Content production is a complicated process that does not only take a lot of time, but also talent, skill, and perfect language skills. The better you are at writing articles, the higher rate you can charge per word, and the more you can cash out at the end of the month.

One common hurdle that writers do have to overcome before being accepted at a new client or company is the submission of a writing sample.

Since a lot of pressure is placed upon this piece of content, writers often start to panic when they are asked to submit a writing sample, which can lead to simple mistakes ruining the chance that the writer had to land that new high paying client.

What is a Writing Sample And Why Do You Need to Submit One?

Understanding what exactly a writing sample is, should be a vital part of submitting one. Many people think that a writing sample is simply an article that will give the company they are applying to an idea of their writing style – and this is true, but there are more to a writing sample than simply to show off your own skills.

Writing samples are also used to help a company go through an elimination process so that they can choose the best writers for the particular job they are hiring for.

Spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes and any other mistakes – even the simple ones – can result in an elimination, which means you will not be contacted for a “final round” and the company would not hire you.

For this reason, extra attention and effort should be used while you are writing your sample article and a professional process should be followed while submitting the sample to ensure you have the best chance possible to be hired by the company you are applying at.

The Do’s and Don’ts of

Once you are approached by a company, or you contact a company directly to apply for a position as a writer, you should expect to be asked for a writing sample before you can be hired.

In this post, we would like to discuss some essential factors that you should keep in mind while you are writing your sample article, as well as important elements that you should never miss while writing such a post.

We would also like to discuss some factors that should always be avoided as these factors can reduce your chance of being hired by the company.

The Do’s

Let’s start with the elements that should always be included and never be missed when writing a sample article. These elements are vital and missing out on them or not taking proper care to ensure you follow these instructions could result in elimination.

The most important factor is always to follow the instructions that are provided with the assignment closely. Many companies will have their own guidelines and rules for their writers, and you need to ensure you follow these instructions to the letter.

This will not only show the company that you are competent but will also prove to them that you can follow instructions and work independently, which is something that most companies are looking for when hiring writers.

Your initial writing sample should also be in the tone and style that the company that might hire you tends to follow.

For example, if they specialize in sponsored blog posts, then you should do some research to ensure your article follows the latest trends in this category of writing.

In addition to these essential factors that you should take into consideration when you are applying for a writing position and producing an article to submit as a sample, you should also take the following tips into account:

• UMBC50 ^[1]reports that writers should not be afraid to ask the company that has provided them with an assignment questions about the task they are conducting. It is vital to follow the instructions that the company gives you and if there is anything you do not understand, then you should ask for clarification to avoid making simple mistakes.
• If no instructions are provided along with the application form, then you should carefully review the current sample articles you can send them and strongly consider doing an entirely new article for sample purposes. In such a case, you should always focus the sample article on the niche that closely matches the niche that the company specializes in.
• Follow a similar tone throughout the entire article. This is vital and will show that you are professional and that you can be consistent with your writing style.

The Don’ts

The most important “don’t” that you should keep in mind is to completely avoid making any type of spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes.

You should also avoid simply stating facts that you obtained from another website or source, but rather add interesting aspects to the article and only mention the facts that you obtained from external sources sparingly.

The Muse^[2] also recommends keeping the length of your article at a reasonable length and not to go overboard.

Even though the company will be using the writing sample to determine your skill level and to see if you are worthy of being a writer for them, they do not want to be bombarded with too many words.

In some cases, you may not be requested to write a new writing sample, but rather to submit a sample of work you have completed previously. In such a case, you should send the company that may be hiring you an updated copy of your work.

Writers are constantly improving their skills and sending the company one of the latest posts you’ve written is very important. If you do send a previously written sample, send something fresh and relevant – even an article you used in a blogger outreach campaign could work as these articles are usually grammar-free and interesting, showing off your talent.

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Final Words

Applying for a new writing position can be quite exciting, but it can also be a nerve-wrecking experience at the same time.
A writing sample is usually requested with such an application, which is a post that should be written to showcase not only the writing style of the applicant but also their language skills and their ability to conduct research.

This guide will help you better understand what you should always do when writing a sample, as well as elements that should always be avoided during such a process.

Author: Azhar

Azhar is a senior writer at ProvenSEO Blog, focused on covering SEO, SEM, and influencer marketing. He loves to talk about digital marketing and business development. He can be reached at azhar@provenseo.com View all posts by Azhar