Many publications are actively seeking expert contributors. Some (and the number is increasing) require you to pay for the privilege. But why pay to publish on a particular platform when other publications will publish your work for free?

Before we dive into whether pay-to-play publications are worth it, it’s important to understand each of the three types of pay-to-play opportunities.

Pay-to-play public relations opportunities are those that profile you and your work in exchange for payment. The resulting articles are written (or appear to be written) by someone else. The writer may interview you, either by phone or email, or you may be asked to complete a questionnaire. When the article is published, you are encouraged to share it widely. You may also have the opportunity to appear on the cover of the publication — for an additional fee, of course.

Pay-to-play marketing opportunities are referred to as sponsored content. In this case, you (or someone you hire) writes an article that is published on one or more media platforms. Sometimes these sponsored content pieces are negotiated directly with the publication. Other times they are placed through a company like OutBrain. These articles are identified as “sponsored content” to make it clear that they are advertorials — advertisements, not articles.

Pay-to-play publications typically offer their expert contributors the opportunity to become a member of a select group of experts in exchange for a fee of between $1,000 and $5,000 a year. One benefit of membership is the opportunity to publish bylined articles on the publication’s website. While these articles are not identified as sponsored content, expert contributors are identified as members of the membership program. To determine whether joining such a program is a worthwhile investment, you need to understand how these programs work and evaluate the benefits of the program through the lens of your business goals.

Not all pay-to-play publications are created equal.

Forbes was the first publication to adopt a pay-to-play program. In 2010, Forbes launched its contributing expert platform. Contributing experts don’t pay to publish their articles. Instead, they pitch an article or column and, once approved, log directly into the platform and publish their work. Pieces written by contributing experts are not edited before they are published.

Forbes Councils were established in 2015, five years after the contributing expert platform was launched. One of the benefits of this annual membership program is the opportunity to publish lightly edited, bylined articles on the magazine’s website. Council members can also contribute to roundup articles featuring several subject-matter experts. Other benefits include networking opportunities and educational events.

But the Forbes brand is not what it used to be.

Articles published by contributing experts have historically been subjected to very little editorial oversight. That lack of oversight led to a number of abuses, many of which were chronicled in a 2022 Nieman Lab article. The worst abuses involved contributing experts accepting payment to cover specific individuals or companies — you, too, can be featured in Forbes for only $5,000 — and shysters using their positions as contributing experts to polish up their reputations and those of other unsavory public figures.

Forbes is now working hard to rebuild its reputation.

Other traditional, well-established business magazines have since launched pay-to-play membership programs. Forbes’s mistakes gave these publications insight into the benefits and pitfalls of the pay-to-play model, allowing them to put guardrails in place. I expect more publications to adopt this model in the future. For now, two worth considering are the Entrepreneur Leadership Network and the Fast Company Executive Board.

The Entrepreneur Leadership Network is an annual membership program that allows members to submit up to four bylined articles per month to be considered for publication. Once an article is approved, a dedicated editor works with the writer to ensure the piece meets the publication’s editorial standards and to arrange for the piece to be published. Other benefits include networking opportunities, writing workshops, and webinars.

The Fast Company Executive Board is an annual membership program that allows members to publish edited, bylined articles on the magazine’s website and participate in roundup-style articles featuring several subject-matter experts. Other benefits include networking opportunities, an online community and member directory, and professional development opportunities.

The best pay-to-play programs use the funds they receive to pay the editorial team to work with expert contributors. Editing an expert contributor is a different experience from editing a freelance or staff writer, and if a publication wants to maintain the editorial quality of their publication, they need to pay close attention to what is being published. Just because you pay to publish your work on these platforms doesn’t mean your work will be published; it still has to meet the publication’s editorial standards.

And that’s a good thing.

We are judged by the company we keep — and you don’t want to write for a publication that isn’t well respected by your peers, prospective clients, and partners.

Your business goals determine which publications to consider.

You are not writing to get published; you are getting published to achieve specific business goals. If a pay-to-play program will help you achieve those goals, there’s no reason not to consider it.

When you write for high-visibility publications, you receive real value in exchange for your expertise. Writing for high-visibility publications helps you share your perspective with an already-established, well-defined audience. It differentiates you from your peers and enhances your credibility, positioning you as an authoritative expert.

Only you can decide whether the additional benefits associated with a pay-to-play program are valuable enough to justify the annual fee. If they are, such a program may well be worthwhile. If they aren’t, but you’d still like to write for the publication, consider pitching the publication directly. Many publications accept pitches from contributing experts, even when they have a pay-to-play program.

Whether you are looking to secure more speaking engagements, connect with fellow leaders in your industry, or get more meetings with the right prospects on the books, building relationships with the right people is critical to your success as a consultant.

Don’t discount pay-to-play programs simply because you could publish the same articles elsewhere for free. Take time to evaluate each publication and its pay-to-play program against your business goals, values, and style.

Do your due diligence, and then make your decision.