| Diversification is vital to any writer. The more | | | | novels, chances are good that you can write in |
| areas you can write in, the more ways of selling | | | | the form. On the other hand, if you hate |
| your writing and the more opportunities you will | | | | mysteries, and have to force yourself to write, |
| have. If you're just starting your freelance career, | | | | it's doubtful that you'll succeed. |
| get established in one area, and then look around | | | | Writing in a New Form Takes Time How long |
| for areas into which you can diversify. | | | | does it take to learn a new form? That depends |
| Diversification is vital, because as a freelance | | | | on the form. It may only take you weeks if |
| writer, you're vulnerable. If you put all your writing | | | | you're learning to write articles, but it can take |
| efforts into one area, when the market for that | | | | you years to learn to write novels. Because it |
| work dries up, you're sunk, because it always | | | | does take time, it's wise to only take on a new |
| takes time to get established in new areas. I | | | | writing form if you're passionate about it. |
| learned this at first hand in 2000, when the | | | | As I suggested above, your enjoyment and |
| market for technology articles died. Although I still | | | | passion for a particular form is a good indication |
| had copywriting clients, writing for tech magazines | | | | that you'll have success at it. When you're learning |
| had formed the bulk of my income. Suddenly I | | | | a form look on rejections as feedback rather |
| had to make a major push into copywriting, and it | | | | than indications that you're failing. It's impossible to |
| took around three months to get re-established. | | | | fail at writing, unless you stop writing. |
| This taught me a valuable lesson: never, never let | | | | Diversifying And Staking Out Your Territory in |
| one area of writing form more than 30 per cent | | | | New Writing Areas Many writing markets, like |
| of your income - it's too risky. Also, never let a | | | | article writing, are competitive. Try to find new |
| major client dictate more than 20 per cent of | | | | forms in which you can write, where you'll be in |
| your income, that's risky too. If they go down, | | | | demand. |
| you sink with them. | | | | For example, one of the major new areas for |
| The areas you choose to write in depend on your | | | | writers is writing for the Web. Writing for the |
| own interests and inclinations. Make a list of writing | | | | Web is a completely new territory. The Web has |
| areas to which you're drawn. Your choices include | | | | only been around for around a decade. If you can |
| novels, writing articles and other short material, | | | | become an expert in writing for the Web, you |
| writing nonfiction books, and writing for business, | | | | can significantly increase your income. Since |
| also known as copywriting. Of course all of these | | | | writing for the Web is a new form, if you |
| writing forms include many categories and | | | | become established in this area now, you will be |
| subcategories. | | | | sought after as a writer, because the Web-writing |
| Many writers choose one or two forms. For | | | | market isn't yet saturated. |
| example, you might choose to write novels and | | | | So there you go - diversify. If you're a new |
| choose to write health articles too. | | | | freelance writer, this is the best advice you'll ever |
| Tip: your enjoyment is a good indication of | | | | get. And if you're a pro, who hasn't diversified, |
| whether or not you will have success in a | | | | extend yourself now to not only enhance your |
| particular form. If you love reading mystery | | | | income, but also to safeguard it. |