When I quit my day job four years ago to become a freelance writer, I aggressively threw myself into the digital and physical world. I signed on to Elance, Examiner and content farms. I tacked up flyers around town advertising my services, called local businesses asking if they needed my help and proselytized former professors and friends about the array of writing and editing I could do. On the side, I did commissioned artwork and opened an Etsy store to sell my existing paintings.
Despite this lofty expenditure of energy, I had little success. In three months I made $100 on Elance, $30 on Examiner and averaged $30 a day writing content-farm material. In my desperate attempt to do everything, I did nothing — and earned nothing.
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Then I honed in, focusing on copyediting, parenting essays and service pieces on writing. Ironically, narrowing my focus broadened my opportunities. Though the sporadic nature and pay of our work as freelancers makes it tempting to cultivate every random idea, here’s my advice: don’t. Specialize first, and branch out within your specialty. Here’s how.
Whether you’re a new freelancer or an established one, you may already gravitate toward a specific subject or two. Focus on a topic you’re truly interested in, and the writing will come naturally. Don’t worry about markets just yet. There are paying markets for every niche, and you’ll land those gigs if your work is strong.
| “Though the sporadic nature and pay of our work as freelancers makes it tempting to cultivate every random idea, here’s my advice: don’t.” |
Camilla McLaughlin, a real estate writer for more than 20 years, fell into real estate writing from a place of passion. “I have worked with an architect and had my house designed and built. I’ve bought new houses and old houses, so I have those insights___ It just gives me a little background. Once you start writing in a specialty and you do it for awhile, you just start to accumulate a lot of knowledge.”
Nicola Joyce has been a freelance fitness writer, based in England, since 2004, when she sold her first piece on her experience swimming the English Channel. “It was always my intention to be the go-to person in my field,” she says of being a writer specializing in fitness. “After nearly nine years, I think this has slowly become the case.”
Reaching out across social media can boost your presence and reliability as an expert in a specific field. Joyce uses social media to “communicate and share relevant, useful information. I position myself not just as an expert voice but as a curator of information and a knowledge hub.” Alerting your readership to news and the work of other writers in your field not only expands your own knowledge, but also generates interest in you as a writer and person.
Choose opportunities wisely
You cultivate your career with both opportunities you accept and those you pass up. Rae Francoeur operates the New Arts Collaborative, a creative services business, after decades of writing and editing on the subjects of fine and literary arts. She recounts a job offer she had as a night editor. “It was a step up for me, but I was a single parent and the commute was a long one. I tried it out; I spent two weeks there, and I just couldn’t do it. It was too disruptive to my daughter. I often tell my friends, just because there is an opportunity, it doesn’t mean you have to take it. There are times I think people should say no and try to stick to the track that they really want to be on.”
If the pay is too low, the amount of work too demanding or the subject is outside of your area of interest, don’t be afraid to say no. A former client connected me with a man who needed help getting his mystery novel published, and when I read his email it seemed that what he really needed was a literary agent. I could have given him advice, working as a sort of consultant. But he seemed a little too proud and inflexible, and I wasn’t sure I would enjoy working with someone like that. Additionally, this type of work wasn’t in line with the direction I wanted my career to follow, so I politely declined.
| “One of the most rewarding aspects of specializing is enabling yourself to write what you love.” |
Joyce emphasizes the importance of finding paid opportunities, even as a newcomer. “Don’t write for free. It devalues what we, and you, do. Explore the extra avenues of digital. Digital publications often need content for more than main features___ snippets to promote forthcoming issues of a magazine, promotional content for eBooks and add-ons and content to tie in with social media projects.”
McLaughlin also highlights how opportunities can unfold within your specialty if you get creative with it. “Real estate writing can be a story about a property, home or commercial. It can be about an unusual renovation or the experience of the homeowner with the property. Keep a pretty broad focus [within your field of interest], and follow every avenue that you can.”
Never stop honing your specialty
Getting your name and face out into the world can be intimidating, but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to do it. Start by having your byline out there, Francoeur suggests. Also, consider writer’s conferences, book expos and blog conventions. Joyce accumulates fitness knowledge by signing up for email alerts from fitness organizations, attending business networking and industry-related events, and she is also a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK and Ireland and the Fitness Writers’ Association. McLaughlin connects with local editors and homeowners and attends trade shows to keep her finger on the pulse of real estate.
Or, if you’re a bit of an entrepreneur like Francoeur, consider coordinating your own events. Francoeur has put on literary panels, regional writers conferences and fundraisers to benefit her community. This type of effort may seem Herculean, but even a handful of literary connections can be enough to pull a conference together and get the word out. However, for writers looking to start on a smaller scale and earn some extra income, Francoeur says, “I have friends who have writers groups in their homes for a fee. You can put it on Craigslist or MeetUp, or just posting something in the library.”
Pursue your passion
One of the most rewarding aspects of specializing is enabling yourself to write what you love. Joyce shares this sentiment about her fitness writing, “I sometimes work seven days a week and often start earlier than I would have if I was still in house. But I never feel like I’m working.” Specialization may sound like something you have to fall into by luck, like Internet stardom or lottery winnings. But in reality, if you make valuable contacts with people in your field and take time to brainstorm new or unusual outlets for your writing, you can fuel your career by writing only what you love.
Amanda Layman Low is a freelance writer and artist. Contact her on Twitter
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