WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW by Carol Anne Strange

Writing about what you know is sound advice when you’re starting out as a freelance writer but many would-be scribes flounder at the thought and don’t think they know enough about anything in particular to warrant publication. Yet we all have the potential to specialise by accessing the wealth of knowledge gained from our past and present experiences.
By specialising in a subject area, it is easier to become known by editors and you can quickly build up a strong reputation in the publishing world. This can escalate your career from writing a regular column in your local newspaper to writing features for a national title to being commissioned to write a book on your subject. Even if you are capable of writing anything and everything, being known for a particular topic area is more likely to win you commissions.
When I started out writing professionally nearly 20 years ago, I focused on health and well-being because this was the field that I was interested in and involved with at the time. I read widely on my subject, took courses and did all I could to learn more. This resulted in me securing one of my first regular columns and feature commissions for a martial arts magazine titled ‘Fighters’, which I covered for several years. From this, I started to explore how I could use my knowledge in the field to write for other publications and I picked up many more commissions before going on to publish a book on martial arts. Later still, as I took on new interests and expertise, I diversified and was able to add to my specialist subject areas. This continues to provide endless scope for freelance opportunities.
You too can become a specialist writer and pick up regular contracts quite early on in your writing career. So start off with some active reflection to set you on the right path:
Make a ListTake some time out to make a list of all the subjects that interest you. Include your hobbies, skills and areas of expertise. Write down what you’re passionate about. It might be films, gardening, food, travel, music, home, art etc. You’ll be surprised how many areas of interest you have. Now highlight what excites you the most and what you’ll enjoy writing about.
Consider Your Life SkillsA new writer once told me that she didn’t think she had any specialist knowledge as she’d spent years bringing up her three children and hadn’t had chance to develop a career. Yet parenting is a specialist skill. When she looked a little deeper, she realised that she had mountains of material on issues and anecdotes concerning parenthood. She decided to specialise in writing parenting articles and went on to be widely published.
Don’t underestimate your knowledgeYour experiences in life can make interesting and informative material for publication so don’t overlook this potential.
Research Your SubjectAnother writer had a profound interest in gardening yet assumed that he didn’t have any real specialist knowledge in the subject. After all, everyone knows something about gardening, don’t they? Well, that’s not so. Even if you’re not an expert, you’ll be surprised just how much you do know when it’s a subject that you’re passionate about and, what you don’t know for sure, you can research. You don’t need a degree in your subject to write about it – you just need passion for the topic and a willingness to learn more as you go along. Take the opportunity to study and build up a good reference library. Subscribe to specialist journals that will give you inside knowledge.
Join an AssociationOnce you’ve decided on your specialist subject, see if there are any organisations that you can join that will provide you with access to news and information that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. For example, if you’re a writer specialising in all things equestrian, you could join the British Horse Society or similar bodies that will give you access to people and the latest developments in the equestrian world.
Promote Your SpecialityStart working on your article outlines to prepare a body of material. Make sure editors are aware of your specialist area when you contact them. Start out by writing a column for a local newspaper or magazine. This is a great way of establishing a reputation. Work on creating a name for yourself so that you become known for your expertise.
Think LaterallyIf your specialist subject is food and wine, don’t necessarily aim for the food and wine magazines. Usually, they already have long term experts in place. Instead, think laterally and consider how your expertise can be used to write articles on your subject for a diverse range of magazines. Taking food and wine as an example: how about an article on party food for a parenting magazine? Or consider a seasonal food and drink feature for a general interest magazine such as Prima or The Lady. There are plenty of angles to approach; you just need to think creatively to use your expertise to the best advantage.
The benefits of being a writer who specialises are quite significant. It is much easier to focus on a subject that you’re passionate about and you’ll find that you are never short of ideas for articles. Even if your subject is quite narrow – for example, focusing on ‘cats’ rather than ‘pets’ – you’ll still be surprised how many markets are open to you. The secret is in being able to think laterally and being creative enough to write for a diverse market place.
Writing about what you know can provide you with consistent work for years. Your expertise can even lead to the publication of books and many specialist writers have been asked to give talks or appear on television.
So, if you’re not already known for a specific subject area, do give it some serious thought. There’s nothing stopping you from taking on board ‘general’ writing commissions, but once you’ve got yourself a specialist writing role, then you will find that more publishing opportunities open up for you.