Freelance Writing Tip: 3/8/08
As a beginning freelance writer, try this tip. Choose three markets that intrigue you, and then concentrate on finding work within them. By focusing on three topics, you will be able to take advantage of many benefits.
When choosing topics, make sure that they are ones that you enjoy. After all, you do not want to get stuck with projects that are not up your alley. Of course, you should never turn down work that you think you are capable of completing. This is why I suggest choosing three topics. By doing this, there will always be plenty of companies and publications to call on.
Even though I have been a full-time freelance writer for a few years, I still dabble in the topics on my list from early in my career. They include: sports, small business, and insurance. Within a couple of months of starting my career, I also added real estate to my list. This is a subject that has always been of interest to me, and since I landed a few jobs in this niche early on, it only made sense to expand.
I know it can be difficult for new freelancers to choose three topics that they want to write about. The reasons for this are well documented: you do not want to narrow down your choices so far that you cannot find work. And of course, you may not know which topics you want to write about.
Remember, this is not law. It is simply a solid suggestion that will give you some direction during the early days of your freelance writing career. By all means, do not feel like you can only take jobs that pertain to the three topics on your target list. I have accepted a large share of projects over the years on subjects that were not particularly interesting to me. But as long as I can learn something and the project meets my pay requirements, it is worth a shot.
