Freelance Writing Niches You Should Consider
Have you ever wondered where the better-paid freelance writing niches are hiding? Is it so hard for you to believe that a better income is possible? The good news is that there are plenty of niches that pay much better than, let’s say, writing blog posts or short online product descriptions. Many freelance writers don’t know exactly how to start freelancing and aren’t aware of all the different types of freelance writing gigs that allow you to be better paid.
Before you head onto finding your writing niche, you should check out Writing Process Explained for Non-Writers to help you perfect your writing craft.
Resumes CV and Cover Letters
Many people find the job search process more than a little challenging. They have to concern themselves with finding the right opportunities, performing well in interviews, and ultimately negotiating for the position they want. The thought of writing a resume or CV on top of all that is overwhelming.
Not only that but in many competitive fields, homegrown resumes simply aren’t enough. It’s the norm to hire a professional to do the job. This means plenty of opportunities for you to offer your services.
James Daily, a professional writer and blogger at Brainished advises emerging career services writers, “There’s an increasing demand for resume and CV writers who can specialize. If you are a good writer, that’s great. If you’re a good writer who also understands the hiring process and the labor market, that’s a perfect fit”.
Instructional Materials and Diagrams
If you have a technical background, you can combine that experience with your writing skills to explore the niche of writing diagrams, instruction pamphlets, and other instructional documents. Small software development companies, manufacturers, and other startups need these materials written, but can’t always afford to staff full-time writers for this purpose.
Natalie Andersen, a former freelance writer and content editor at GetGoodGrade has a helpful reminder for people considering this niche. She says, “It’s important to remember that this content is highly visual as well as being technical in nature. You may need to understand how to read blueprints and technical specifications, then communicate that information using text and visuals in a user-friendly way.”
Reports Presentations and Case Studies
Business owners often face the challenge of turning data into useful content. This applies whether they are presenting information to potential investors, sharing year-end data with employees and stockholders, showcasing pitch decks, or sharing case studies as proof for potential customers. If you’re a freelancer with a business background, and you understand how to merge data with amazing content, you can find some great opportunities here.
Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash
Grant Writing
Government agencies, foundations, and corporations often earmark funds to assist charities, non-profits, researchers, and emerging entrepreneurs. In order to gain access to these funds, people must follow a specialized application process known as grant writing.
A single grant can make a huge difference to the person or organization receiving it. Unfortunately, the grant writing process can be extraordinarily complicated. Because of this, many people pursue writing careers just within this specialty. If you are detail-oriented and don’t mind a very procedural form of writing, this niche is definitely worth exploring.
Internal Documentation and Handbooks
What do safety manuals, policy documents, employee manuals, benefits summaries, and other documents have in common? They represent the collection of documents that employers keep on hand to properly onboard employees, and ensure compliance with a variety of regulations.
Kelly Markham, an editor at TopAustraliaWriters says, “All businesses need these documents, but not all can afford the staff to write them. As a result, they’re often eager to outsource this work to freelancers who can take on this job at reasonable rates.”
Books
For entrepreneurs and influencers, writing a book can be an important step in establishing their thought leadership in a big way. In addition to this, e-books, created through platforms like Kotobee, can also be used as a source of marketing and passive income.
The challenge that many of these folks face is that they may have great ideas, but not the skills required to turn those ideas into a book. If you don’t mind the demands of writing long-form content, this is a challenging but rewarding field to enter.
Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash
Newspapers and Magazines
Believe it or not, you don’t need to be a seasoned reporter with a degree from a noteworthy college or university to write for a newspaper or magazine. Keep in mind that for every New York Times or Washington Post, there are hundreds of local and niche publications. The same goes for magazines.
Take a look at the newspaper and magazine rack at your local grocery store. Yes, you’ll see the big publications like Time and People, but take a closer peek. There are magazines for knitters and bakers, jazz aficionados, even people who enjoy very specific forms of travel. Then there are local magazines designed to appeal to readers who live or work in a very specific area.
These publications need skilled writers, preferably local, to provide content for them so that they can publish on a reliable schedule. Just keep in mind that editorial standards are quite high, even at small newspapers. You’ll likely need a college degree, and great proofreading and editing skills.
Greeting Cards
Hellen Lewis is an author at Canada-Writers who says, “This is a fun, but quite lucrative niche, that many writers overlook. It’s a great way to expand your horizons a bit, and work your creative muscles. At the same time, it allows writers to diversify their portfolios a bit.”
Diversification is Key
There’s no guarantee that one particular writing niche will remain lucrative forever. Will blogging eventually fade away as people become more enamored with video content? Will the demand for content specialization reduce demand for writing generalists? What about content saturation? There’s no way to know what the future will be, but the best way to prepare is to gain experience and expertise in a variety of disciplines.
Conclusion
Making the decision to go freelance is one many are hesitant to take, even if they’re only doing it as an added source of income rather than a full-time life change. If you’re one of those people who’d been on the fence about making the move, you now have a list of alternative writing niches you can find yourself in and explore to gain more money. Did you find yours yet?
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