Why Niche Writing is Important for Freelance Writers

If you're a freelance writer, you're competing with hundreds of other writers. Maybe thousands of other writers.

But that's okay. You're probably a better writer than 75% of them.

And if you take a few steps to position yourself, the competition won't be a problem.

One of those steps is to choose a niche.

Why Niche Writing Works

When you choose a niche to write for you're positioning yourself as a specialist.

Specialists are experts, right? They spend all of their time, energy and attention on a singular topic or industry. That may or may not be true. However, in the eyes of your potential prospects specialization matters.

Think of it this way. If you're looking for a studio apartment – Would you hire a real estate agent who specializes in studio apartments or one who just sells anything he can?

You'd probably choose the specialist. You'd have more certainty that he knows all the great studio apartments that fit your needs and budget. You'd trust him a bit more.

The same is true for writing. Your clients want to know that you specialize in their needs. Choosing a niche helps you build your business. It helps you establish trust and credibility. Additionally, it makes it easier to justify higher fees.

Choosing a Niche

As a writer you have a few choices. You can specialize in a content format. Or you can specialize in an industry. You can also specialize in both. Here's an example:

* Format: Ebooks
* Industry: Health & Fitness
* Both: Health & Fitness Ebooks

So how do you choose a niche? Begin by taking a look at:

* Your interests and passions
* Your knowledge
* Your experience

Make a list of the formats you prefer to write in. Maybe you prefer writing shorter pieces like articles and blog posts. Maybe you enjoy the process of crafting a sales letter. Also explore the industries and topics you're interested in. This is important. If you're not interested in the topic you're writing about, it's going to be difficult to be motivated.

Once you have a list of potential niches it's time to take a look at your competition and the market for your niche.

Evaluate both demand and supply. Take a look at the market rate for those types of writers. For example, maybe you love writing blog posts about health and nutrition. There's certainly a lot of demand for it. There may also be a lot of supply. Supply can mean that the going rate for a health blog post may be lower than you want to charge. This doesn't mean you can't charge the rate you want to for this industry. You can. It just means you'll have to do some extra work marketing yourself.

Many writers avoid choosing a niche. They don't want to be pigeonholed. They don't want to feel restricted. They don't want to burn out. All of these reasons are valid. However, just because you choose a niche doesn't mean you can't write on other topics. Of course you can!

Choosing a niche simply helps you market your writing business more effectively. It helps you position your services and profit. Choosing a writing niche doesn't limit your business, it elevates it.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, certified professional life coach and writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She has written over two dozen published books and hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines, and other publications. She offers The Morning Nudge, for writers every weekday morning. Get your free subscription at www.morningnudge.com.