Bizzy rethinks freelance writing niches
And gears up for NYFA's "Artist as Entrepreneur"
Hey there, folks,
And welcome back to BIZZY IN YOUR BOX, the monthly email that puts the “ewsle” in “newsletter.”
New friends, it’s great to have you here for the very first time!
Old friends, welcome to the 85th installment of Bizzy’s neverending saga!
On with the self-promotional drudgery and half-cocked creative musings…
Go ahead, lake my day
In following with the traditional societal expectation of “vacationing” in the “summer,” I spent some time in August relaxing with friends and family in the Hudson River Valley and the Adirondacks.
Bizzy Coy: Going to Outdoorsy Places and Staying Out of the Sun Since 1984™
Makin’ that Writer-Money: How?
In September, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) will host “Artist as Entrepreneur,” a 3.5-day intensive aimed at helping artists of all disciplines build a financially sustainable career in the arts.
I’ve been selected to join a cohort of writers, visual artists, musicians, choreographers (and more) to attend expert panels, networking sessions and skill-building workshops focused on makin’ that writer-money and keepin’ a wordsmithin’-roof over my head.
My next newsletter will be jam-packed with everything I learn — ideas, takeaways and insights that I hope will be useful to other artists and writers.
There’s a separate Artist as Entrepreneur intensive seeking applicants from Genesee or Orleans Counties. Applications are due Tuesday, September 23.
Do you need a niche to be a freelance copywriter?
This is an excerpt from Bizzy Coy’s super secret guide to freelance copywriting… plus some new info!
No, you don’t need a niche!
Can it be helpful? Yes!
A niche is just a French way of saying, “the thing you’re good at.”
Etymology time: Niche is actually French for recess, as in a recess in a church wall where a statue would be. From the verb “nicher” (to make a nest), from the Latin “nidus” (nest).
I like to think of a niche as a place you’re comfortable. (But sometimes it pays to fly the nest.)
Some clients prefer to work with a freelancer who specializes in their particular industry. Let’s say the client manufactures construction equipment. When given the choice between a general copywriter, and a copywriter with experience in the construction industry, the client will want the person in the construction industry. Makes sense, right?
So, what’s the thing you love, the thing you know a lot about, the source of all your geeky obsession? That might be your copywriting niche.
But there are more ways to think about your niche.
Your niche could be your area of interest or expertise, like construction or entertainment or food or fashion or travel or pet supplies.
Your niche could also be the kind of copywriting you do best, like social media posts or taglines or website content or jingles or video scripts.
Your niche could ALSO be the kind of businesses you work with, like nonprofits or traditional ad agencies or digital agencies or in-house marketing departments or small local businesses or government entities or NGOs.
Your niche could ALSO ALSO be a particular service you offer that sets you apart, like 24-hour turnaround, or on-site availability, or bilingual expertise.
On top of that… You can have a public-facing niche, which helps you attract clients in a particular area—but you can always work with clients outside your niche on the sly, and nobody needs to know! WE ALL DO THIS AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER. C’mon, we all gotta make money! Work for whoever you want!
A niche is a helpful tool, just like any other. Use it in a way that suits you. Don’t let it limit you.
(Here are a few work samples of mine from commercial theater, a music festival and the National Park Service.)
For me, personally… my niche began as digital marketing copy (web, email, ads, social, video) for Broadway and off-Broadway brands.
Since then, I’ve gone beyond digital to write direct mail flyers, print brochures, bus ads, billboards and product packaging.
Some of my favorite projects now are brand voice development, messaging strategy and marketing campaign strategy.
And I’ve gone beyond my initial client base to work with a wide range of clients in non-profit, B2B, B2C and DTC.
One of my favorite things to write these days?
Descriptive blurbs to market big comedy shows.
I’m a comedy fan, so I enjoy parsing the nuances between different comedians and understanding what their audiences want to hear.
When I see the boilerplate copy that most comedians get from their PR teams, it always appalls me. I love trying to describe them in a new way that goes beyond a laundry list of TV appearances and/or dense paragraphs detailing every gig they ever did since they started stand-up forty years ago.
Comedy is just one of my niches now. I niche wherever it feels right. I hope you do, too.
Who are you to say this newsletter is over?
And, indeed, who am I?
Is it over?
Over it is.
It is over.
Over, is it?
I can’t rearrange those three words any other way.
(Bizzy) is over it.
Until next time,
xoxo
Bizzy