Blogging Tips

I get more daily blog posts emailed to me in a day than I could possibly read, but if the title catches my attention I do stop to read the post. I’m subscribed to several of the most popular blogging sites, as I’m sure you are too. That doesn’t mean you have to read every single post. If you’re reading 5 or 6 blog posts per day, then chances are you aren’t writing enough of your own material–and that could hinder your progress.

How passionate are you about writing? I’m not just talking blogging here; I’m talking writing in general. As a blogger you need to love the craft of writing as much as you love your blog and its topic. You need to love writing enough to step out of your niche once in awhile too. Do some guest blogging on sites that are related to your main niche, as well as, your secondary niches. Do you have a secondary niche? Is a secondary niche productive or counter productive?

It can be both, depending on how easy you get bored. Admit it; you get tired of writing about your main niche all the time. You need to step out of the box and having a secondary niche can help you do that. As a freelance writer I’m known to cover many topics; many of which I consider secondary niche topics for me–but it breaks the monotony of the work week and allows me to change my focus.

Fiction is one of my secondary niches. I don’t write as much as I’d like in that area but I do work with other writers and help them brainstorm their storyline, characters and other ideas.

Health and fitness is another secondary niche of mine, but sometimes it’s my main niche. I recently shared an article here at BloggingTips about how I let fitness go out the window when I’m starting new projects. But, it’s something I always come back to and often it’s the process of writing about the topics that gets me off my butt and back to the mat or the free weights. It’s almost like a release or even a vacation from my other writing life or lives. I wear many hats.

You can read A Writer’s Health and Resolutions.

No matter how passionate you are about your main topic it’s always a good idea to take a break from it and work on other niches. It keeps you fresh and excited. How many topics you choose is simply up to you. This year I’m starting off by adding themes to my days and stepping out of my comfort zone more—out of the box. It’s the year 2010—it just sounds like it should be out of the comfort zone—and if you’re like me, it still sounds like it should be the year in a Sci-Fi futuristic movie—not the actual year.

Remember, thinking outside the box is one thing—you’re still safely inside. Stepping out of the box—well that’s a whole other scary place isn’t it?

This year I will add themes to my work days. What is a writing day theme? Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll cover that very topic.