How to Get Free Subscriptions to Trade Magazines

Trade magazines contain a lot of up-to-date information about a particular industry or line of work. They contain articles, interviews and other information that may be useful and keep a person knowledgeable about what's happening in the field. Some people get free subscriptions, while others have to pay for it. There are ways to get free magazine subscriptions; you just have to know where to look.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Get a job in the trade in which you want a magazine subscription. A lot of companies provide free subscriptions to its employees as part of continuing education and to stay on top of events in that specific industry. Employers see the value of the information presented in these magazines.

2. Work in public relations or marketing. Magazines want publicity and when you work in public relations, you don't buy magazines; they come to you. If you work in a media agency, you may receive free subscriptions to various trade and commercial magazines.

3. Write for them. Review the magazine you want to get a subscription of at your local bookstore, then list down the contact information of the editor of the paper. Gather some ideas for a story that could be published in the magazine, the pitch the idea to the editor using a query letter. Follow up with the editor a week or so later and ask if your article has been reviewed for publication, then ask if you can get a free subscription to the magazine. Usually, good freelancers are retained by magazine editors by giving them not only copies of the issue where their writing was published, but also full subscriptions.

4. Go to conferences of a particular trade you're interested in. Trade shows attract all kinds of people from the media and usually trade magazines are present to attract publicity. This is also the time to sample various magazines in a particular industry and to talk to the editors in more depth about the magazine. They may offer you a free subscription to sample the magazine.

5. Review them. This can start from a blog, or a newspaper if you're already a seasoned writer. Get a copy of a magazine, review its contents and publish your review online. List the great parts about the magazine, and also offer constructive criticism on areas to improve upon. Writing a review online allows your work to gain publicity and be seen by anyone with an Internet connection. If your blog attracts a large number of people, usually magazine editors will contact you and offer you a free subscription to the magazine.