Welcome to the 7th edition of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you launch or elevate your freelance writing business. Every other Friday, get tips tools, and insights based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

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Hi Friend!

Ever have one of those weeks where life stuff just demands your attention?

I'm on the tail end of one—from my son getting laid off to a worrisome health scare for another family member to rushing my 86-year-old mom to the ER after a fall. (She broke her pelvis but is slowly on the mend.) And these are just the highlights (or lowlights, really).

Right now, life feels like I’m dealing with “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.”

Not trying to overshare or seek pity here. Just keeping it real, figuring you could relate to trying to handle what life throws at you while juggling work, family, finances, health, and, oh yeah, self-care. This, too, shall pass, right?

As a freelancer, I'm grateful that I could just take time off to deal with everything and help my family. No permission needed.

And I'm incredibly thankful for my understanding clients who offered flexibility and grace by extending deadlines a bit. I typically don’t ask for this from clients, but I had to put family first for a bit.

🔼 THIS is just one of many, many reasons why the freelance lifestyle works for me. As a business owner, I get to decide what my priorities are at any given moment, taking time off as needed to deal with life.

Meanwhile, back to the real reason you’re here….

Today’s newsletter dives into navigating niches.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

1. Choosing a niche can boost your income and passion. By focusing on a specific area of expertise, you can become a sought-after expert, command higher rates, and enjoy your work more.

2. Avoid common pitfalls when niching down. Don't chase trends or prioritize money over passion (though you can find ways to make good money while pursuing your passion). Being a generalist can make it harder to stand out.

3. There's a strategic process to find your niche. This involves self-reflection, evaluating your experience and skills, researching market demand, and understanding profitability. It's also okay to have multiple niches and evolve your niche over time.

Freelance Focus: Navigating Niches

Do you find yourself bouncing between projects that don't ignite your passion, struggling to land clients who appreciate your skills, and questioning if it's time for a pivot?

It can feel daunting to choose the right niche or know when it’s time to switch gears. You might feel uninspired or bored with your current work, struggle to command competitive rates, and grapple with balancing passion and profitability. Plus, it can seem hard to pin down your interests or gauge your own strengths, which can lead to a sense of frustration and stagnation.

Without a clear direction or strong personal branding, navigating the freelance landscape can be disheartening.

But it’s not as hard as you might think to choose (or change) your niche and thrive as a freelance writer.

Niche Down to Fuel Passion and Profit

Stuck writing about vacuum cleaners when you secretly dream of crafting killer content about personal finance? Been there, done that. But for me, my ho-hum topics fell along the lines of compliance, internal auditing, and big data, when I yearned to write about travel and wellness.

Here's the thing: choosing a niche isn't just about finding clients who need your skills (although that's pretty sweet). It's also about becoming the go-to guru in your niche. Imagine: higher rates, a streamlined workflow that feels more like a joyride than a slog, and a reputation that precedes you. Plus, writing about topics you actually enjoy fuels your creativity and makes those deadlines way less stressful. Win-win, right?

Avoid These Common Niche Traps

Let’s talk about some common solutions writers often turn to—and why they tend to fall short. 

• Jumping on the bandwagon. Picking a trending niche (hello, cryptocurrency) might seem like a great idea, but if it doesn’t align with your interests or skills, you’ll struggle to establish expertise in an already crowded market.

• Following the money trail. You might be tempted to chase the big bucks (who can blame you?), but this can lead to burnout and uninspired work. Plus, when your heart isn’t in it, the quality suffers, and you may end up with clients who aren’t a great fit.

• Being a Jack/Jane of All Trades. Years ago, I loved being a generalist—and at the time, it worked great. But today, in the era of specialization, it can prove tough to stand out. Without a clear specialty, clients might overlook you for those with more focused expertise.

Finding Your Sweet Spot

How can you find the perfect niche that blends your passions and experience with killer market opportunities? Lean into your “sweet spot”—that magical intersection between what you love to write about, the experience you already have, the skills you bring to the table, and what clients want.

The Six-Step Process to Identify Your Niche

Step 1: Identify what makes your 🩷 sing.

This requires some self-reflection, but don’t skip this part! You might love yoga, travel, healthy eating, animals, and living more sustainably. Oh wait, that’s me! 😉 But think about what you love to do, what you enjoy learning or reading about, and how you spend your free time. You might turn up ideas like photography, cycling, investing, woodworking, cooking, or developing apps.

Step 2: Review your resume.

Your past work experience—including college internships and part-time jobs—quickly gives you an overview of your past roles and responsibilities, perhaps in multiple industries. Don’t overlook any volunteer work you might have done, like managing the social media account for your local animal shelter.

Step 3: Dust off your portfolio. 

Analyze past projects you genuinely enjoyed to see if you can uncover any common themes. This can provide a treasure trove of clues about your natural strengths and interests. For instance, I discovered that I love writing “feel-good” pieces about people and organizations doing good in the world. This translates nicely into types of projects (like profile pieces and case studies) and types of clients (non-profits and B-Corporations) that I often seek.

Step 4: Get an outsider’s opinion.

You know those friends and relatives who always say you’ve got a knack for easily explaining complex topics or infusing humor into a situation? Seek out feedback from them, as well as past colleagues and even trusted freelance friends. I’ve often found it helpful to hear an objective viewpoint of what I do well—sometimes discovering things I didn’t even see in myself. (Ironically, it feels super easy to pinpoint what I don’t do well.)

Step 5: Research the market. 

Now it’s time to check out the market, looking for niches with a steady demand for freelance writers. Check out freelance platforms, job boards, social media, industry publications, and websites. What topics keep popping up? What skills/deliverables are in demand? Do any of them pique your interest? Personally, I love reading what shows up in my LinkedIn feeds about things I love—like freelancing, travel, wellness, branded content, and newsletters. Though I haven’t used tools like Google Trends and keyword planners to define my own niche, they’d also be great resources to see what kind of content people are actively searching for.

Step 6: Understand the profitability. 

While passion is important, being able to make a living is essential too. Know that, generally speaking, certain industries pay well (like finance, technology, and healthcare) and others (like parenting, pets, and travel) pay less. But also know that, even in more saturated, lower-paying markets you can still command higher fees. For example, I write a lot about travel (a highly saturated market). Some media outlets pay me $300 for a 750-1000 word article. But writing a branded content travel piece (same word count) earns me $1+/word with other clients. 

Final Niche Tips

Keep in mind that you can have more than one niche! I market myself as a freelancer who writes about travel, food, lifestyle, and wellness. (Though my writer’s website needs a refresh, I’ve categorized my portfolio by the niches I cover to help prospects easily find just-the-right clips.) Don't feel pressured to limit yourself to just one niche, especially if you have a broad skill set. You can absolutely have multiple niches—it’s all in how you market yourself.

Also, know that it’s OK to evolve. Your interests and the market can change over time. Don't be afraid to re-evaluate your niche every few years to make sure it still aligns with your goals. Before I switched gears into my current niches, I wrote about a lot of business-related topics, including real estate, marketing, employee communications, business profiles, etc. Choosing a niche doesn’t have to be a one-and-done decision.

Finally, remember that freelancing should excite you—not feel like a chore!

High/Low

⬆️ High: I love the flexibility to take off time when I need to handle life stuff and to have understanding clients who extend deadlines in emergency situations. #feelingblessed

⬇️ Low: Taking my 86-year-old mom to the ER this week was stressful, scary, and made me feel helpless. #couldhavebeenworse

Up Next

• Behind-the-scenes peek at how I use LinkedIn to win clients

• How to gain momentum

• Building relationships with clients

Thanks for allowing me into your inbox!

I look forward to sharing my freelance journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours. I’m just here as your guide. Take what works for you, and tweak it to your needs. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ll be back in two Fridays with another edition of Expert•ish Freelancer.

In the meantime….

Be kind. Do good. Give thanks. 😊

With gratitude,
Lisa

P.S. I would LOVE to hear how you’ve implemented any of the ideas in Expert•ish Freelancer and found success. Please share your win with me! I’m at [email protected].