RSSFriday B.S.: Scratch that Niche
Jun 11
A Writer's Blog Comments Off
In my last article, I talked about the benefits of niche market writing, something I believe in firmly. But you may have noticed that I am not a niche market writer myself. I have one niche website, concert-central.com which focuses exclusively on concert reviews, tour dates and setlists. But the Smart ReMarx blog is, and always has been, all over the map when it comes to its focus.
I just want to reiterate my point about niche marketing: if it’s something you can pull off, it is unequivocally a successful business plan for writers. If you host any type of advertising, your potential for ad revenue soars with niche targeting, whether you publish on a website or in print. Niche market writing absolutely can encourage return traffic and increase subscribership in a way that few other strategies will.
If you think about it, the internet is built around niche market strategies. You go to different websites to accomplish a different set of goals. The disparate objectives of each website determines where you go, how long you spend there, and whether you come back. That’s niche targeting a nutshell. You want your writing to be seen as an authority on a particular topic.
So knowing that, why don’t I do it?
In my experience, having attempted a few niche market websites, I simply lack the passion when I’m so narrowly focused on one niche. My blog writing is more prolific because I allow myself to write about anything that’s on my mind. Is it a successful business model? No, between my two blogs, I make about 2 cents of advertising revenue per day, not even enough to pay for the sites themselves. (Another thing that contributes to the low revenue is the infrequency of updates). But it’s worth pointing out that I don’t maintain either site for the purpose of generating revenue.
How would I do it if I did want to make money? Well, for one, I would only maintain one blog overall. If I settled on the concert blog, for instance, I would more readily advertise the fact that you can contribute your own reviews, in order to get more contributions from visitors. (Ticketmaster is pushing user reviews now for the same reason). I would also go to more free, or extremely cheap, local shows in order to be able to add more content to my site overall. I would post tour itineraries for every band I could find instead of just doing it periodically. I might even throw album reviews up there for additional content, as well as music industry news. In doing all of that, I would have more content on the site, increase traffic through search results and gain better targeted advertising which would ultimately improve my ad revenue potential.
All of this already happens, of course, but in very small doses. Not enough to generate significant revenue of any kind. So there is the dilemma for me: do I want sustainable revenue or am I satisfied maintaining the site for its own merits? I chose the latter. As a writer, you face a similar choice. And I’m here to tell you it is much easier if you make the choice from the beginning. Then you can channel your time and energy into whichever goal you choose.
Writing books is a similar decision, particularly if publish independently. It’s difficult to switch constantly between genres, particularly if you write in both nonfiction and fiction. You might find loyalty in both styles, but does that loyalty overlap? Are you actually cutting into your revenue potential by working on disparate projects at the same time?
So what does my list look like? Take a gander at the books I’ve written:
What Do You Say to the DJ? (nonfiction, memoir) http://saytothedj.com/
Accidents Happen (fiction, action/adventure) http://accidentshappennovel.com/
Whisper in the Walls (fiction, fantasy) http://whispernovella.com/
On 21: Philosophy of Blackjack (nonfiction, entertainment) http://philosophyofbj.com/
Thank You Is Implied (nonfiction, current events) http://annotatedsmartremarx.com/
…and my next three projects are a full-length fiction novel, a collection of short fiction and a one-act play. Am I looking to make money? Yes. So why do I bounce back and forth between genres?
The answer is the same. It keeps me passionate about my writing that focusing on one genre would not. Whether fiction or nonfiction will ultimately be more successful for me (whether it’s profit or fame as the measurement), I don’t think I can stick to just one niche. My focus is all over the map, but I just tell myself, “Hey, what a journey!” I do what works best for me, and you should do what works best for you.
--
Andrew Marx is the author of the upcoming essay collection Thank You Is Implied The Annotated Smart ReMarx featuring some of the best articles from his 17-year career. The book will be available to pre-order in August at annotatedsmartremarx.com.
