Q. What is the best way to present clips on a professional Web site? I always heard it was a mistake to
send in printouts as clips because a.) editors wanted to see what kind of play the story received, and b.) they wanted to ensure it had actually been published somewhere. So when I started trying to improve the horror show that is my Web site, I assumed the Internet equivalent of photocopied newsprint was either linking to where my stories ran online or presenting the scanned hard copies as PDFs for download.
However, I've been looking at other freelancers' Web sites, and many of them simply present the journalist's work on a Web page of his or her own creation, then add a header saying where and when the work was first published.
Here's an example of what I mean. Is this OK? It would definitely make my life easier.
Thanks for your help.
Claire A. First of all, not all editors -- at least not this one -- insist on seeing photocopies of the actual story or page.
But anyone who alters a clip and then prints it out is finished. I would give them a permanent "do not hire" file.
As you tame your horror show, get as close to the original as you can and then stop worrying. If you can link to the publication's archived clips, great. If you can post PDFs, fantastic.
Lacking those, go ahead and post your story as a Web page with attribution -- and no alterations.
Coming Friday: He thinks he may have found a dream job, covering the United Nations for a government press agency. Yet he wonders whether this will stunt his career.
