One of the Easiest Ways to Start Making Money as a Freelance Writer

December 7, 2008

I’m a huge believer in establishing a freelance writing niche. Not only because of my own personal success, but because many who make money online cite this is a key to their success as well.

And you know what? It is one of the easiest ways to sell yourself as a freelance writer – and start making money almost immediately.

Following are three reasons I think many freelance writers are afraid of establishing a niche – and how to overcome it.

3 Reasons Many Freelance Writers are Afraid to Establish a Writing Niche

1. They’re afraid they’ll lose clients: This s a common fear with many entrepreneurs – which is what freelance writers are.

But, I can tell you from personal experience – and I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993 – that it is not a valid fear.

Many freelance writers feel that with the advent of the Internet, they can research and write on any subject. And, they are probably right. But, this misses the point. To sell yourself, you have to convince potential clients of your skill.

And, it’s much easier to do this from a niche standpoint.

Case in Point: Recently, I’ve started to do SEO content writing. For one client, I’ve written on everything from Canadian mortgages to wedding accessories to wedding cake toppers.

What originally got this client interested though were the real estate writing samples I sent him.

The client first commissioned two articles on mortgages. When I sent those back, he was pleased enough that he immediately commissioned two more articles. I’ve gone on to write a multitude of material for this client – with no end in sight.

But, the key here was selling my niche (real estate, mortgages) first.

Many clients simply don’t buy the “jack of all trades writer.” While SEO writing is really starting to change this, to get a client’s attention, you need to sell your niche writing ability first. THEN make them aware of your versatility as a writer.

2. They don’t have a niche. If you’re just starting out, it may well be that you don’t have a niche and are just looking to take any paid assignment that comes along.

So, how do you overcome this? Quite easily actually. Choose a niche and write 5-10 articles.

If I were doing this, I’d choose a high-paying niche like real estate, small business, finance, etc. But, choose what you like to write about, eg, arts and crafts, auto mechanics, lawn care, etc.

The wonderful thing about being a freelancer is that you can invent the type of writer you want to be – today – right now.

Freelance writing is such an easy profession to enter – and one that can be started almost immediately – that not having a niche is a simple barrier to overcome.

3. They’re afraid of calling themselves an “expert.” Many freelance writers play psychological warfare with themselves. They’re afraid that if they define a niche, many will expect them to be an expert in that area.

Questions like, “What if I can’t sell myself in this area,” “What if a potential client asks me a question I don’t know the answer to,” and/or “What if I don’t know the niche well enough to write about it,” run through their minds.

How do I know this? Because when I first started writing about mortgages, for example, the same questions ran through my mind.

One of the reasons I stopped being a loan officer is because the industry is ever-changing and it was hard to keep up with all the new product offerings and regulation changes.
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But, you know what? The Internet is the equalizer. Anything you are fuzzy about, need to know more detail about and/or are just curious about can be found online.

And, clients rarely, if ever, question the depth of your knowledge. If you put yourself out there as an expert – you will rarely get questioned on it, especially if you have a body of work (5-10 samples to pass along) to back it up.

So, establish a freelance writing niche. As mentioned in the beginning of this piece, it is one of the easiest ways to sell yourself as a freelance writer – and start making money almost immediately (especially in the SEO sector).

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