I’m Tired of Hearing About the Writing Market Being Too Saturated

The pandemic was an interesting time for everyone. Working from home made people realize that they were far more productive in the few hours they worked at home, and had lots of free time to do other things.

It certainly brought about innovation.

Image by Peter Olexa from Pixabay

I started my freelance content writing business at the beginning of the pandemic in my last year of University in the UK. I had no idea what I was doing, except for the fact that I knew how to write. I distinctly remember telling my careers advisor in excitement about a $20 project I had just completed; thinking that I’d become the next best thing.

Sadly, I wasn’t. And still am not. In fact, business is slow but I’m still writing every day and making enough money to satisfy my needs.

I do very little marketing. I spend a couple of hours a week on my writing projects. And I’m not complaining.

Here is where the trouble lies. Now, feel free to correct me in the comments if you think I’m wrong.

People who comment saying that the freelance writing market is too saturated and that it’s impossible to find work or success — are people that aren’t working hard enough in the right areas. People that think they can start a blog one day, and the next have an inbox flooded with inquiries.

The lazy people.

Image by Jörn Heller from Pixabay

Woah, I know. I said it. I used the ‘L’ word.

But let me explain. There is this overpopulating framing that the writing world is over-saturated. Well, it is over-saturated with people that do the same thing. There is no lie there.

But if we both produced the same carton of milk with the same advertising and brand package then…. what do you expect?

The writing world works the same as any other product out there. You need to think of a USP (Unique Selling Point). Everyone can sell a blog, article or email. What about these content forms do you do that are special?

The problem is influencers. And successful writers. Sorry.

I’m not blaming you. By no means. It actually is not your fault. But when excited new writers join platforms, their go-to is to follow the leading writers and try to replicate their formula. They see the success of top writers and think that it will happen overnight. They don’t see that those top writers who seemingly have had overnight success went unnoticed for years but kept at it with their craft.

Success is a painting that changes with every person that looks at it.

My definition of success is to get a single clap on a blog post on Medium.com. I’ve only just started on this platform whilst maintaining my business on Fiverr.com. The problem with starting a content writing business is that before you can niche down and specialize, you have to get a lot of work done for a low price. That means doing work that you don’t want to do. That’s why I started on this page — so that I can focus on the writing that I enjoy — and hopefully teach someone something, even if it is a small nugget of knowledge that can open a seemingly closed door.

Every small step of success that I have will inevitably lead to climbing the ladder. I’m not afraid of making minuscule steps in a forward direction. It only takes one slight bit of chance for that minuscule step to becoming one giant leap.

So, before you start to complain about how the market is oversaturated start having a think about:

• Have you sent cold emails?
• Have you cold-called?
• Have you used Pinterest?
• Have you created a portfolio?
• Have you created a writing website?
• Have you done free work to get your foot in the door?
• Are you selling to people or solving problems for people?
• Have you joined content mill websites?
• Have you successfully been consistent with writing for 2-years?
• Have you started marketing yourself on other platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels?

There is an infinite amount of steps that you could take to become more successful. Not every single writer is following these steps and creating the best content out there. So, why not be that person?

In short, stop trying to get overnight success. We know you want to quit your 9–5. But you’re going to have to be patient. Do the right things consistently. That way, you’ll destroy your competition and stand out from the crowd.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Were you an overnight success? What strategies did you use to stand out from the crowd? Is consistency king? Let us know :)