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If you look at any number of published writers, you will see that each seems to have their own particular style or genre of writing. For example, Stephen King writes horror, Anne Rice (used to, anyway) writes about vampires, etc. While it might seem a little narrow to write only in one niche or one genre, it´s actually a smarter way to approach your writing career. Here´s what you need to know.

Why Niches are Necessary

Think about the skills you have right now – writing and otherwise. Chances are good you have one thing you are really, really good at. And since you are so good at it, you concentrate your efforts and your exploration of that subject matter. You become so good at this particular thing that you don´t really have to work as hard at maintaining your skills or improving them. That´s why niches are so crucial to your writing career. When you find a subject matter that interests you and that you´re already a semi-expert at, you will begin to find your writing deepen and mature. What does this mean? It means your writing will be stronger than others who just dabble in your niche market. You will be able to create articles and manuscripts which inform a reading audience in such a way that brings them back for more. In terms of your writing clients, you will begin to see that people turn to you when they want articles on that particular niche. As time goes on, you will become the expert in the field, generating more work and more attention than if you had spread out your writing talent amongst various niches.

How to Choose Your Niche

As you first begin your career in writing, you might start out by writing about anything and everything you can. This makes sense. After all, the more you write, the more money you make – always a good thing. But as you begin to grow your client list, you will want to focus your efforts on those subject areas which interest you most – health, for example. When you become known as a ´health writer,´ you will begin to find assignments that target that talent and that genre. You can then get referrals from previous clients to new clients who want similar work. Choosing your niche might be as simple as simply labeling yourself in one genre of writing – and then seeing where that leads you. For example, one writer found themselves with a number of assignments about flowers and gardening, so she began to market her skills in that area – even though she wasn´t actually a gardener herself. With each new assignment, she began to learn more and more, which led her to more complicated assignments and more specialized clients.

Hunting for Niches

In the beginning, you will want to make a list of three to five potential niches you already enjoy. This way, you can begin to market these skills and then see where you are most successful. Often, your clients will choose your niche expertise for you, leading you into a successful career as a writer with a specialty for creating prose with power.