For Editors

Building an editor's portfolio

Writers show portfolios all the time. Editors rarely do — which is part of why the good ones get underpaid. Here's how to build one that actually shows your work without breaking client confidentiality.

Start with permission

Most editing work is confidential, especially before publication. Get written permission from every client before using their material in a portfolio. A one-line email: "Is it OK for me to show anonymised before/after excerpts from the [project name] work in my editor portfolio?" is enough. Most clients say yes.

Six things to include

1. Before/after on a copy edit. Side-by-side. Show the author's draft and your final. Annotate two or three key changes with a one-sentence rationale ("tightened this to avoid the zombie passive in the lede").
2. Before/after on a structural edit. Same idea, but showing a piece you rearranged, cut, or reframed. A section-level diff is fine — you don't need the whole piece.
3. A query letter. How you push back on an author when something is wrong. Clients want to see this because it shows whether you can challenge a writer diplomatically.
4. A style-sheet sample. An internal style sheet you built or maintained. Nothing reveals how an editor thinks faster than their style sheet.
5. One piece you wrote. Editors who can also write are worth more. Include one clean piece — doesn't have to be long.
6. References from writers. One-paragraph quotes from two or three writers you edited. Writers are better references for editors than managers.

How to anonymise without losing force

• Change character names, place names, and company names. Keep the structure and voice.
• Swap the subject matter if needed (turn a biotech piece into a generic tech piece) — but don't swap the editorial problem, because that's what you're showcasing.
• If you can't anonymise enough, replace the excerpt with a description: "I edited a 2,500-word feature on [topic] for [publication type]. The author's draft had X issue. I resolved it by Y. The published version drew N readers and Z engagement."

Where to host it

• A single page on your personal site. Most professional-feeling. Put the URL on your résumé and LinkedIn.
• A Notion or Google Docs link. Easier to update. Make sure access is "anyone with the link."
• A PDF. Lowest effort. Email-able. Downsides: nobody clicks through, and you can't update without re-sending.

What NOT to do

• Don't put raw tracked-changes screenshots in a portfolio. They're messy, hard to read, and obscure what you did.
• Don't include pieces where you made only mechanical corrections. Show judgement.
• Don't over-write your annotations. Two sentences on why you made a change is enough.
• Don't brag about catching egregious errors. Every editor catches egregious errors. What separates strong editors is the subtle calls.