“Find a niche and become the master of it.”
Is the kind of writing advice that always makes my eyes roll.
Maybe it’s because I feel like a caged animal just at the thought of writing the same thing every day, but the whole find a niche advice has always felt robotic to me.
You know who likes to do the same thing every day? Robots.
And last I checked, they actually didn’t like it.
But then you hear the “niche” argument repeated over and over, and suddenly, you start questioning everything.
Should you have a niche?
Are you doing it wrong?
Is your career doomed?
Well, I have good news for the bad-place-mind: I’ve done all the overthinking for you.
Here’s the truth—you don’t need a niche. And here’s why.
What a Niche Actually Does
If people keep insisting that you need a niche, it’s because writing in a niche does have its merits.
A niche makes you the go-to person for a specific thing. If you write about fitness and only fitness, people will eventually start seeing you as the fitness guru. That means more focused readers, easier marketing, and, yeah, probably an easier time selling a course or product.
But if we break it down, it’s not really the niche we’re after.
It’s becoming known for something.
And that’s great news—because it means you don’t need a niche to be known.
The truth is, you can be known for anything.
Become Known Without Having a Niche
If we’re solving for being known, then what can you be known for?
Literally anything.
Your humor.
Your advice.
Your stories.
Your personality.
The possibilities are endless. But if we had to put all this in a box, I think we’d label that box: writing style.
Writers who don’t have a niche can become known for their voice—and in turn, that becomes their niche.
It’s how I would describe David Sedaris. The guy writes about random stuff—family arguments, picking up garbage, and drawn-out conversations with strangers, to name a few. There’s no grand theme, no obvious niche. But people keep coming back because of how he writes, not what he writes about.
And that’s the trick.
You don’t need to pigeonhole yourself into one topic to be successful. You just need to write in a way that makes people want to read you.
And the easiest way to do that – write what you’re emotionally responding to.
It can be anything.
As long as you have the energy, it’ll show up in your words.
That’s the niche.
It’s All About Perspective
Everything in life comes down to how you look at it.
Take two brothers raised by alcoholic parents.
One becomes an alcoholic because “That’s just what my parents did.”
The other becomes successful because “I never wanted to end up like my parents.”
Same situation, different mindset.
The same goes for writing.
You can be successful because you have a niche—or because you don’t have a niche.
It’s all about how you choose to see it.
So forget the niche. Forget the labels. Just write—loudly, boldly, like only you can.
Because at the end of the day, people don’t follow topics at the highest level. They follow writers.
And they’ll follow you—if you give them a reason to care.
Please like, comment, share and tell me what you think!
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Wonderful ♥️
Thank you !
Tony, what great advice! I struggled with this when I started my site a year ago. I have chosen the path to just post what I want and not worry about it. After doing that I started getting people coming back more often.
You are so right man, don’t pressure yourself to fit in. Great post Tony.
So happy you enjoyed – I do the same thing and it worked for me’
Thank you for reading!
Sound advice. I enjoy writing all kinds of things, and if I was cornered into a niche, I think my muse would head for the hills!
Mine too! Thank you for reading
Extremely useful, as always!!✨
Thank you so so much!
I’ll have to apply this advice to my own attempt at blogging! I feel like I’ve always tried to just pick one thing, one theme, one kind of writing and would ultimately lose the overall love of creating. So I’ll take your advice and focus on how I write and not so much what I’m writing about! Thank you! 😊
Thank you!! Yeah do that only good things will happen
Great article. As someone who is very new here your advice is encouraging and heartwarming. Thank you for writing.
No worries, just stick with it and have fun
Nice post 🎸🎸
Thank you
Great post Tony! I’ve always felt this way.. when I first started writing I didn’t even know what a niche was 🤷♀️ after submitting a few assignments to my creative writing professor, she brought up the subject. She explained that my work was going in all different directions and I needed to pick a niche in order to confine my focus. I did my research and of course discussed this subject with her at long length eventually settling that I would eventually pick a niche at the end of my studies. This never happened because I refused to categorize my work. I currently write about what ever I choose to and am quite satisfied with not choosing a particular niche. Thank you for on sharing this valuable information 🙏😊
I respect that – you’re a creative person not a means to an end, it’s never a bad thing to be free
You become a well known writer by having a successful agent. That’s most important in our business. The only other way I know is to have your texts published in reputable media. But usually you need an agent for this as well. The next step is having a good editor and working together with her or him easily.
The topic of your writing is not important at all. It’s the presentation that is connected with your perspective.
Good luck
Klausbernd 🙂
Thank you my friend! And if you know any good agents, I’d love to meet them! Currently querying with a few requests but no one signed yet
Here you find them
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writers-Artists-Yearbook-2025/dp/1399411780/ref=asc_df_1399411780?mcid=2c3dbdf010523246bb764699dc452f0c&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=13577508351225844762-1399411780-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13577508351225844762&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044865&hvtargid=pla-2281435179018&psc=1&gad_source=1
and there
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176792940240?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338365712&toolid=20006&customid=EAIaIQobChMIh5vml8bkiwMVIJVQBh135SXkEAQYBCABEgK70_D_BwE%7C0AAAAADANKJnxD6Pda5DupXgLKEDeBN636%7Cnull&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh5vml8bkiwMVIJVQBh135SXkEAQYBCABEgK70_D_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAADANKJnxD6Pda5DupXgLKEDeBN636
Good luck
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you my friend
In the “Writers and Artists Handbook 2005” you will find them.
Good luck
Exactly when I needed to read/hear. I feel relieved! ❤️
So happy you do! I need to remind myself of this too from time to time
This is helpful to me, not only as a writer, but also as a songwriter who sometimes performs in front of others on stage and tends to overthink things like “what will the audience think?” I love my lyrics, and I need to sing them out with more self-assurance, in my own sometimes quirky style. “Be my own voice” may just become my mantra as I take the stage.
Do it, what you fear is what will make you endearing
I’m so tired of hearing ‘find a niche’ too. You’re right, it’s all about writing in a way that resonates with people, and being true to your own voice. David Sedaris is a great example – his writing style is unmistakable.
And it’s why we love him! Thank you for reading
Good advice!
I love this and could not agree with you more! I, myself, think the pressure to find a niche is actually really narrowing and potentially disregards the interconnectedness of everything in life. With the fitness guru example, yes, they may be the master of posting great workout routines and healthy recipes, however, it completely disregards all other facets within ones internal self and life that also impact physical health (Exhibit A – loneliness and any and every physical disease that results from chronic stress).
I take the same approach with my blog—a diverse array of topics and themes that seem both completely unrelated and random yet also all apply to a very holistic perspective of life in general.
Love this post, and love your others as well. Really make us think … 🙂
Finally!!! I have been looking for someone who disagrees with this “niche” thing – it’s a BIG bandwagon effect – everyone troops to what everyone is doing or is saying! And that’s not me.
Love this post. It certainly resonates with me and is a BIG relief. You’re right that niches are like a caged bird (Maya Angelou). Let the bird out and allow it to fly around 😆
Of course, that’s not saying that niches are awful. But, let those who don’t want to niche, thrive. Say Amen if you agree.
Thank you.
Amen! Thank you so so much h
The idea of having a niche to conform to is strange, because my very best ideas, stories, characters, and poetry, have come from places I wouldn’t have ventured to explore if I had a niche to stay inside. I’m always on the lookout for new things, fresh content, and original concepts!! Been a writer since forever, and always will be.
Great advice. Thank you!
This is emboldening and needs to be heard (I say as I write with a niche that is so niche it’ll make niches explode) — and am grateful to come across it. Thank you. Hopefully many writers see this and are empowered by it. Hope you have a blessed day.
Thanks so much!
What a relief.
You mentioned that writing in a niche could eventually make you the go to person! Ugh.
First you are endlessly writing about a subject and then that’s all anyone wants to talk to you about… 7th level of hell for me’
However… you have inspired some ideas …
Thanks for that … going back to my writing hole now! 😁
Excellent advice, as always. It’s worth noting another meaning of ‘niche’, which is ‘a recess in a wall’ – the kind of little nook where people keep small statues ( Dorothy Parker famously recalled seeing ‘A Madonna in a niche’ in the home of W R Hearst). The point is, you can get stuck in a niche; backed into one, with no way out, petrified like aforesaid statue. Not a great place to be, in my opinion. Thanks for another great post, Tony. 😊
Thank you so much, that’s interesting and totally makes sense and I agree – it’s never a good feeling, when you feel stuck
This is for me..
I need to explore what I’m good at and not all options.
I love this.
Thank you so much!!
Yo, this is exactly how I’m trying to shape my blog. I’ve never been able to box myself within a single niche when it comes writing. I’ve always wanted something that was more free than confined. You read my mind on this 😭😅 I just like talking about random stuff to spark up conversations with people around me.
Totally agree with your thoughts… This is exactly what I have been doing… Finding my own voice.
Preachhhh. Coloring outside the box is actually fun and adventurous.
Well said my friend!
Thanks for the “kick in the back end of me”. I have been hesitating writing because I didn’t think I knew what specifically I wanted to write about. Now that I think about it, my purpose in writing was therapeutic for me. I try to write something comical, some useless information, anything to get people to take a moment to smile and possibly chuckle thud taking their mind off what is happening in this crazy mixed up world of ours. Time to get back to it. Thanks Tony.
Yes to this! This is exactly what works.
“So forget the niche. Forget the labels. Just write—loudly, boldly, like only you can.
Because at the end of the day, people don’t follow topics at the highest level. They follow writers.”
FACTS. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Thank you so much my friend
You’re most welcome!
As someone with several pen names I actively use, I wholeheartedly agree. A niche isn’t everything. And honestly, I stopped reading some authors because they never did anything differently. It was the same book with different names and hair colors. Boring.
Very good. I liked this. Thanks!!!
Thank you!
Great out of the box advice. Thanks 🙏
Wow, Anthony – I struggle sometimes about that pesky niche thing. This post made my night. Thanks very much!
So happy it did and don’t worry I felt the sameay499
Thanks for liking my post, In Your Dreams Chapter 2 Part II
So true! I also see this in my line of work (ecological research). People are almost exclusively selected for having found (and stayed in) their niches. Having broadened the horizon, particularly when early is being frowned upon. I think I am good at what I do because I have many niches. I would get bored in one single corner!
I always strive and wonder if I’m authentic enough and whether I need a more focused writing style, but this completely knocked me off my feet! love this soo much!!😍
So happy it did, this comment made my day!!