With email becoming the more preferred method of communication between editors and writers, many freelancers' portfolios are getting dusty.

However, that doesn't mean you can't still package your writing in a nicer way than just emailing attachments. Setting up an interactive CD-ROM can look professional and unique, as long as it is well organized and above all, easy to maneuver. There are plenty of programs you can purchase to help you set one up, like Macromedia Director. This article from Shutterbug has some advice on creating your own or getting a designer to take care of it. Once you've created a disk, there are lots of systems you can purchase to dress up the packaging, which you can easily find just through a stroll down the computer and printer accessory aisles at Best Buy. Jewelboxing seems to garner a lot of happy clients.

You might want to set up a website specifically for your clips, if you don't already have one. If you're a blogger and direct editors to your general site, they might skip over the good investigative piece you wrote about lifeguards and go right to the blue humor one you wrote about grandmothers who take erotic photos. Trust me, I know. Just keep it simple and easy to navigate.