Welcome to one of freelancing's best-kept secrets!

I write for industry trade magazines and absolutely love it. I spent about ten years in an industry I loved but could no longer could juggle the excessive travel and client needs with a growing family. I do think it helps to consider an area that you already love, be it a hobby or topic of interest, and start in that arena. It will make it easier for you to think of story ideas and pitches.

Being a member of the association is also very helpful. My work has branched out into a number of other opportunities, and although it isn't always easy to juggle deadlines and kids, I'm so grateful to be able to build a career this way.

I hope you'll give trades a try. They're worth it.

The process

Somebody please give Featurewriter an instant 1,000 rep points for me, ok? I've read every post in this thread and am incredibly encouraged.

I'm 41 and have traveled, and lived, all over the world. I've worked in many different fields and fulfilled a lot of dreams in my time. I've been homeless and I've had money. Currently, I'm working in Corporate America and really, really need to get out. I'm not wired to work this way! I'm a small town guy living in downtown Big City USA. I'm in the middle of making major changes in my life.

I've decided that the only thing I truly enjoy doing is writing. I'm unpublished but I have a lot of writing experience, from newsletters, business writing in my jobs, stories on a weekly basis for kids I volunteered with, etc., (I could kick myself for finding out how much business writing I've done and not been compensated for!)

So, I'm becoming a freelance writer. Initially I decided to stay away from business writing because I wanted out of Corporate America in every way. This thread, however, encouraged me to give it try.

I'm also in the process of finding a new place to live. I'm torn here. I would ideally love to live in a very small community. (One I'm looking at has only 223 people and is 90 minutes from the nearest big city.) This would suit me, but how about freelancing? I'm aware I can write from anywhere, but wouldn't cutting myself off that much be a hinderance?

I've researched freelancing for newspapers and magazines to death and was about to jump in with pens in both hands, and I will, but I'd like to learn more about writing for trades and industry publications.

The process sounds very similar to writing for newspapers and magazines. Is the query writing process the same? Are there any tips for speaking with editors in trade publications? Any no-no's that magazine freelancers should remember not to do that they currently do with magazine clients?

As I've said, I've done a lot of writing. I believe I'm very good at it. Coming into the industry unpublished makes me a bit nervous, but I've never not done something I've set out to do. I would just feel a little better knowing more about the process (do's and don'ts) from those who are experienced in this field.

Congratulations on the two assignment, Payson. Good luck.

hi,
this is a much needed discussion. i've been a niche writer for advtg.&mktg.publications.my background was in micobiology. the imp. thig is to familiarise with the subject and write simply without using jargon.

I just found this thread, but have been hanging out in the Trade Magazine thread for a while. I have been freelancing for years now. At the beginning, and from an early age, I always wanted to write for magazines. I started freelancing to get some experience and a few publised clips. After a while the money was decent and I had bills to pay, so I got stuck in a rut, forgetting magazine writing. Then I wanted to learn how to write a great query before sending anything out. I actually sent out a total of 3 queries about 4 years ago, non of which netted me anything so I put it off again 'to learn more about it'. Fast forward through many more articles and writing jobs to last week. I stumbled on the trade magazine section and read a few threads, enough to get me interested. There was some advice about how to write a letter of introduction rather than send a query. This was great for me, as I didn't really have an specific article ideas in mind, I just wanted a chance to write. So I polished up the resume, dug out a couple of clips and sent them to a few editors of trade mags I was interested in. Within 5 minutes I had my first response, with a promise of a few articles to do, and by lunch I had another response with the same promise. And this was only today. I am hopeful other editors will get back with me tomorrow, although these two seem to have more than enough work for a while. It really does work. Get past any fear or awkwardness you may have and just go for it. I have a lot of freelancing experience, but it is all part-time (a minute or two while the kids are quiet) with no 'real' writing time set aside. I have never really felt like a real writer, although I have been writing since grade school, and have paid plenty of bills by writing.
And now I am going on and on and on.....lol. To those of you wanting to learn more, just do it. There is never a better time than now. Send a query or letter of interest in to those magazines you want to target. The worst they can do is say "We don't need any freelancers at this time." And that is your que to move on to the next magazine. Good luch to all.

What an Inspiration!

I've just read this thread through and definitely taking notes to research further.

I've only just started looking at writing to fulfill a dream and have yet to be published (maybe because I haven't written anything?). I'm still very much in the research phase and was leaning towards local/regional publications, but if even half of what I've read here is true, that may change quickly.

I am off to look at the other forums and to google more.

Next decision - what trades to target.

Let's see. I've:


... spent more than 21 years in uniform as a United States Marine
... managed a dry cleaning operation with 6 stores
... worked as a receptionist/proofreader for the nation's largest radio research firm
... worked on the school bus with special needs children
... had a hobby farm with 6 horses; bred my mare/assisted her foaling
... hunted for deer and pheasant
... worked at a national call center (for the U.S. Postal system)
... processed intake applications with county Social Services (medicaid, food stamps)
... run a mailroom; helped out at a bulk mailing facility
... got my hands dirty in the garden, and more recently, container gardening (blogging about it)
... been caring for a baby robin for almost a week (blogging about it)
... taken in stray dogs/cats; worked with rescue organizations
... crocheted dozens of afghans/baby blankets
... dabbled in beading/jewelry making

My husband has been:

... roughneck in his younger years
... long distance truck driver for over 20 years


Where could I possibly find something to write about?

Writing Mom said:

I just found this thread, but have been hanging out in the Trade Magazine thread for a while. I have been freelancing for years now. At the beginning, and from an early age, I always wanted to write for magazines. I started freelancing to get some experience and a few publised clips. After a while the money was decent and I had bills to pay, so I got stuck in a rut, forgetting magazine writing. Then I wanted to learn how to write a great query before sending anything out. I actually sent out a total of 3 queries about 4 years ago, non of which netted me anything so I put it off again 'to learn more about it'. Fast forward through many more articles and writing jobs to last week. I stumbled on the trade magazine section and read a few threads, enough to get me interested. There was some advice about how to write a letter of introduction rather than send a query. This was great for me, as I didn't really have an specific article ideas in mind, I just wanted a chance to write. So I polished up the resume, dug out a couple of clips and sent them to a few editors of trade mags I was interested in. Within 5 minutes I had my first response, with a promise of a few articles to do, and by lunch I had another response with the same promise. And this was only today. I am hopeful other editors will get back with me tomorrow, although these two seem to have more than enough work for a while. It really does work. Get past any fear or awkwardness you may have and just go for it. I have a lot of freelancing experience, but it is all part-time (a minute or two while the kids are quiet) with no 'real' writing time set aside. I have never really felt like a real writer, although I have been writing since grade school, and have paid plenty of bills by writing.
And now I am going on and on and on.....lol. To those of you wanting to learn more, just do it. There is never a better time than now. Send a query or letter of interest in to those magazines you want to target. The worst they can do is say "We don't need any freelancers at this time." And that is your que to move on to the next magazine. Good luch to all.

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this WritingMom. It really was quite inspirational, particuarly to me as a newbie.

Interesting thread!

Looking to learn more about this all too!!

Wow - the first post of this thread really rang true and explained a few things for me.

A few months back, a friend of mine needed some business (he builds websites), but couldn't figure out how to get it. I asked him, why not pitch an article at a few trade mags in return for a byline mentioning his business. I thought it would be a good idea, but hadn't really done it this way before (I mainly write online and in the past only for main stream consumer mags).

Anyway, I crafted up a query letter template for him that we altered depending on the trade mag publication and sent it out - boom! 7 out of the 8 trade mag editors we contacted said yes!!

He got a bunch of new business.

Reading that first post, it now seems we hit on a big gap in the market kind of by mistake!

Excellent thread - gee this forum is interesting. I now know why there's not a lot going on in some trade magazines, which I just love to get my sticky little hands on because I suffer from terminal curiosity. I've never dreamed of submitting to them.

But I'm good at angling things. So I'm off to my yearbook ... I just love you guys