Want to become a hugely successful freelance writer?
Having great writing chops is certainly a great start, but it’s not the only thing you’ll need to reach your income goals.
In fact, most high-earning freelancers have essentially one thing in common…
They have a freelance writing niche.
Niche writers are experts in their field. They made their money writing about one topic, one industry or one field in particular.
They know all the latest hot-button topics, handy insider tips and tricks, and they never stop learning, growing and staying plugged into their industry.
And because of that, most clients are willing to pay top dollar for their services. They will seek those writers out, hunt them down, and hold onto them for the long haul because, well, they know experts like them are one in a million. They’re indispensable.
Now, if you don’t have a freelance writing niche of your own, don’t get worried.
Just because you don’t have a specific field of interest yet doesn’t mean you should give up. You can still make decent money as a generalist and become a good writer but there’s still plenty of time to hone in on a freelance writing niche and become an expert in it. You can develop your specialty as you grow in your freelance writing career.
Do you want to become a sought-after expert in a certain niche or field?
Want to command higher rates for your knowledge and expertise?
Here’s how to get started:
1. Follow the Right Influencers
There’s no better way to learn than from an expert.
Do some research and determine who the true pros are in your field – the movers, shakers and influencers who know the niche inside and out.
Maybe they’re freelance writers like you, or maybe they’re educators, marketers, CEOs or any other type of professional. Whoever they are, identify them, follow them on Twitter, Facebook and any other social platform, and check out their website. Chances are they’ll be a great resource for not only keeping you in the loop with niche news, but they may also have books, courses or other educational materials you can use to expand your knowledge.
Real estate writer? Sign up for updates from a real estate site like Zillow.
2. Sign Up for Blogs and News Alerts
Identify some blogs, news sites and websites in your niche, and get on the mailing list. Set up Google alerts for certain key terms in your industry.
Do you focus on real estate or DIY writing?
Add terms like “home improvement,” “DIY,” or “first-time buyer” to stay current on the latest news.
3. Read the Right Books
Reading is one of the best ways to expand your horizons, so research books in your niche and create a professional reading list. Look to experts in your arena first, and see if they have books you can add to the list.
Look for “best of” posts. Many sites and blogs have book recommendation lists they post for readers (we just did one ourselves!), so these can be a great place to start. Also, check Amazon and Good Reads for potential books. Just make sure to read the reviews first!
4. Take a Class
Even if you graduated 20 years ago, you’re never too old to take a class – especially if it means improving your professional skills.
Check your local community college for a class in your niche, or if there’s nothing that strikes your fancy, consider an English or creative writing course instead. There are also great online classes you can take at places like Udemy or Coursera, which lets you take online courses at Stanford, Yale and other big-name schools.
5. Immerse Yourself
If you really want to become an expert in your freelance writing niche, avoid getting bogged down with unrelated tasks and projects.
Fully immerse yourself in your field, and let it be your entire focus. Seek out only clients that are in your industry, and if you have a hole to fill in your schedule, consider starting your own blog on the topic. Most clients love a self-starter, and they’ll be happy to find someone so passionate, energetic and educated on their field of choice.
6. Take a Trip
Sometimes, you have to venture out of your comfort zone to expand your horizons.
Take a break from the home office, and experience your freelance writing niche in real life.
Consider taking a trip to break out of that box, and experience your niche from a first-person perspective.
Love writing about gardening? Take a trip to a farm, and get hands-on knowledge of farming and planting tactics from a real-life farmer.
Big on real estate writing? Head off to NYC for a day, and shadow a real estate investor for a few days.
Chances are, you’ll learn more in just a few hours than you ever could from reading a book or a blog!
7. Find the Right Clients
Though you’re the pro here, you can still learn a lot from your clients – especially if you choose them carefully.
If you want to become a true expert in your freelance writing niche, don’t work with just anyone. Seek out the people who are true influencers in the industry. You want them to challenge you – to expose you to new ideas and new opportunities. Through your relationship, you will learn more about your niche. (Plus, it will look good on your portfolio, too!)
If you need more help finding the right clients, then check out my Ultimate Client-Getting Masterclass. It’s a short video training where I show you my EXACT steps to attracting, finding and contacting clients who will want to work with you.
Having experience in a niche is a great way to bring in solid, qualified clients – ones who are willing to pay big bucks to secure (and keep) your services for the long haul. Niche writers also have a competitive edge over other freelance writers on the market, and they typically have some pretty impressive portfolios as well. They’re also more sought after for guest posts, and they have an easier time getting their pitches seen (and accepted by big-time publications).
Do you want to become a niche writer and take your career to new heights? Start using these tips today. As a niche writer myself, I can tell you from experience: They really do work.
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Having a niche you are interested in can make the writing come much easier, plus if it’s a niche that’s a little out of the ordinary it can be even more lucrative! 🙂
Really great info Connie. I completely agree! 🙂
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
I was a professional photographer for 20 years before becoming a freelance copywriter. Do you think that’s an industry that could realistically become my niche? And if so, who would be the best people to target to start off with? Many thanks for your help!
Hi Andy,
Yes, you could definitely make photography your niche. You could work with clients who write about photography like self-help blogs, write content for photography courses, work with any brand who uses photography as a selling point, among others. I would say that photography is not as lucrative as say something like internet marketing or the medical industry, etc. but there should still be plenty of outlets looking for content. I would start searching for high-trafficked photography blogs and offer your services. Maybe you can also contact companies who sell cameras and check out their blogs to see if they post related content. If you know a certain brand of cameras well, you could seek out those brands also. These are just some of the things you can get started on. I hope this helps.
Maggie
That’s great Maggie. Thank you for getting back to me.
[…] potential customers your expertise – your knowledge on specific topics or industries. And the more specialized you are in a topic, the better rate you can […]
Another great article Maggie!
To be honest with you, there is a lot of rabbit trails that I could go off of under each point and tip that you have given, but I am going to do my best to just narrow it down to one (or two) rabbit trails, if I may…
The first thing I want to touch a bit on is under your first and second point. In fact, I see you as an influencer in the freelance writing and internet marketing niche, so I always look forward to getting your emails and reading your articles.
With that said, I do have a couple of questions for you: What influencers and blogs do you follow for your niches and industry? When you first started freelance writing, who was it that got you inpsired about doing this kind of work? And can you give us at least 2 or 3 books that really got you energized about this kind of profession?
Lastly, I just want to touch a little bit on your number 6 point about taking a trip. Currently, I have been reading a number of old English literature and reading several non-fiction books by famous novelist that have written about their thoughts on the art and craft of writing — such as Ernest Hemingway and even Stephen King.
After reading these books, the conclusion I’ve come to about what writing is all about is this: “Life (in general) is about turning words into actions, writing (or the writing life) is all about taking actions and turning them into words so that they impact someone else’s life.”
In other words, as writers, we are here to live life and then somehow express that life on the page through words. A writer that doesn’t live life won’t be a writer for long.