I Am Anti-Niche

It’s not a choice

Hello, I’m Gaby. I’m a writer.

*looks at her own feet*

Is it too early in our relationship to confess something very personal to you?

It is. But I will tell you anyway.

Here’s the thing: I’m anti-niche.

Please, don’t judge me.

I was born this way.

What are you doing?

I did a quick search on Medium with the word “niche.” I’ll place it here, so you don’t have to do it yourself. There are lots of interesting posts. Most of them advise you to find your niche and stick to it forever. The idea is to generate a loyal audience, people who will read your writing because they like the topic you write about, and they enjoy the way you go about it.

Apparently, this is the most effective way to make money as a writer.

Call me a contrarian, but…

I can’t do that. I just can’t.

Can’t. Can’t. Can’t.

Above all, I won’t.

It’s not who I am.

I do like to write about self-help. And writing. But you’ll also find me crafting pieces about education, mental health, autism, fitness, wellness, my personal life…

I write poetry too. Still don’t know why. I never planned on writing poetry in this platform. But, on a good day, I wrote a poem. And then another…and now I have a whole publication devoted to it.

I do fiction, as well. Some of my stories have a tinge of romance; others are thrillers. There are a few I’m not quite sure what they are.

Sometimes I do humor. Others, I do rants.

I can’t help myself.

That’s not all. I’m planning pieces on movies, book reviews…

Sometimes, I even write in Spanish.

What about money?

“But, Gaby, doesn’t that affect your earnings?”

Hmmm…how can I even answer that?

The way I see it, the second I reach $5.01, I’m already winning. Everything that comes after that is a profit.

That being said: no, I’m not making a lot of dough. I’m still many, many, many dollars away from entering the 7% club. Let’s just say I’m not going to quit my job any time soon.

Is it because I haven’t stuck to a niche and exploited it properly?

Maybe…

I wish I could tell you I don’t care, but I do care a bit. The money wouldn’t hurt.

But…I can’t help myself.

I need to write that poetry and that fiction. I want to share what I have learned about wellness, my experiences as a teacher, and as an autistic person.

There are many things I want to say to you. And I fear I won’t be able to communicate them if I stick to one topic.

There are lots of talented people out there who are capable of writing post after post about the same subject matter. Great posts.

I’m just not one of them. I need to tend to all my niches.

It’s not a choice. It’s what my heart aches to do. And, for as long as I can, I will give my writing soul exactly what it craves for.