As writers, pitching new material is a constant part of our job. We want to bring new stories to life with substance, nuanced perspectives, and data-driven research that can help readers embrace a new point of view or develop their understanding of a subject. Developing your writing niche is one of the hardest parts of sending out pitches. While some writers fear that committing to a niche can box them into specific projects, it can also help you gain credibility and authority as a trusted voice for nuanced subject matter. 

First, let’s make one thing clear. A niche does not limit the writer in the types of material they can cover but rather provides a base of potential story topics and angles that the writer can utilize when trying to pitch long-form stories. While many writers can write about anything and everything, it takes a special type of writer to provide specialized, industry-based knowledge to the foundation of their stories. This type of writing requires honing their craft through experience and technical language, helping to elevate the story’s coverage and depth. 

Second, niches can be found in every corner of your life! Think about your previous jobs, industries that interest you, or even a subject area you love researching! Maybe you’re a True Crime podcast aficionado or have read countless books about Pompeii. You can use your previously existing knowledge and experiences to inform the type of stories you want to pitch to publications. For example, although I work in the entertainment industry now, my previous experience comes from working in disaster relief management and mitigation. Although these might seem polar opposite careers, they often intersect through project management, crisis relief, and even current events, like the LA Wildfires and their impact on the filmmaking industry. By utilizing my previous experience and my passions, I can add a new level of depth and professional insight to my reporting, and these perspectives can help shape the telling of a particular story. Every experience and interest can help inform the next! 

Lastly, your interests and niches can evolve, and that is perfectly normal. What you might enjoy covering today could be completely different five years from now, and that’s okay. Finding your niche as a writer is an ever-evolving process, and just as we get interested in multiple things, this can reflect in your writing. Our niches expand the more time we spend interacting with them and research leads to more discoveries, questions, and perspectives to uncover. It’s exciting. 

Although pitching to an editor might feel intimidating, having a focused niche and an established perspective that you can bring to your coverage can help your query turn into an accepted story. It sets you apart from the hundreds of pitches an editor receives, allowing for more developed, interesting stories. Instead of your portfolio consisting of generic, unfocused stories, you can present material that is substantive, researched, and thorough. You don’t have to search far to find your niche—all you have to do is look inside your heart for the subject matter you already care about and get writing.