How to Actually Get Paid to ‘Write What You Know’

Here’s the step-by-step you’ve been waiting for

Photo by AHMED HINDAWI on Unsplash

It’s probably the number one writing rule. Except what does it actually mean? You know how to brush your teeth; could you get paid to write about that? Maybe, but there are plenty of caveats, the first of which is to write what you know… that very few other also people know.

That might be the key piece of the puzzle you’ve been missing, but there are several others. Let’s break it down in an easy step-by-step to get you from topic to title. Keep in mind we’re applying each step to one thing you can write for money, be it an article, non-fiction book, or even a novel.

Start with the broadest possible topic you know something about

Think travel, fashion, writing, politics, or finance. What’s your thing? Go big here, because you’re looking for a topic that millions of readers are interested in. You don’t have to be an expert in every aspect of the topic. General knowledge is your starting point.

Now narrow the focus to a smaller subset of your big topic to something you know more about than most people