Its OK if Youre Not an Expert

Credit: Novic on Photodune

As a freelance writer, you have probably created a niche around your expertise. Maybe its healthcare, knitting, or finance. And I bet you spend the majority of your time writing about things you know a lot about. But what happens when you are asked to write about a topic youre not all that familiar with?

No one expects you to be an expert on every topic. However, if you truly are a professional writer, you should be able to write about anything. And tackling a topic you dont know anything about can be a good exercise in research.

People write about what they know for a few different reasons:

• They enjoy it. It takes time to become an expert, and youre not going to spend a lot of time on something you dont like.

• Its easy. If you know a lot about a topic, you dont have to spend a lot of time doing research. That saves time and, in the end, money.

• They are building their brand. If you are known as an authority on a topic, people are going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Your ideas become important and the more well known you are, the more money you can make.

But not all freelancers have the luxury of writing only about what they are interested in.

Using Research and Interviewing to Supplement Subject Knowledge

Portland, Maine-based freelance writer, Carl Natale, was recently hired to blog about the changes coming in medical coding for healthcare professionals. When he was introduced to the subject, he knew nothing about it.

He did some research and easily found literature and webinars on the subject. "Healthcare IT execs are willing to be interviewed. Their PR people are very aggressively reaching out to me, which is a good thing. I’m learning a lot from them, he says. "At no point do I ever misrepresent my knowledge or inexperience. I was hired for the gig because I could write, work with social media, and learn. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be an expert in medical coding, but that’s not going to stop me from writing useful content for my audience.

Not being an expert in a subject allows you to take a look at a topic with fresh eyes. You dont have any preconceived notions or biases toward what you are writing about.

"I think its better not to be an expert, because sometimes you forget what the reader doesnt know, Natale says. "If you’re new to a subject, you need to interview experts and report the knowledge they share. You need to be able to ask good questions and process what you’re being told. That’s more important than being an expert yourself.

Reaching Outside Your Comfort Zone

Stretching your muscles outside of your comfort zone can be, well, uncomfortable. Its easy to write about what you know, but if you dont reach out beyond your current client base you may be missing out on some lucrative projects. And you never knowyou might actually learn something!

When I was in grad school I landed a part-time job as an online reporter for Inc. magazines website. For nine months I wrote daily news stories about small business and entrepreneurship. Even though I didnt know a lot about these topics, it was a job opportunity I couldnt pass up. So I learned.

There were many times when I had to write a story about a topic that I had never heard of before. Topics where I didnt even understand the jargon associated with it. I remember one story was about a tax of junk faxes, another on angel investors. I couldnt say no to my editor, so I did a little bit of research and reached out to other experts in the field.

I didnt pretend to be an expert when conducting interviews. I would start by telling the person that I was not an expert. If the interviewee started talking in jargon that I didnt understand, I would be sure to stop them and ask them to explain it again in a way that their 8-year-old niece would understand. I didnt make excuses or apologize. Honesty was the best policy and I got some great feedback.

So take a step outside of your comfort zone and try a new topic on for size. The more you write about a subject, the more you develop expertise. Adding a new branch to your freelance portfolio will only make you more desirable to potential clients.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Novic.