By Derek Walter
Most of the prevailing wisdom regarding blogging is that you should write frequently on a narrow topic and develop a niche. The idea is the more specialized your site is, the easier it will be to build an audience of like-minded visitors. In many ways this can be a successful strategy. For example, if you want to read excellent writing advice, you come here to The Urban Muse or hit up one of the Writer's Digest blogs. Perhaps you're a gadget geek (like I am) - then Engadget or Ars Technica is your site.
There are certainly many benefits to being content-specific. For one, it makes an effective strategy for building a following. Think about the sites that you visit on a daily basis. You could probably identify what kind of content you are looking for at each one. This could especially be important if you are just getting started in your freelance career and want to build some brand recognition or establish yourself as an expert in your niche.
Editors and publishers are always looking for writers with a well-established platform. This gives them confidence that you are gaining expertise on your topic and can write with authority. It also shows that you are a fairly safe bet to get that assignment or book deal since you have a solid body of work to back you up. Plus the more you write about a particular topic then it’s likely you have built up a list of sources and clips that provide greater confidence when cranking out material.
Growing and then expanding your niche area can be an excellent way to create a community with your readership. Many of your returning readers are likely fans of your viewpoint and will follow you on Twitter and Facebook. The larger your following and community, the more validity your writing platform has. And as anyone who has tried to pitch a book to a literary agent can attest, an established writing platform is a major indicator of success.
Also, being recognized as an authority on a particular subject can lead to other exposure opportunities. TV networks are always looking for local experts to opine about the news. In a world where everything is tagged and categorized, taking the reins of how you are defined can be crucial for success.
While sticking to a niche certainly has several advantages, I do believe that does not mean one should keep pigeon-holed to only a small selection of material. One mark of a talented writer is the ability to write within a diverse selection of topics and genres. Annie Dillard and the late Graham Greene are two examples of talented writers with an impressive body of work in both fiction and non-fiction.
This is the approach I have taken. I understand the value in building a niche, yet I can not simply pigeon-hole myself into a corner. I mostly blog about my area of expertise (iPhone apps, technology news, and the latest gadgets) since that is the area I cover almost exclusively. Yet, I do not hold myself back from drifting into other areas. Maybe something really interesting happened in politics that week and I want to throw in a comment. Or there is inevitably going to be that pop culture scandal or event that just begs for at least 300 words.
This method may not bring in as many followers or pad your site's analytics. But it just may show that future editor or literary agent what you are capable of creating. Sure, there is all that joy and creativity that comes from writing, but the bottom line is you want to get paid. And the more you stretch your boundaries and showcase the talent, the more likely that is to happen.
Derek Walter is a freelance tech writer (most of the time). His web site and blog can be found at derekwalter.com.
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