You’ll get the most writing done in the shortest amount of time, and you’ll likely make the most money per hour you write, when you specialize in one niche.
Four Reasons to Specialize
1. You’ll become known as an expert in your niche. Your publications list will impress editors and business owners, and many of them will contact you with choice projects they know you’re perfect for.
2. Since you have a high level of background information in your niche, you won’t need to spend as much time doing research. Plus staying current with trends and changing information is much easier when you focus on one niche.
3. You’ll be able to do some projects faster because you’ve done the same thing many times before.
4. Editors will pay you better rates because they know you have a proven track record and will deliver the goods. Editors want high-quality work delivered on time, and they will pay you well to get it. For most of my freelance writing career I’ve specialized in writing supplements and ancillaries for college textbooks (instructor’s manuals, test questions, student study guides, Internet exercises, etc). As I built up my publications list and my contacts list, I won more and more projects, and those projects typically had higher per-hour pay rates. For many years I’ve made $50-$100 per hour. I explain exactly how I do it in my e-book Writing College Textbook Supplements: The Definitive Guide to Winning High-Paying Assignments in the College Textbook Publishing Market.
Develop One or Two Sub-Niches
I actually started my writing career as an outdoors writer. I’ve written hiking guides for various parts of northern California, along with a hundred or so magazine and newspaper articles. I no longer spend much time writing about hiking, but I do keep my 2 remaining books in print and I write the Northern California Hiking Trails blog to publicize the books.
Sub-niches can be related to your main niche, or they can be in totally different areas. Of course, it’s easier to develop a sub-niche that has much in common with your main niche.
It’s OK to Shift Niches
For example, I now create information products about writing, productivity, and learning. I still work on textbook supplements and keep a toe in outdoor writing, but I’m shifting my focus because I’ve learned a lot about these areas over the last twenty years, I want to share what I know, and I want new challenges.
The Problems with Being a Generalist
Some freelance writers can pay the bills by being generalists, meaning they actively seek any writing assignments that meet their personal payment and interest criteria. However, most generalist freelancers don’t do very well. Editors and businesses will be wary of hiring someone without a high level of subject expertise, and when they do occasionally hire a generalist, they typically won’t pay as much as they would for a specialist.
(This post is based on Chapter 29, “Specialize in One Niche,” from the e-book Intelligent Productivity For Freelance Writers: Manage Your Time, Make More Money, and Get More Enjoyment From Life.)
Do you have a niche you specialize in? What is it? How has specialization helped you in your career?
