I’ve been having an online back-and-forth discussion with another writer regarding the impression — the false impression, in my opinion — that a writer can write about anything. The message I keep hearing is akin to this: Addiction counseling? You bet. Non-durable manufacturing? Bring it on. Finance? Move over.
While I admire the confidence (you have to have tons of confidence to build a strong freelance writing business, as most of you know), there’s a level of naivety going on there. It wouldn’t bother me normally because hey, some lessons are better learned the hard way, but this writer thinks that writing for my niche industry is just snap-your-fingers easy. And this writer gave a detailed example.
Right.
I did wonder a bit if the example the writer used, which was a pretty basic rundown of an already worn-out topic, didn’t come with the help of AI. I won’t accuse, but it did sound very much like a primer in the topic and not necessarily a new or interesting twist. Still, in trying to prove the point that it can be done, this writer proved exactly the opposite.
Please, for the love of Hunter Thompson, don’t think you can write about anything.
You can’t. No one can.
You can, however, locate a niche that you’re interested in developing and hey, develop it. I did. I fell into a job that required me to learn a new industry. It took time. It’s still happening. That’s the thing — your area of focus, your niche, is constantly changing. You have to keep up.
Here’s how to start:
Research the sh*t out of it. It’s one thing to type out an article pitch that you think is going to be better than the one you just read. It’s another to know what the hell you’re talking about and who your audience is. Start there. Who’s the audience? What does their job look like? What kind of information are they going to need? What keeps them up nights? What are they talking about?
Follow and learn. That last question is key. Listen to what they’re talking about. Join forums, follow them on social media, read the articles they read, read the press releases, ask questions, and for crying out loud, don’t think you know it all. You’ll never learn a thing with that attitude.
Attend courses/sessions. I was able to get up to speed quickly because I attended a conference and went to the sessions. I listened to what was being presented. I took notes. I asked questions of those around me. Had I needed to, I would have taken a course in risk management to get to know what these folks do all day. Fortunately, they were eager to share. I learned by asking and by immersing myself in their world.
Connect with industry experts. That includes the marketing people. A good marketing person will connect you with their experts for an informal conversation. Pump those marketing folks for info — most are thrilled to be connecting with a writer who can help them get their messages out. Some of my first mentors were marketing people (Dan, I’m looking at you).
Get to know the players. The companies that dominate the industry, the small companies that support it, the exhibitors at shows, even the salespeople are part of that niche. Know them, their business, and the role they play in the industry. They’re also your readers.
Haunt the associations. Other mentors come in the form of industry-focused associations and societies. There is a massive repository of information and experts just waiting to help you. Find out what those associations are. Make friends with their marketing person (see a theme here?).
Pay attention. Everything you need to know to build a strong niche or specialty is available. Put the effort into learning more and know that you’ll continue to do so if you expect to grow your freelance writing business.
Don’t cut corners. While you do have to learn on the fly sometimes, don’t skimp on learning the niche you’ve chosen. The more you know, the stronger your confidence and the better you’ll be able to present your pitches and letters of introduction to editors and potential clients.
Writers, do you have a niche?
How did you start? What steps did you take to learn your chosen field?