Finding Your Writing Niche (And Making the Most of It)

Every writer has a niche. Somewhere they belong. Or, in practical terms, a topic around which they can reel off endless facts, feel comfortable talking about, and can do so with a degree of authority. Tapping into yours can take your writing career to a whole new level.

(7 Healthy Habits for Writers to Find Success.)

If you are struggling to find your niche, simply ask yourself how you spend your free time, because as we all know ‘free’ time is the most valuable time of all. Your hobbies and interests say a lot about you, and combining your favorite pastimes with writing could be the way forward. Not only would it be a great way to expand upon (and show off!) the knowledge you’ve spent a lifetime curating, but it can also be a great way to convert that expertise into cold, hard, cash. 

The more obscure and unusual your area of expertise the better. Hone in and look for depth rather than breadth. For example, ‘sports’ is not a niche because it’s far too wide a category. So is ‘recreational sports.’ But if you can focus on just ONE recreational sport, you’re getting there.

For argument’s sake, let’s say you are an avid angler, and you recently spent some time fly fishing on Boulder River in Montana. There’s an article right there, which could appeal to a range of publications from specialist fishing or outdoor sports titles to local interest or travel magazines. It’s a great starting point. 

From there you can focus on fishing in designated geographical areas, using certain equipment, pursuing a particular fish, or any combination of the above. Perhaps the best thing about the way the media has evolved and fragmented in recent years is that there are now readily-accessible markets for absolutely everything and niche outlets with limited but fervent supporters are on the rise.

Once you have identified your niche, or at least the area in which you want to work, you need to establish your reputation and become an authority. This needn’t be as difficult as it sounds. Social media is a must, so set up Instagram and X accounts, along with a Facebook business page, and keep them separate from your personal ones. A dedicated website, podcast, vlog, or blog, is also a good idea, and can eventually become a money spinner in itself. But this, of course, would require a little upkeep. To begin with, you’ll need a snappy, search engine-friendly, tag, ideally something related to your niche. FlyFisherRick, for example. 

You can build an audience simply by being actively involved in the community (look for relevant hashtags to point you in the right direction), and sharing snippets of information or advice, tips, and even articles from other sources. Don’t see this as a chore. If you have a genuine passion for the topic, you’ll probably be seeking out this kind of news on a regular basis anyway, and will already have identified the best sources of information. It’s a great way to keep your accounts ticking over and your name at the forefront of people’s minds with a minimum of effort.

You don’t have to wait until you get some traction before you start pitching to editors, but your chances of publication will be greatly enhanced if you have some kind of platform you can point to, especially in the absence of a large body of work. Once established, you may find publications will approach you. I lived and worked in China for several years, and I made sure everyone in my professional circle was aware of the fact. Now I am regularly contacted by various publications to provide comment on China-related features.

It is important to be as proactive in as many ways as possible. Dedicate a proportion of your daily schedule exclusively to networking, which you can think of as marketing. Join clubs and associations, Facebook groups, subscribe to newsletters and magazines, go to social events, generally be a presence, and build up a contact list. Then, email everyone on it telling them exactly what your area of expertise is and what you can offer. If you make firm connections, even outside the publishing industry, your name will be passed around.

Finally, don’t neglect the PR and marketing companies who get paid a great deal of money to promote the clients who hire them. They can’t do that without people like you. So, do some research, and find out who represents who and what in whichever field you’ve chosen to immerse yourself in and again, introduce yourself. Just being on their mailing lists is a great way to keep ahead of the curve with regards to innovation, popular fashions, and emerging trends, and you’ll also be privy to interview opportunities with industry figures, product launches, and review samples, all of which can be leveraged into articles generating yet more income.

You might think that writing almost exclusively in one area will leave you feeling stifled or restricted. Trust me, it won’t. Embrace it, and put yourself out there. We all have a distinctive skill-set, along with a unique range of interests. Harness yours and make them work for you. You won’t just be financially better off; you’ll also be happier and more content because most of your time will be spent exploring your own interests.