Find the Angle

By sparklyscotty on 4/23/09 1:18am
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I'm going to share a secret with you.  The secret of all wealthy, syndicated columnists, journalists and freelancers.  This is the secret to productivity, efficiency, and generating ongoing income. The secret is this:

You can write about anything.

OK,  so it's not exactly a secret. I've actually touched on this very subject before,  but I wanted to go a little more in depth on how you can write about anything and get paid for it.

The key is really to find the right slant.  The right 'hook to hang the story on'. Without a focus, any piece of writing is bound to go wandering.  In fact, the more creative and passionate a writer you are, the more likely your story is to pack a suitcase, leave it's native land and go touring.  But giving your writing a tight focus is about more than just keeping on topic,  it can be the crucial factor in whether or not your writing gets published.

Let's say that you write (or want to write) about food.  It's your passion, your reason for getting up in the morning, (besides writing) but how often does breaking news coincide with your hobby?  And vice-versa,  how often does your daily cookery experience make good writing?  Actually, every day; all you have to do is find the right slant.

For example,  yesterday I made muffins.  (A purely hypothetical example, as I am sad to say my baking skills leave much to be desired.)  These were the best muffins ever, and my neighbours even came over when they smelt the delicious fragrance of melting dark chocolate and freshly baked dough.  (Again, really reaching.  My neighbours are more likely to speed dial 911 upon getting a whiff of my latest batch of baked goods!)  I've just used up half my day making these muffins, so how the heck am I going to earn money out those hours?  By finding the angle.

Here are my top ways of turning a seemingly random experience into a money maker:

  1. Find a market.
    Is there a Muffin Monthly out there? (Specific niche.)
    Do my muffins tick any great healthy eating boxes? (General niche.)
    Perhaps I have used ingredients that were sourced locally?  (Local slant.)
    Is this a great bake-with-mom project? (Suitable for general parenting magazines.)
    Was it a first time for me?  Did I really learn something about myself, or perhaps cooking?  (A personal essay.)
    Did I discover a great tip or trick?  (Fillers.)
  2. Find an angle
    You might already find you have this covered if you have picked a place to pitch your writing, for example a parenting magazine.
    Look at what topics are hot, and see if you can combine one into your writing.  What kind of muffins would Obama eat?  Do any celebrities bake at home?  What about talking about Fair Trade chocolate or sugar?

    A great example of finding an angle can be seen in this post from Jon Buscall which highlights what small businesses can learn from the You Tube sensation Susan Boyle.  Business and Britain's Got Talent? How did he put those two together? Quite well, actually.  But why?  I'm going to give you two reasons:  1.  Because it was something that made him pause in life and think, and there is no better motivation for writers,  and 2. Traffic.  With over a million views in just a couple of weeks,  she is one of the top search terms and keywords in viral marketing at the moment.

    Wouldn't you like a little slice of that pie for your own website or blog?