What's a Niche?

This week I'm going to be blogging about a writer's niche. How to create one, how to change one, how to love yours, etc...

Most journalists have a niche; an area they tend to focus on and land jobs related to. For me it's real estate.

The niche is not always something you knowingly pick. Sometimes it lands at your feet and you go with the flow. For instance, in college I worked for the student newspaper and preferred human interest stories, higher education and religion. The summer before Junior year my dad got me an internship with Realtor Magazine. Like most internships, I didn't do too much but I read a lot on the subject matter as I sat in my little out-of-the-way cubicle.

Then as a Junior I hoped to land an internship to count as college credit during the year. My friend, Jen, recommended me for a job at the Business Journal and I landed there for a semester. I actually loved this internship. I wrote company profiles and features on local businesses and leaders.

After college I moved to New York, got a job in the editorial department at the Times and actually landed a freelance gig for the Real Estate section. I think that tiny article sealed my fate. From there I went on to work at Commercial Property News and GlobeSt.com.

Real Estate and Business wasn't something I was actively looking for. But it was something that I fell into through the jobs I landed and the freelance pieces I was assigned.