How to Build a 'Specialized Field' from Active Web Writers

With the number of people starting as Web writers increasing and AI tools like ChatGPT becoming hot topics one after another, are you struggling with how to map out your career as a writer?

One answer to that is to hone your expertise.

This is because expertise becomes a weapon. If you write articles using knowledge that can be found through research, anyone can write them, not just you. From now on, AI tools will likely take over those tasks.

When you have expertise, you come up with ideas that cannot be written just by researching, and your methods of expression change. Writers with expertise are chosen over writers who say 'I can write anything' because it makes a difference in the quality of the finished writing.

Let's build a specialized field and become a writer who is told, 'I want you to write this.'

What are the benefits of establishing a specialized field?

There are four benefits to having a specialized field.

[Easier to differentiate yourself]

By calling yourself a 'specialized writer in XX,' you can instantly appeal that you are different from other writers. You will catch the eye of clients looking for writers and be easier to remember.

[Demonstrate competitive advantage]

Having a specialized field puts you in a more advantageous position than other writers. As I mentioned at the beginning, it is because you have a reason to be chosen.

[Acquiring projects]

If you can become a writer who is chosen, it becomes easier to acquire projects. Even without taking action yourself, opportunities to receive writing requests will increase.

[Increasing unit price]

The higher your expertise, the higher your unit price will be. This is because fewer people can write about it. Also, once you start receiving writing requests by name, it becomes easier to negotiate your unit price.

Introducing Monokaki University students active in their specialized fields

When you can visualize yourself being active with expertise, the goal you should aim for becomes clearer and easier to pursue. Let's introduce six students from Monokaki University who are active as one-of-a-kind writers using their specialized fields as weapons.

SDGs x Education Writer: Mami-san

Mami-san is a former elementary school teacher. After retiring, she explored sustainable living from a housewife's perspective and began sharing information about SDGs and work styles. She has published three e-books with the angle of 'Everyday SDGs' and writes articles related to sustainability for numerous media outlets. She also uses her experience from her previous job to write education-related articles. She is expanding her field of activity, such as by launching an online course to learn skills for cherishing oneself through sustainable self-management.

India Researcher x Writer: Anu-san

Anu-san is passionate about India, where she lived for about two years after becoming a working professional. After returning to Japan, she learned writing, and two e-books based on her experiences in India became double bestsellers. While writing articles about India, she honed her interviewing skills and began working on interview articles for numerous media outlets. Her articles are consistently featured on Yahoo! News.

She is also a writer who attracts attention for her content on enjoying Indian culture, such as Bollywood dance and embroidery.

Pharmacist & Pharmaceutical Affairs Law Manager & Writer: Yumacchi-san

Pharmacist Yumacchi-san. When she was struggling because her side business wasn't going well, she learned about the existence of 'writers specializing in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.' She honed her writing skills, published an e-book on the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, and successfully achieved the #1 bestseller spot. She now receives a steady stream of work that utilizes her qualifications, such as requests for Pharmaceutical Affairs Law checks from cosmetics shops and beauty salons, and serving as a lecturer for Pharmaceutical Affairs Law seminars.

Currently, she is also active as an official ambassador for the new AI tool service 'Kikai Ryobun'.

Beauty x Sales Writer: Shake-san

Shake-san is active as a beauty sales writer. After running her own blog, she tried her hand at article LPs, which opened the path for her to become a sales writer. Because she specializes in beauty, which she loves, she studied the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and built a track record as a 'beauty writer strong in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.' Wanting to write with correct knowledge, she also acquired the Japan Cosmetic Licensing Grade 1. She is a writer who approaches ad production with enjoyment and is trusted immensely by her clients.

Writer and Mother of a Child with Disabilities: Bekkoame Amami-san

Bekkoame Amami-san went from being a full-time housewife to a writer. Based on her experiences as a mother raising a son with disabilities and a daughter who is a sibling of a child with disabilities, she wrote an e-book for mothers of children with disabilities that reached #1 on the Amazon rankings for three consecutive books. She also began studying illustration to broaden the scope of her work, and currently writes for several major media outlets. She handles serialized articles and columns with illustrations for media related to child-rearing and developmental disabilities.

Note x SNS Marketing: Asahi-san

Asahi-san is active as 'the person who grows your Note.' While working as a writer, she started posting on Note but couldn't get anyone to read them, so she studied Note intensely. After restarting Note, she achieved 100,000 PV in 65 days and began working as a Note-specialized writer. Her own Note articles have grown into popular content with over 1,000 'likes,' leading her to be contracted by famous companies to manage their Notes. In addition to managing the official Notes of four corporations, she is also active as an SNS writing instructor.

Let's Find Your Expertise

'I understand that having expertise is good, but I don't have any strengths I can specialize in.'

This is a concern I hear very often. But it's okay. Please rest assured. Everyone has strengths that can definitely be turned into a specialized field. You just haven't found them yourself yet.

The expertise you possess can be found by focusing on three things: skills, abilities, and characteristics. Let's list each of these and visualize your expertise.

[Skills]

Things you have acquired through your experience so far are your skills. What are the things you have become able to do through training or education?

If you have work experience, it is easier to understand if you link it to your job type. For example, Mami-san, a former elementary school teacher, uses her skills in teaching so that children can easily understand to write educational articles.

It doesn't have to be just your job type; it can also be things you like or are interested in. Beauty sales writer Shake-san and India researcher writer Anu-san are active because of their skills in pursuing what they love to the fullest.

[Abilities]

Abilities are the powers you exert to achieve results. Please recall your past success experiences. At that time, what abilities were you using?

Let's analyze the powers that led things to success, such as ability to take action, judgment, and expressive power.

If you have trouble recalling your success stories, the brain dump method is effective.

When you only think in your head, your thoughts tend to drift away, but by writing them down on paper, you also receive visual information, making it easier to recall memories.

If there are skills you used in your success stories that appear repeatedly, those are your strengths that can easily be specialized.

【Characteristics】

Characteristics are traits that you naturally possess. They are innate and rarely change.

The shortcut to finding your characteristics is to take a diagnostic test. Since these traits are things you naturally have, it is difficult to notice them on your own.

There are various diagnostic tests, and a famous one is CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) provided by GALLUP. For example, if you have a strong strategic talent, you might be suited for marketing or advertising writing... it is a good idea to think about your specialization by leveraging your characteristics.

What if you can only find weaknesses...?

For those who say, 'I can only think of my weaknesses...', there is something I want you to know. That is, weaknesses can turn into strengths.

Let's take Bekkoame Amami, a writer who is a mother of a child with disabilities, as an example. 'Child with disabilities' and 'mother' might not seem like strengths at first glance. However, there are things that only someone in that position can write.

To increase your writing opportunities as a specialist, it is also effective to highlight what you might consider your weaknesses.

If you aim to be a writer with expertise

Have you been able to imagine your future and what kind of expertise you will specialize in?

Even if you don't find 'the one' right away, your focus may become clearer as you continue writing and sharing your work.

Lectures at Monokaki University start with finding your own strengths. While acquiring writing skills is important, we believe that having a specialized field is the shortcut to succeeding as a writer.

If you want to find your own expertise and become active in the field, please take a look at our free consultation session first. It is packed with success stories from students that could not be fully introduced in this article.

You will surely find your specialized field and open the path to becoming a writer who never runs out of requests.

↓ Click here for the free consultation session

↓ You can also find many hints from Mayo-sensei's Twitter at Monokaki University. Don't forget to follow!