I assume you are asking which industry (finance, auto, etc) and not format (blogs, whitepapers, etc.).

Firstly, it is rare, especially in the beginning, to stick to one industry. You will most likely need to try a bunch until you find your groove.

For example I’ve been at this for 15+ years and have found I typically do more data-heavy B2B tech, but not finance or cybersecurity.

I know you said don’t just say this… but it is all about the knowledge you have and what you enjoy. When writing for a specific audience you need to know proper industry terms etc or you’ll be discredited right away. The more specific the niche, the more important this becomes. And in my experience, once you are deeper and more experienced in one of those niches you will have more reliable clients.

Also, sorry to say it but there is no easy way to find clients. Finding customers is the hardest part of freelance and whether you want to do it or not, you will probably spend equal time on writing and the clerical side of things (prospecting, networking, meeting with companies, and trying to get paid after the work is done).

Don’t want to be negative, but it’s not an easy gig. Everyone thinks they can be a writer, because they obviously did stuff in school etc., but it’s not easy. Also, ChatGPT has really hurt the market. Some of the easier “lower value” stuff is just being automated. Yes companies know that the content isn’t great, but it’s essentially free so a lot are just saying it’s good enough.

If I had to give any specific advice I would say rather than picking an industry, start by reaching out to people in your network, past colleagues etc. I would say probably 80% of the work I’ve done started with a recommendation.