Specialize, Specialize, Specialize

By Nancy Hendrickson © Copyright 2003

I received a phone call over the weekend from Sammy Padilla, a journalism student at one of my local colleges. As part of his course work, Sammy was given the assignment to contact someone in the field he wanted to enter, and then interview them.

After searching the Web for San Diego based freelancers, Sammy chose me for his interview subject. Among the many questions he asked me was "what does it take to succeed as a freelancer writer?" I had to laugh because I’d written a whole e-book on the subject. However, I told Sammy that if I had to crystallize my advice, it would be to position yourself as an expert. "What does that mean?" he asked.

I replied that that no matter how many specialties (or niches) a writer has, each editor likes to think of you as specializing in their field. For example, I write about a variety of subjects, including technology, genealogy and collecting. I have a fair bit of knowledge about each subject area, however each of my editors in those niches consider me an expert in their field.

Why is this important?

Every niche has its own peculiarities, terminology and news sources. As a writer in those fields, it’s my responsibility to keep up on the latest and greatest. I do that by subscribing to the major genealogy newsletters, four technology news alerts, and a "what’s hot" notice for collectors. My editors know that I’m up-to-date on events in their field, and feel comfortable calling me for assignments because they know they don’t have to educate me about their topic.

And, any time you can save an editor time, you’ve made a friend!

The bottom line: Do everything you can to establish yourself as an expert in a niche market, then confidently go knocking on those editors doors. I guarantee you’ll get an answer.

Oops--almost forgot this bit: Once you’ve written for a niche publication, be careful about writing for their competitors. Some editors won’t hire you if you write for the competition. So pitch the highest paying one first!

About the Author
Nancy Hendrickson is the author of Secrets of a Successful Freelancer and the upcoming book Finding Your Roots Online.

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