Understanding Your Portfolio

Your Very Own Portfolio

Each member of Writing.Com automatically receives an online portfolio of their own to fill with items. As soon as you create your first item, your portfolio icon will change from gray to black. This means you have become a Writing.Com Author! You will also notice that your portfolio is no longer empty and contains one item.

To get to your portfolio, click the "My Portfolio" button available from the main navigation button bar located in the header of Writing.Com. You may also use your Author Tools pulldown menu.

Pertinent Portfolio Information

The first line in your portfolio is your Public Portfolio URL. This is the URL that you should hand out to your family, friends, publishers, agents, etc. The URL is clean, simple and lets them know that you're an Author at Writing.Com. When typed in, this will take visitors directly into your portfolio!

Example of Standard URL: http://www.Writing.Com/authors/storymistress
Example of Premium* URL: http://StoryMistress.Writing.Com

The rest of your portfolio area is filled with important information regarding your Writing.Com account, such as your:
          Quantity of Ratings Given and their Average,
          Quantity of Reviews Given,
          RtoR Ratio (Reviews to Ratings),
          Type of Membership,
                   (Free, Basic, Upgraded, Premium, Enterprise or Professional)
          Paid Membership Expiration Date,
          Portfolio Size (quantity of items in portfolio),
          Gift Point Balance ("Gift Points Info" ),
          Login History,
          and Total Logins to Date

You will also find direct links to your:
          Table of Contents,
          Product Reviews,
          Blog,
          Merit Badges,
          Trophy Room
          Wish List
          and Highlighted Items (update these from "My Account").


Your Item Information

Below your portfolio's header, you will find the area in which your items are or will be stored. Here you will see all folders and items stored within your portfolio along with information for each. (If you don't see items that you believe should be there, make sure you click to view page #2 of your portfolio.)

In the left column, you see the Item ID, type and content rating of that particular item.
          An Item ID is the number automatically assigned to that item. Please familiarize yourself with Item IDs; you will need them when using "WritingML" or plugging an item (refer back to Getting Started). Item IDs are very useful around the site.
          The Type means just that, such as Static Item, Message Forum, Book, etc.
          The Content Rating is the rating assigned to the content of the item (E, ASR, 13+, 18+, etc.)

The other columns contain the title, size, total views received and the date/time of the last modification.

Below each Item, you will find tools such as View, Edit, Delete, Statistics, etc. Use these item tools for editing and analyzing your items. This area will also display any rateable item's current star-rating.

Portfolio Organization System (POS)

You can easily control the default order of items within your portfolio using our Portfolio Organization System. Visit the area directly beneath your private portfolio for more details on this convenient feature.

Upgraded and Premium Members* also have access to the Folder Management Utility, which allows them to quickly move several items from folder to folder. This feature is a great time-saver!

Premium Members* have a built-in portfolio Recycling Bin! These members can quickly mass delete items from their portfolio at the click of a button. And the best part is, these items are saved in the bin for two weeks, in case of a change of mind.

*For more information, please read: "Memberships @ Writing.Com" .

Click here to return to Getting Started: Table of Contents .