can you review the existing text and suggest how I can adjust the language, tone, and focus to appeal more directly to decision-makers in this industry? Please ensure that my expertise and experience are clearly communicated."

ChatGPT Prompts for Editing and Proofreading Your Online Portfolio

Prompt for Polishing Language and Style:
"I want to polish the language and style throughout my writing portfolio to ensure it is professional and engaging. Can you review the content and suggest edits to improve sentence structure, word choice, and overall readability? Please focus on maintaining a consistent tone that reflects my writing voice and appeals to my target audience."

Prompt for Ensuring Clarity and Conciseness:
"I’m looking to make the content in my writing portfolio more clear and concise. Can you help me edit the text to eliminate any unnecessary words, redundancies, or complex phrasing? The goal is to ensure that each piece of content is easy to read, to the point, and effectively communicates my skills and expertise."

Prompt for Enhancing Cohesion and Flow:
"I want to ensure that the content in my writing portfolio flows smoothly and feels cohesive. Can you review the portfolio and suggest edits or reorganization that would improve the overall structure and transition between sections? I’d like the portfolio to present a unified narrative that effectively showcases my writing abilities and experience."

ChatGPT Prompts for Summarizing Your Writing Samples

It’s good practice to give a brief summary of your writing sample so that readers can get the gist of what it’s about rather than having to read the whole thing. A good summary should focus on results and outcomes. You can get ChatGPT’s help to automate this.

Top tip: Writer’s Residence supports a 160-character summary that is showcased on your list of writing samples. You can ask ChatGPT to write the summary to be 160 characters or less!

Prompt that Emphasizes Outcomes and Achievements: "Can you help me write a summary of this writing sample that highlights its key achievements and the impact it had? I want to focus on how it met the client's goals and any measurable results it achieved."

Prompt for Highlighting Specific Skills: "Can you help me craft a summary for this writing sample that emphasizes the specific skills and techniques I used? Please focus on aspects like research, tone, style, and any unique approaches I applied."

Chat GPT Prompt for Writing Portfolio Brainstorming

Here’s a prompt you can use to help you find other useful assets for your portfolio beyond just writing samples. For example, a great case study and/or testimonials can enhance your portfolio with evidence-based results and social proof.

Prompt: "I’m interested in building a writing portfolio that appeals to decision-makers in the [specific industry]. Can you suggest specific elements or content I should include beyond just writing samples? I want to demonstrate my expertise in the [industry], my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, and my skill in creating various types of content relevant to [industry-specific content types or goals]."

An Example From My Own Portfolio: "I’m interested in building a writing portfolio that appeals to decision-makers at SaaS companies. Can you suggest specific elements or content I should include beyond just writing samples? I want to demonstrate my expertise in the SaaS industry, my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, and my skill in creating various types of content relevant to SaaS marketing and user engagement."

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If you’re excited to speed up the process of creating and refining your online writing portfolio, ChatGPT is your secret weapon. Combine its power with the easy-to-use tools at Writer’s Residence, and you’ll have a portfolio that truly stands out in no time. Start building your portfolio today at Writer’s Residence and watch the opportunities roll in!