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.

Early in my career, I worked with an extraordinary researcher at a non-governmental organization in Washington, D.C. She was smart, insightful, and warm. Her colleagues respected her intellect and relied on her to edit and fact-check articles, reports, and speeches. But she never took the leap and shared her own research. When it came time to select the lead researcher for a new project, she was not even considered.

​This story is all too common.

So many brilliant people want just a little more time to refine their ideas and make sure they are perfect before sharing them publicly. But perfection is an unachievable goal.

And the pursuit of perfection is holding you back.

There’s never been a better time to share your ideas.

Fifteen years ago, it would have been difficult for a consultant to get a byline in Inc., Entrepreneur, or Fast Company. But these prestigious business publications now rely on experienced professionals to share their insights with their readers.

Your perspective is invaluable to the publication’s readers, but it is crucial to the success of the publication’s business model. Let me explain:

• Magazines rely heavily on advertising revenue.
• A great deal of that advertising happens online.
• Online advertising revenue is proportional to website traffic.
• Website traffic relies on search engine optimization (SEO).
• SEO requires a steady influx of original, high-quality content.

High-visibility publications need a tremendous amount of original, high-quality content. Their need for that content far outpaces their capacity for creating it. In fact, many of these publications would go out of business if they had to pay their staff writers and freelance writers for all the content they needed to produce.

As an experienced consultant, you can help associations, trade journals, and business magazines meet the need for original, high-quality content. In return, you get to share your ideas with a well-established audience, demonstrate your credibility, and build your community while increasing your visibility and opening the door to new opportunities.

The readers win.

The publications win.

You win.

It’s not enough to be great at what you do. If you want to make an impact, your voice needs to be heard. Writing for high-visibility publications is one of the most effective ways to share your ideas and build your reputation as an authoritative expert.

​But how do you narrow down that shortlist?

Your pitch strategy must be grounded in research and a deep understanding of your goals and objectives. Once you have your shortlist, you must evaluate each option to ensure the publication’s style is compatible with yours.

​We are judged by the company we keep. Industry leaders, colleagues, and prospective clients will make assumptions about your ideas, skill level, and credibility based on your affiliation with a particular publication. Make sure the publications you affiliate with reflect your personality and values.

Three elements to review to determine a publication’s style.

Every publication has a particular writing style. The way the message is crafted influences the reader’s impression of the message. Style includes diction, tone, and voice. You want your style to complement the publication’s style. To determine the publication’s style, evaluate these three elements:

1. Diction. Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in speech and writing. Pay attention to the positive or negative connotation around the words and phrases that appear in a publication’s headlines. Notice how the choice of words and phrases also influences whether the publication sounds formal, academic, or casual.
2. Tone. By paying attention to word choice, you also get a sense of a publication’s tone. Does the article you’re reviewing sound objective or subjective? Logical or emotional? Intimate or distant? Serious or humorous? Formal or casual? Respectful or irreverent? Enthusiastic or matter-of-fact? Think about the tone of a specific article. If the tone is serious, could it have been written as a humorous piece? Ask yourself why the writer chose to write in this tone. Is this the dominant tone across all of the publication’s articles? Or did the subject matter require this particular tone?
3. ​Voice. A publication’s voice can be difficult to put into words. Voice makes an article recognizable as one published in a particular media outlet. A publication’s voice is its personality. Think about BuzzFeed and Harvard Business Review. What makes these publications so different from one another? Voice. While tone varies depending on the situation, voice is consistent.

​To get a sense of a publication’s style, you’ll need to study each one closely. Read several articles from the last year, and pay attention to the headlines. Headlines are where a publication’s voice shines. If a publication’s headlines, graphics, or topics of interest elicit a scowl or eye-roll, it’s probably not a good fit — no matter how popular the publication.