Here’s a writing niche I hope takes off: Spoofs.
A spoof is an article or webpage you write as a satire, mimicking some otherwise serious subject. I didn’t even know there was a demand for this until someone asked if I could write ‘humor’. Turns out I can.
My first effort, Math Kills was a great deal of fun to write and it gave me some sorely needed training with pictures and charts. I’m weak on graphics and HTML in general, but I believe this is where the online writing game is headed…
The itch to niche
So, now that I’m all nichey, I’ve got to sell this puppy. First go will be contacting web warriors I’ve worked for in the past to see if they might want a little ’spice’. And meanwhile, I’ll sit spider-like and cruise the job postings looking for my niche to come up. But not just that, I’m looking for content requests that I might be able to nichify with examples and clever suggestions.
This gives me 3 current niches. And that’s the overall strategy: keep adding oddball assignments I like to do (which translates into ‘pretty good at doing’) and use these as my fishing lures.
This, for me, is where the fun is in online freelancing. I get to try new things and see how they work out. It’s the oddest sort of synchronicity when an assignment blossoms, and it always comes as a nice surprise. The beauty part is that when you find a job to your liking, you’ve just completed a sample you can show to get your next job.
- Freelance niches, positioning and differentiation
- oDesk Affiliates
- Too Many Fish in the Pond? I don’t think so!
- Staying on Task
- Profiles I’d like to see on oDesk
Very, very funny article. I liked it quite a bit.
Hey Bill!
Saw your link to the Math Kills article — I’ll just say on your behalf that you’re great to work with, did a tremendously cool thing writing Math Kills and Environmental-schism.
Mac
ismmania