Do Our Writing Niches Change with the Times?

Do our writing niches change with the times or simply adjust as we expand our horizons? 

Although I've written my "Country Kitchen" cooking column for more than 40 years, I've branched out into other areas:

• Due to the necessity of earning a living
• Markets available
• My changing interests
• New technology that introduces new subjects
• Living in different parts of the country

I've discovered that I must adapt, whether it's writing about the same topic and tweaking it or writing about something new.

For instance, when I started writing for publication, we hardly ever heard of Alzheimer's disease.  However, both my mom and aunt developed this illness and I became their main caregiver.  Through this experience, I've been able to write, blog and speak about this illness and help others cope. 

At another point in my life, after requests for quilts from customers, I turned my sewing business into a quiltmaking business and then began writing on that topic for magazines and online publishers.

You will find new niches cropping up in your life as new opportunities open up.  You'll leave some niches or come back to them.  You'll develop a style and audience that will begin to be recognized as yours.

What niches have you found?

You Can Write for Niche Markets
Niche Marketing for Writers, Speakers, and Entrepreneurs
Awesome Article Marketing: Dominate Your Niche and Get Rich
Blog Profits: Insider Secrets to Making Money with Powerful Niche Blogs

Kyra E. Hicks Discovers Her Niche

I've discussed previously that branding, or discovering one's niche, has become one of the popular ways of publicizing one's business or writing. We try to find common threads among our various interests so we can link them together.

Kyra E. Hicks has discovered a niche researching and writing about quilters and quiltmaking, especially as it applies to Sistah quilters and their work. She writes the blog, Black Threads, and most recently the book about slave quilter Harriet Powers.

This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces

presents the fascinating story of Harriet Powers and Kyra's interesting search for the quilts and the stories behind them.

Now, in her search, it would be such fun if Kyra could locate other fabric art done by Harriet Powers, because there are indications that the two known ones weren't her only quilts.

In your writing, have you found an area in which you can specialize? Have you found your niche or brand?

If not, begin to see if you have any threads that tie together, threads of common interest that can pull your work together for promotion and reader interest?

Mary Emma Writes Guest Post at Women on Business

I often write about home businesses, since freelance writing often is considered one. I've also operated other businesses from our home.

So when Susan Gunelius invited me to write a guest post at her Women on Business blog gives, I provided 10 Tips On Finding Time for Your Home Business.

Hopefully these tips will be particularly helpful if you're balancing family and business.

Incidentally, writing guest posts is an enjoyable way for an author to visit other blogs and web sites.

Do You Want to Start a Writing Related Business?

Are you thinking of starting a business related to to your writing, but don't know where to begin? Did you start one recently, but find you could use advice?

Perhaps you want to expand your writing into speaking and teaching workshops, either in the writing field or a niche relating to your book topic. For instance, I've written about my mom's journey through Alzheimer's and my caregiving experiences. After When We Become the Parent to Our Parents was published, I began giving talks to caregiver groups, at nursing homes, in libraries, to senior citizen groups. Then I was asked to teach workshops whereby others could write about similar experiences. You can expand into these directions, too.

Perhaps you want to develop a publishing business? Or you want to teach cooking classes to further expand upon your recipe book. There are so many directions you can go with writing as a springboard.

So.....check out the Jump Start Your Business Contest at the b5media Business Channel and Home Biz Notes.

You'll find more details here......