The Chicago Tribune reported an example of an entrepreneur who supercharged her business by changing directions. I think there may be a lesson in it for us writers. Here's the story:
"Like most small businesses, Blue Buddha Boutique started as a one-person show, with Rebeca Mojica making and selling chain-mail jewelry. But Mojica, who created her first pieces eight years ago when she couldn't find a chain-mail belt she liked in the marketplace, soon saw a larger opportunity in selling chain-mail supplies to other jewelry-makers. So she adjusted her business model, launching an online jewelry supplies store that has drawn customers from more than 30 countries and propelled her company's annual sales to an expected half-million dollars."
Right now, the marketplace for writers is tough. Newspapers are dying or cutting back, as are most of the general-interest magazines. We have to be alert to where the opportunities are and at the moment these areas seem to be most promising:
* articles for niche publications
* niche books that you self-publish
* downloadable information products based on your expertise (or piggybacking on someone else's)
* screenplays for low-budget, independent films
* copywriting, especially for websites and online marketers
* plays for amateur productions (a hidden market that I'll write more about another time--it's small money per production but can add up to a lot over time)
If you're finding that the markets for your writing have disappeared, consider whether any of the above might be your next step. You'll find more tips in my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brtealey.
