We wanted to get to know Jennia D’Lima (NAIWE’s Creative Nonfiction Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

How do writers find out if their journey has an audience?

No matter what you’re writing, it never hurts to browse the bookshelves (at a bookstore, either an online or physical location, or the local library) and see both what’s already out there and what isn’t.

But first, ask yourself why the size of the audience matters; what do you hope to achieve by writing this piece? To share your unique adventures with close friends and family, to show others why this location shouldn’t be missed, or to make the bestseller lists? Doing further audience research after this question has been answered will guide you toward determining whether or not the chosen topic and/or format will need to be adjusted to reach your publication goals. For instance, if you dream of your book reaching bestseller status and a quick online search shows that the market is already flooded with books about hiking the Appalachian Trail, that might be a sign that your book would be lost amongst all the others—unless you have such a one-of-a-kind approach or experience that it’s bound to stand out.

The above question will also lead to the next question that will help determine whether your book has an audience: who is my ideal reader? If the answer is “everyone,” it’s time to niche down since there isn’t a single book that appeals to everyone (and it would be impossible to market, because how do you find out where “everyone” hangs out/what “everyone” is interested in and what appeals to them?). Once you’ve pinned down your reader, go to the places they go (hiking clubs, wine tastings, online forums) and see what the participation level is like. This could be an indicator as to the expected audience size of your published piece.

 

What style guide is the most conducive for travel writing?

That will largely depend upon the chosen structure of the writing. For example, a blog post doesn’t need to worry about style guides so much as basic grammar and spelling, while a travel memoir will likely want to refer to the Chicago Manual of Style.

 

Can authors of all genres expand their stream of income through travel writing?

Absolutely! The key is to be passionate about your chosen topic. After that, finding the right “home” for your work will ensure it reaches its intended audience. Maybe that’s on YouTube, where the text (which could be converted into a spoken component) is accompanied by photos and videos. Or perhaps you’ve created a series of shorter pieces that could be used on a pay-to-read platform. There are multiple opportunities out there, and we’ll be exploring how to find some of those in the webinar (including options for posting your work for free if turning it into a money-making endeavor isn’t your priority).

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Writers interested in recounting their journeys have various options available to them, including travelogues and multimedia accounts of globe-spanning adventures. But which form is the best fit for what they’d like to share? Does an account of cheese tasting across France need the same amount of depth and detail as a story about a six-month long retelling of a hike through each of Canada’s provinces? In this webinar, we’ll learn about some of the most popular forms of travel writing and look at how narrowing down your topic will help you choose a form and identify your audience.

You can join in this conversation on February 24 at 7:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on travel writing. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Jennia Herold D’Lima is a full-blown logophile. She joined her high school’s newspaper in ninth grade, winning statewide awards for her writing, and expanded her journalism skills by continuing to write and edit throughout her high school years and as a college freshman. While earning her BA in psychology (and minoring in cultural anthropology with a focus on precolonial Mesoamerica) and her MA in applied developmental psychology, her writing and editing naturally skewed toward all things academic. Writing for and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, editing papers for classmates, and writing parenting resource guides honed her research skills. Jennia joined multiple professor-led research groups and completed four internships throughout her academic career. After graduating with a master’s, she worked at a national nonprofit in Washington, DC, and as an assistant researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. Jennia gradually transitioned to full-time editing. As the host of the Writing & Editing podcast, she loves connecting with others in the community. Jennia enjoys traveling, volunteering, and taking creative photos of books and book-related items in those rare moments when she is not reading or editing.

We wanted to get to know Karin Beery (NAIWE’s Fiction Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

Why do writers get caught in a telling cycle?

It depends on which type of telling you’re referring to, as there are two types, which I refer to as “big” telling and “little” telling. Big telling refers to info dumps — any time an author stops the story to explain something, usually back story. In most of those cases, I don’t think the authors trust themselves or their readers: they don’t trust themselves to weave the details into the story and they don’t trust their readers to notice and remember those details. Little telling is often a case of rushing. It’s faster (and easier) to write she was beautiful than to describe her through the point-of-view of the character’s eyes.

 

Do you recommend that writers develop characters before writing the scenes?

It depends on the writer. If the writer is okay making revisions to the story, then it’s okay to draft scenes before knowing all the details about a character (I’m a better editor than writer, so I rewrite a lot). If the writer doesn’t want to make a lot of revisions to the story, it’s crucial to understand as much as possible about a character before beginning to write the story. In either case, having a basic knowledge of characters is a must.

 

Would you suggest writers work with developmental editors to help fix mistakes?

Again, it depends on the writer and their goals. If writers are in a rush to finish a story and submit it, developmental editors can speed up the process, as it takes years to develop fiction-writing skills. I do recommend developmental editors to new writers who aren’t getting any responses to their query letters–a good editor can help them spot any plot/character issues that might be turning away agents and publishers.

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Take your self-editing skills to the next level.

• Have you eliminated all the telling?
• Are the characters complex?
• Is every scene necessary?

Most authors will answer “yes!” to these questions. But then editors and readers tell them the descriptions don’t engage them, the characters are stereotypical, and the story dragged.

How do you fix it? By training your writer’s brain to read with an editor’s eye and by recruiting some outside help. In this workshop, we’ll look at common mistakes novelists make, then learn how to identify and fix them.

You can join in this conversation on January 13 at 7:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on improving your self-editing skills. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Karin Beery is an award-winning author and editor with experience in traditional and self-publishing, freelance editing, and editing for publishers. She is an active member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network. Karin’s specialty is substantive fiction editing with an emphasis in romance and women’s fiction.

We wanted to get to know Rachel Bradley (NAIWE’s Copyediting Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

What does working efficiently entail for you?

Working efficiently means being able to produce the highest quality work in the shortest amount of time. Not only does this require an understanding of how to use software tools, but it also requires knowing how to take care of your most valuable assets—your brain and body. So not only do we need to be familiar with MS Word and CMOS Online, but we also need to know how to prioritize the things in life that will promote brain health and mental health.

 

Would you turn down a project that has the same deadline as another project that you have already accepted?

Sure, and no. It depends on the situation. I include in all of my contracts that deadlines are dependent upon Kingdom of God priorities per James 4:13–17. My whole life belongs to Jesus Christ, and I have an active and vibrant relationship with him. So I literally ask him which jobs he wants me to take and which jobs he wants me to pass on. I attribute the success of my business entirely to this relationship. If a second job came along with the same deadline as the first, I would check my schedule and let the Holy Spirit speak to me about whether I’ll be able to fulfill the commitment or not. I often have multiple projects going at the same time, as I plan and schedule my days to allow for more than one project.

 

How do you respond to daily stress and turn it into a motivator in your freelance business?

Interesting question. I’ve been very intentional to not allow stress to motivate me in any way, although sometimes I fail at that. I live my life counter culture. When stress manifests as a form of pressure, fear, or worry, I check my heart to see what I’m afraid or worried about or where the pressure is coming from, and I talk with my Heavenly Father about the truth of his love until we drive that fear or pressure out. You see, creativity doesn’t flourish in an environment of stress and worry. Writing and editing are creative endeavors and require us to be relaxed and feel safe in order to produce our very best. So finding a way to produce our best, while also doing it as fast as possible is the secret to efficiency.

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In this webinar, Rachel Bradley will teach you how to use online tools like Microsoft Word 365 and The Chicago Manual of Style Online to streamline your copyediting process. In addition to being a professional editor, Rachel is a follower of Jesus Christ. In this webinar she will also share how her relationship with Father God through his Holy Spirit plays a vital role in working efficiently, meeting proposed deadlines, and running a business with minimal stress. Rachel’s spiritual beliefs do not reflect the position of NAIWE as an organization. Instead, they are inherent to her personal identity and success as an expert in her field.

You can join in this conversation on December 18 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on maximizing your marketing efforts. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Rachel E. Bradley holds a BS degree in paralegal studies from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and graduated summa cum laude in 2006. She is a gold member of the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, is an established freelance editor with the Christian Editor Connection, is an instructor with the PEN Institute, is a judge for the Editors’ Choice Award, and has served as faculty for PENCON, the only conference for editors in the Christian market. After serving nine years in the legal field and becoming an advanced certified paralegal, Rachel started her business as a freelance editor and indexer. She now owns Revisions by Rachel Inc. In 2018, she lost her first husband, Matthew, after an intense battle with brain cancer. She now edits with a new understanding and a fierce compassion for people who feel broken and hurt. In celebration of continued life and hope, she became a licensed skydiver and takes to the skies with her rainbow canopy, “Promises,” any chance she gets. In early 2021, she asked God to choose her next husband. In an incredible tale of trusting God and giving him her yes without exception, she is now joyfully married to Alexander Bradley. They have been assigned the awe-inspiring and continually humbling task of raising two incredible children. Beyond reading, Rachel enjoys Bible studies, dancing during church worship, skydiving, swing dancing, rock climbing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

We wanted to get to know Jeanne Grunert (NAIWE’s Branding & Marketing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

How many micro niches should a freelancer serve?

I recommend focusing on no more than three micro niches. This helps you develop a positive reputation in each niche, which naturally leads to recommendations and more work. If you choose to focus on more than one niche, it is helpful if the other niches are related. For example, I focus on two niches: my micro niche is content marketing for SaaS (software as a service) companies, but I added several micro niches around manufacturing software, enterprise integration, and education software (before opening my own company and going independent, I led marketing for large education companies, so it was natural niche extension for me). Spreading yourself beyond 1-3 micro niches dilutes the marketing effect. It is the focus and the area of specialization that helps build recognition quickly among potential customers. Diluting that focus confuses the market, and anytime potential customers are confused, they walk away.

In fiction, it is common for writers to use pen names to more easily develop brand recognition in a micro niche and more easily attract loyal readers eager to read their next work. A good example is Nora Roberts, whose work I enjoy reading. She writes under the name J.D. Robb for her sci-fi murder mystery series “In Death” and under her own name, Nora Roberts, when she writes what I would consider traditional contemporary romance novels. It might confuse loyal  Nora Roberts fans, who expect a small town girl to attract the bad boy newcomer to town (her typical plot) to open a book with the sci fi elements of the “In Death” series.  Instead of risking alienating readers by publishing in a vastly different genre, she developed a second pen name and micro niche, with the result that she has a loyal following in both niches. That’s just one example, but I think you get the idea of why both nonfiction/business writers and fiction writers can benefit from tapping into micro niches.

 

Do micro niches lend to a regular income stream?

Yes! The best part about finding your micro niche and gaining the first few projects in that niche is that once you develop a reputation within that niche, work comes to you – you don’t have to chase after freelance opportunities. As you develop a positive reputation as the “XYZ Expert” or expert in your micro niche, it becomes easier to attract the right clients to your doorstep.

For me, it was a game changer. I was first introduced to the concept of micro niches around 2020 and decided to take two weeks to reorganize my business at the end of 2020 around my chosen micro niche (I’ll go into details of how to find a potential niche during our webinar). Within four months, I had increased my existing work with clients in the micro niche AND landed two major monthly retainer clients! I no longer had to send out pitches, look for freelance writing work, etc. I now get good leads through my website and referrals. I firmly believe in the power of micro niches and personal branding within a micro niche to build a strong online presence that helps independent writers and editors attract and retain their ideal clients.

 

Are micro niches new to the publishing industry?

Not really – my Nora Roberts example is a good indicator that they have been around a while. She published the first time under the pen name “J.D. Robb” in 1995.  I think within the publishing industry micro niches have become more prevalent and popular with the rise of e-books because readers who love a specific micro niche can find and purchase them more easily.

For freelance writers who may focus on business writing (articles, blogging, marketing or sales materials, etc.), micro niches aren’t really new, but they can be a challenging area for independent writers/freelancers to understand and undertake with confidence. Many freelance writers get nervous when they hear that they should specialize, or focus on a micro niche. They fear they will lose work if they put their stake in the ground and market themselves exclusively as writers who specialize in SaaS platforms, medical manufacturing, cat dental health, and so on (each of these are examples of micro niches). I’ve found it to be the opposite – by focusing on a specific area within a niche, and developing a solid client list, samples, and highly specialized knowledge, I’ve gotten more business than I did before.

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Are you a freelance writer or editor looking to stand out in a crowded market? Join us for an insightful webinar on “Discovering Your Micro Niche” and learn how to carve out a unique space for yourself in the industry.

In this webinar, you’ll gain:

• Understanding of Micro Niches: Learn what a micro niche is and why it’s crucial for freelancers.
• Market Research Techniques: Discover effective methods to identify underserved and profitable micro niches.
• Tailoring Your Services: Find out how to adapt your writing or editing services to meet the specific needs of your chosen niche.
• Building Authority: Learn strategies to establish yourself as an expert in your micro niche, attracting more clients and higher rates.
• Case Studies: Explore real-life examples of successful freelance writers and editors who have thrived by focusing on micro niches.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your current offerings, this webinar will provide you with the tools and insights needed to find and dominate your micro niche. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your freelance career!

You can join in this conversation on October 24 and then November 7 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on maximizing your marketing efforts. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, and adult education. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.