Ididn’t know I would enjoy writing about telecoms when I first started; it was a regular, well-paying gig, and I was going to suffer through it for the money.

Strangely, the subject and the people involved in the business fascinated me.

Four years later, I still have a lot to write about, and it’s mostly a pleasure.

I also look for new areas to write about, and accept/discard depending on how interested I am in learning more about it.

I’m lucky to have a built-in niche because I’m an attorney, but that’s not *all* that interests me; it’s easy (read: comfortable), though, to fall into only writing in your niche without exploring new options.

So I’m constantly on the look-out for new niches so to speak

Great post Matt, and I look forward to seeing your revamped website!

Oh, and also a San Diegan. I hear you about the prices, man. I cry every time I have to open my wallet.

Thanks for the post Matt and sharing your experiences with us.

While I’m interested in many aspects of advertising, marketing, PR, sales, and internet technologies, I have decided my great loves of social media and music all converge in online music marketing.

I advise clients to put lots of free mp3s and videos online, and to do live streaming video shows, which complement or supplant live real world venues.

Anyway, I agree that finding and specializing in a not just a niche, but a niche you naturally already love, or are very interested in learning more about, is the way to go.

Thanks for the great insights.

My own personal techno music page is:

http://myspace.com/thestr8sounds

Niche writing can also hurt if your niche goes south

Excellent point! Hopefully, if you’re active in the topic, you’ll be able to see it going south, and jump to something else in time.

With your green blog and my passion for OHV, you might not think we could see eye to eye on much.

Fact is, I’m very green in my actions, but I don’t subscribe to the hype that humans are the main cause of Global Warming. My passion comes from a pollution standpoint, which we ARE 100% responsible for. That and saving a buck.

You might enjoy some of the stuff I did about an electrically powered ATV from Barefoot Motors. Very promising. I have an article pending in a national print magazine about this, which may be my “big break”

While I agree with most aspects, it is important not to define a niche too narrowly or to find a couple that are complimentary.

I’m a reformed sportswriter. For years I was pigeonholed there. Then it was business, then banking. While I can still write on any of those three and still write a smattering of business and banking, I also write a ton of technology items, a little bit of PR, and other items from time to time.

Niche writing can also hurt if your niche goes south…I used to have a ton more work in banking before the banks started to merge with a vengence. Mortgage writers are seeing much the same issue now (I’ve done some writing there, too).

Of course, there is always room to write outside your niche if the money is good. I just finished up a website edit for a vending company. Taking a really good paying job outside of my niche every now and then allows me to accept a lower paying job inside my niche if it’s one I really want.

So, keep searching for your niche if you haven’t found it yet, but don’t burn your bridges with other clients.

Get out there and write about it

What ever it is, just start writing. You’ll work your way in to a niche.

Brandi, I am still not convinced I’ve found my final niche because I’m still very new and simply haven’t touched that many subjects. I think I’m close, but there are still several topics that I am very active about on forums but don’t write about them professionally.

I recently got permission (and encouragement) to post on 5 different topics across 20 different blogs with Creative Weblogging, the company that I blog at Under My Helmet for. It will be a good experience for sure.

I am a much more rounded and open person since my writing allowed me to vent a few of life’s issues! Its almost been like a personal form of counseling having the writing outlet.

The best buzz is getting good feedback and knowing you’ve touched someone, somewhere….even if it’s just one person.

I still want to find a way to write about that more, but it’s helped me shape my counseling work. I started a personal blog a while ago, but haven’t kept it up. However, I’ve found some other niches that have expanded, so I’m sure I’ll come across (or create!) the right opportunity to really use that experience for good.

The internet seems to have a nearly endless audience. Once you can kind of “move past yourself” you can really do a lot of good!!

@ Matt – Thanks for sharing your experience finding a niche. I’m always interested to know how other writers got into whatever it is they’re covering. I believe we really can learn from each others’ experiences.

Brandi

Get out there and write about it, that’s how I started off really, writing articles on ‘Triond’ and realizing that people really liked them! And all I was writing about was life…..