by Leo Wiles
13 April 2018
As writers, it’s all too easy to get stuck thinking we HAVE to go after a niche that pays well – or one that’s crying out for freelance help. Even if it bores you stupid, or is streets away from whatever you’re truly passionate about. Which is why I’m going to suggest something a bit random: can you turn your passion into payment? Why shouldn’t you see if writing about your passion can be just as profitable?
I’m serious.
Could you turn your passion for dogs, renovating, stamp collecting or hot yoga into a new line of writing? While some of you may be pooh-poohing the idea, I’m writing this post after reading about two people who have done just that in the past month alone.
One was a writer who turned her passion for bushwalking into a series of stories and books detailing great walks she’s done across Australia. The second was a photographer and keen cyclist, who makes a full time living by photographing cycling events and cyclists.
The key is to start researching which portals in the marketplace might be interested in content about your passion. That might be doing up old classic cars, painting tiny artworks, rock climbing, coaching kids teams, and so on.
These days, and largely thanks to self-publishing, there’s pretty much an outlet to suit everybody’s tastes. Hey, chances are you already receive their newsletter. The only catch here might be that they’re so niche/small that people do it for love, but if that’s the case, really drill down to what could turn it into a mainstream piece.
Find the human interest angle. Interview the expert in your field. Find that news hook. Write an instructive article. Write up an annual event. Pitch interviewing a celebrity who is passionate as you are about miniature horses, golf, bird watching. Attack it from all angles, because if you can find the right marketable angle you should be able to find a way to write about your passion for a reputable outlet.
Have you tried to turn your passion into payment by writing about what you love? Tell us about it in the comments.
