LOL Paula, you had to know that, right? Your LOI post boosted my own business. And revel all day, sister! You deserve that and more.

Yep, I laugh when people say they don’t want to write for trades, and they have that curled-lip look going on at the same time. I find trades to be so much more interesting. And like you said consumer pubs do dumb down the copy. Drives me nuts. Some suck the creativity right out of it, too. Why bother, I say?

About 90% of the magazines I write for are trades. Sure, I’ve encountered a couple that pay under 50-cents a word, but most seem to fall somewhere between 50¢-$1/word, occasionally more. I think most people overlook them for one of two reasons: they don’t know how many trades there are, or they don’t think they’re “glamorous.”

Something I’ve realized: Reputable trades tend to be smart and treat the material seriously (yet many still have fun with titles, art, and leads), while consumer titles often dumb down copy to placate mass audiences. In both cases it’s because they are catering to their core readers.

Gabriella, that little strategy is amazing, isn’t it? Just raise the rates. Stop futzing, stop overthinking. Just do it. I lost one client over it, and it was one I was sad to see go, but then quickly forgot when the higher-paying clients came knocking.

Trade association writing built my career! Totally right beside you on that. “They pay professionally.” YES. All day long on that! Consumer pubs can, but the competition is fierce. Trades are standing there with money saying “Anyone? Hello?”

I don’t understand the aversion, either. The topics are just as exciting — I’ve written about cannabis, sexual harassment, gender wage gap, women in business, New Orleans and how it was a prime hurricane target (four years before Katrina)…. The articles just had a different answer to the “What does that mean to the reader?” question.

And I passed your advice onto a professional coach friend of mine. She was taken aback, then did it. And not a client fell by the wayside. Prices go up. Why shouldn’t ours?

It’s so simple it’s profound.

Also, yes on the trade association writing! I’ve done it my whole career, for real estate trade pubs and legal trade pubs. They pay professionally. The consumer pubs/sites I’ve worked for recently paid less.

I have no idea why trade pubs are looked down on. The ones I write for are run by true journalists and are doing really great work. Yes, they have to work within the confines of the mission of the organization. But for professionally run trade pubs, that doesn’t mean not reporting accurately. It means angling your work to focus on the issues critical to your audience. Big difference.