In Search of a Niche

Almost every piece of writing advice screams the same thing: find your niche.

Based on how many articles and newsletters are out there peddling writing advice, it seems that might actually be one of the top niches. Though that raises the question, how does a new writer break into it? How can someone with little experience offer “credible” advice to others still figuring it out?

When I scroll through Substack or blogs, other popular niches seem to include small business building, cryptocurrency, real estate, travel, and hopscotch. One of those isn’t true… but I’m sure there’s an audience out there for one of the oldest and most classic children’s games.

Despite the constant insistence that a niche is essential for success, my career has gone against it (maybe to its detriment). Specialization has never been my strong suit. Even this site can’t quite make up its mind.

Throughout my career, whether for clients or here on Beyond the Balcony, I’ve written about movies, TV, live theatre, video games, real estate, mental health, politics, writing advice, humour, fiction, customer service, lawn care, parenting, neurodivergence, local news, social issues, history, insurance, marketing, and Pop-Tarts.

And that’s not even all of it.

But maybe, somewhere in this buffet of articles, ad copy, and stories, I’ve managed to stitch together a kind of niche. Not a traditional one, but a voice that connects. A throughline that makes readers stick around because they trust something about what I make.

I’ve hosted The Movie Breakdown podcast since 2013, originally born out of my movie-reviewing days for various outlets. For a time, I was convinced that was my niche; the one that would define my career. Yet even then, I felt the deeper pull to be a storyteller. To write novels. To create worlds.

Storytelling has always been the heartbeat of my work. It’s what draws me to history, pop culture, social issues, and the arts. It’s how I explore healing, understanding, identity, and meaning.

So maybe my niche is storytelling; just not the narrow, SEO-optimized kind people talk about.

In the coming year, I plan to write more fiction, along with reviews and essays that dig deep, engage, and add value. Pieces that matter.

That’s why I’ve started embracing this label: a pop-culture-loving, neurodivergent storytelling dad.

Because of that, along with being a husband, son, and friend, it captures who I am and what drives me as a writer. It’s not a perfect niche, but it’s mine.

If that resonates with you, I’d love your support.

Share the site. Subscribe to the Life on the Balcony newsletter on Substack. Check out The Movie Breakdown podcast. And if you’re able, you can even support my work through Ko-fi or PayPal.

Thanks for being part of this ongoing story.