It's a bumpy road when you're a beginner, and sometimes you need to bite the bullet and market yourself competitively to get the gigs you want. Whether that's pricing your offer aggressively, doing above and beyond what the client initially offered, or even doing a trade. I've done pro-bono gigs for sites that've done/looked well to add it to my portfolio so when I do stuff for bigger clients, I can show them what I have to offer. I've also collaborated with other designers (I'm a developer) so I can add that stuff into my portfolio.

Be creative!