On Substack there are writers who write just to share their story and writers who are building a business/following. The writers who are there to share their story often have an unusual or uncommon vocation, or a particularly challenging aspect of their life, or just want to share their experiences and insights. I guess I’m in the last category.
For writers who are building a business or a big following, the advice is to choose a niche and stick to it. You work in health care and give the inside story, or you’re an attorney who gives guidance on a specific problem. Or you’re just a regular person, but you’ve built a successful business and want to help others do the same.
I have no niche. One writer gave the guidance that if you’ve just started a Substack, you might need to publish for a while until your niche comes clear. Well, I started a Substack two months ago, but I’m unusual: I also have a 22-year blog where I’ve written about many things.
So I have no niche. My short description on Substack is:
Mexican American Gen-X woman gives views on topics including but not limited to culture, relationships, mental illness, aging. No one’s mother and no one’s wife.
If this kind of viewpoint interests someone or they just like very good writing, they might follow me or even subscribe (you don’t have to subscribe. You can just follow). But in 22 years I’ve never narrowed down the topics I write on. This is how blogging goes for me: an observation or realization occurs to me, I feel strongly enough to write about it, and then I publish.
Another thing that distinguishes my writing is that I write about many things you’re not supposed to say out loud, yet I keep my real name on it. I have no interest in staying anonymous even when I write about family, even when my topic is menstruation, divorce, aging, or being morbidly obese. I share the most personal things. I don’t know why I’m like this.
There are many who tell me that having a blog like this and being on job search do not go together. If I don’t want a prospective employer to find it and decide there’s no way they’re hiring someone who thinks this way, I should delete the whole thing right now. That’s good advice, especially now when the number of people looking for jobs seems to outnumber the openings organizations are trying to fill. I haven’t followed that advice. Yet. So read it now!
Michael Flippo Dreamstime
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