Copywriter: Find a niche

Starting out, I took most any writing job that came my way. Now I can't afford to do that. Nor would I want to.

Being the general go-to cheap copywriter for your clients has its benefits. You'll learn a lot about a bunch of different stuff. You'll learn to churn out copy quickly and effectively. You'll make good money. And when you start to beat control packages on a consistent basis, your career will take off.

Then it's time to take yourself more seriously. Things you didn't have time or balls for before suddenly become more important -- creative briefs, contracts, and terms of acceptable payment. You'll start to have to turn down work because you don't have time for new projects. Eventually you'll be able to pick and choose which projects you want to do. And even some that sound interesting, you won't have time for.

This is exactly what's happened to me here lately. Earlier this week, for 2 days in a row, I turned down 3 jobs each day. That is a record for me. I'm taking my career much more seriously now, and it's time to specialize.

By specializing in a specific industry, car insurance or group travel, for instance, you slowly become known in that industry as an expert. And once you're an expert as opposed to a generalist, that's when the money comes in.

In "Freelance Writing Success in a Box," there's an interview with Bob Bly about specializing. He recommends specializing in one or two specific areas, but also staying open to jobs outside of those specialties when something interesting comes along.

I've been thinking about what I want to specialize in, and what seems to make more and more sense to me is either income-opp (which is what I write you about everyday anyway) or alternative health, another personal interest of mine. I love writing travel copy, but there's not much money in it, at least compared to other industries. So I think I'll keep writing travel copy for the clients I have, but I won't go looking for new travel clients.

Makes sense, right?

Now, a quick poll...

a. What are some things you're interested in (horses, church, hiking, etc.)...
b. And can you think of a way to turn your interests into copywriting profits...

Have a great day!