DISCLAIMER: I’m presuming for the sake of this post that you are a good writer. You may or may not be formally trained, you may or may not have years of experience, you may or may not have a kick-ass blog. But bottom line, you can write. If you can’t write, I suggest you download my free report.
I always knew that I could write, but it never occurred to me that I could parlay that skill into a career. And the reason why I was so blind to that possibility was because I wasn’t particularly ‘expert’ at anything. The freelance writers that I knew had expertise in business, or technology or marketing. Their content was highly sought after because they were industry leaders, with insights and experiences that positioned them as luminaries. Why would a company, willing to pay someone, choose me to write their materials?
I’ll tell you why…
MOST PEOPLE CANNOT WRITE WELL
Typically, successful CEO’s and business owners boast skills that have catapulted them to the top of their field, but they can’t necessarily write. Just because someone has done well as a manufacturer or a banker or a lawyer does not mean that they can string words together effectively. And even if they have respectable writing capability, these folks are busy! They don’t have time to generate content, they are swamped negotiating deals and shmoozing clients. The fact that you can write well is reason enough to be hired.
YOU CAN MASTER A MARKET
I write in the technology sector. I know very little about enterprise software or technology in general. But over time, I have come to understand the lingo; I can easily figure out the messaging; and I know what drives business for B2B tech companies. All I needed was one contract to get the ball rolling, and I sold myself on the basis of my freelance writing skills (I was completely honest about my lack of expertise in the tech space). That first assignment was a White Paper about sales performance management in the banking industry. I was WAY out of my comfort zone (I worked in non profit for 10 years!), but I asked pointed questions, I read a lot, and I prepared myself for several rewrites. While I am certainly no expert, I now feel very comfortable writing in my niche market.
EVERYONE CARES ABOUT SOMETHING
If you are too scared to take a chance in an unfamiliar market, think about things that are near and dear to your heart. Are you a Mom? A fashionista? Do you play bridge? Perhaps you are a dog lover. While you may not have ‘expertise’ in any of these markets, your passion (and your freelance writing skills) can carry you far. And you can solicit work on the basis of that passion. Find other bloggers, search editorial websites, or query magazines that feature your area of interest. Write some samples and send them to popular bloggers in your niche market. Start your own blog, and tweet your posts, put them on Facebook and build a readership.
THE INTERNET HAS SPAWNED MILLIONS OF EXPERTS
In the ‘olden’ days, you had to go to a library to research a topic. Data that you can now discover with the click of a button used to take days or weeks to track down. The Internet has made boundless information accessible in an instant. Scientific publications, up-to-the-minute news reports, legal precedent and research and data on any subject under the sun – all available round-the-clock, and usually for free. You don’t need to be an expert – you can rely on the expertise of others to inform your writing and create credible content.
LACK OF EXPERTISE IS AN OPPORTUNITY WORTH SEIZING
The fact that you haven’t necessarily identified a single niche market in which you feel you could write may actually represent an opportunity worth seizing. You know you want to write – and the world is your oyster. Pick a niche, any niche….seriously, you can go anywhere you like. You are not tied to a single industry or interest; you are standing on the verge of a new success and it is an exciting time. Take advantage of your innocence, and listen to your gut. I would recommend that you spend some time thinking about the things you love and use that sensibility as your compass.
Freelance Writing is a career that puts you in charge. You need only be an expert about you in this process. How would you answer these two questions:
What do I love?
What do I want to write about?
The answers should guide you in your freelance writing journey.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Ruth- great post on freelancing writing. However it is not so easy as most people think it is.
Mind The News recently posted..Reply from a Delhi Boy to the Open Letter [Broken Morning – Shahana Nair Joshi]
My standard line is give me about two business days and I’ll BE your expert in…whatever it is. Pre-Internet it was a lot harder to pull this off, but now it’s really not hard.
Carol Tice | Make a Living Writing recently posted..5 LinkedIn Features Every Freelance Writer Should Use
Love it Carol! Putting that one in my back pocket for any client scepticism down the road!