Comments on: 4 Must-have Elements of Trade Magazine Writing

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 22:04:46 +0000

In reply to Liz Barrett Foster. Thanks, Liz! Glad you liked it. I totally agree - the things we learn just by listening are incredible. A great job perk, right?

By: Liz Barrett Foster

Liz Barrett Foster — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 21:02:49 +0000

Great read. I’ve been writing almost exclusively for trade magazines for more than a decade. I love learning through my interviews and sharing that information with others who are trying to grow their own companies.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 17:51:53 +0000

In reply to Devon Ellington. Yes! One skill I always highlight when sending LOIs to trade pubs is my ability to ask solid questions of industry experts.

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 20:07:43 +0000

In reply to Devon Ellington.

I think you’re absolutely correct, Devon. I’ve found that my questions to people whose industries are new to me often get met with “That’s a great question” responses.

It takes curiosity, not huge depths of knowledge.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:09:36 +0000

BTW, as I’m working on goals for 2019, this is a good reminder to go back to pitching to trade publications. I didn’t do that this year, and that was a mistake.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:07:47 +0000

In reply to Paula Hendrickson. Absolutely. Artists deserve to be paid for their work. The writers who help promote the messages of those artists so more people know about their work also deserve to be paid.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:06:16 +0000

I think, in some cases, being outside the industry is a strength. When I don’t know something, I ask different questions that usually get more complex and interesting answers. Most people love talking about their passions — find someone passionate about ANY topic, communicate that passion effectively, and you have an interesting article.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:06:08 +0000

In reply to lwidmer. Plus, covering anything remotely about celebrities isn't exactly "art." It's commerce, pure and simple. Even if it were art, there is nothing wrong with an artist profiting from their skills. I'd rather an artist be paid well while they're living than an art collector selling their work, posthumously, for millions.

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 16:03:05 +0000

In reply to Paula Hendrickson.

Paula, I thought of you as I talked with her. Or rather, as she talked AT me. But I digress…

There is no reason at all to settle for low pay as a writer. None. Any writer can focus on their passions and actually get paid decently. I felt the real reason she was settling was that it was easy to write for so little. Maybe, but it’s just as easy to write for more, you know? Okay, it takes reaching out to clients instead of answering ads, but the payoff is incredible.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 15:36:30 +0000

Uh, Lori? Do me a favor and don’t tell the snooty $20 “celebrity” and community content writer that I earn more than $20 per (short) paragraph writing for some of the top entertainment trade publications.

I broke into those after writing for business/sales/marketing/advertising trades. I’ve also written a lot of fun branding articles for those markets, too. I love writing for trades because you don’t have to write down to the audience like you sometimes need to do with consumer publications.

Writing for trades is actually pretty fun, and I always come away having learned something new. Even better: the editors usually generate the article ideas.

I love writing for trades, and one of my goals for 2019 will be to add another trade magazine or two to my client list.