Q. How long would you recommend that I do pro-bono work for charities until I build up a heavy portfolio? Do you recommend starting to look for writing gigs while I am writing pro bono?
A. It’s always a good idea to at least have your radar up for paying work, or even be actively seeking it – while doing pro bono work. There’s no set time on how long you should do “charity” work. NO real set rules at all in our field. It’s more about your own comfort level with what you can show a prospective client.
And remember, you can also create a portfolio from scratch, in addition, ideally enlisting the pro bono services of a designer perhaps also just starting out who needs samples for their book as well. You do the writing, they do the designing – you both benefit. And as discussed in the book, you can find these folks at art schools and even vocational schools (often identified by ____ Technical Institute at the end of their name) that teach design.