Writing for the Trades With Lacey Pfalz

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at one of the biggest travel trade publications in the world, TravelPulse, which reaches millions of readers monthly and publishes multiple news stories every day. Since writing for the trades, primarily for a B2B audience, is very different from writing for consumer publications, let’s get the scoop from someone in the trenches. 

You’re best known as an associate editor at TravelPulse, the trade publication. What makes them different and what does your average week look like there?

TravelPulse is a lot like a digital newspaper. News changing every day, and we’re always operating on the news cycle. Curated for those working within the travel industry (though often also writing for consumers, too), we try to focus on the information people need most to do their jobs, especially travel advisors. That means we’ll write about topics from the war in the Middle East impacting travel to the best new adults-only cruise ships.

My average week looks pretty similar day-to-day. For the first half of my day, I primarily focus on “daily news,” which are the big headlines and brand news we receive every day. I might be crafting articles based on press release information, or scouring the Internet and sending emails to ask for expertise from experts in the field to get the best information our readers need. Later in the day, this typically tapers off, allowing me to work on long-form features and projects that typically take multiple days to several weeks to write, such as stories on the travel industry’s impact on human trafficking or a feature on the year’s emerging destinations.

As associate editor, I’ve created a content planning system for the long-form stories and features we write every month, ensuring that everyone has more than enough time to write their stories with better organization (and deadlines, which are surprisingly helpful to have). I’m really proud of that system, which I created with another editor, because it has really helped us all.

What did you study before getting into this field and what was the path to get to where you are now?

I studied history and writing in college, but had no formal plans to enter into the journalism field or the travel field. I graduated from college in 2020 during the height of the pandemic and really had no idea what to do afterward. Applying to jobs got me nowhere. My mom, a travel advisor, showed me the TravelPulse website one day, and I was really interested in it.

So I sent my now-editor a nice email of introduction asking him to take me on as an unpaid editorial intern, complete with my resumé. He was impressed, so I worked unpaid as an intern for six months before asking to be paid for my work.

I then worked for TravelPulse as a freelance journalist for the next four years or so. I was hired on full-time as Associate Editor in early 2025, and now I’m approaching my sixth year at at the publication. It’s definitely been an unusual career path!

What kind of stories do you like working on the most? What gets you excited in the travel industry?

I love writing stories about people changing the world through travel—from travelers choosing more responsible travel methods or brands, to companies that prioritize circular economy and ethical practices. While so much of the industry is about consumption, I’ve always been someone who sees how things should be, not just how they are now, and writing stories about this new, kinder way to see the world gives me hope for the future.

I’m always excited to learn about different parts of the world, their histories and cultures, so I enjoy the times I have opportunities to write about destinations, or to travel to them myself.

Writing for the trades is very different than writing for consumers, but I know you’ve done some of both. If someone wants to break into the trades, what do they need to do differently?

That’s a really challenging question. From what I’ve experienced, working with TravelPulse has been a consistent thing, even as a freelancer, which is unusual in this industry. I was never the kind of freelancer that would write one or two articles for them and then have to find other publications, too. So consistency is definitely what makes it different. I think if travel writers want to pivot to the trades, especially freelancers, they’ll have to learn to prioritize writing for one dominant publication.

Of course, my career path is very unusual. I started unpaid, and then made myself a well-respected, necessary member of my editorial team. Travel writers should know that working for a trade publication is more of a team effort than typical freelancing, and that it might take a few years before you get to the level you’d like to be at in a trade publication.

That being said, trade publications like this one are few and far between these days, so opportunities for working in the trades feels like a very competitive field.

Does TravelPulse accept any freelance pitches?

While we do have a few freelancers on-call on weekends and when we as an editorial team are stretched thin, we don’t have the budget to accept freelance pitches. As I work only within one small part of the Northstar team, I’m not sure if other trade publications accept freelance pitches either. Like I said, our work is more consistent than sporadic, so it’s mainly full-time editorial, covering the news more than looking for ideas from outsiders.

There is a published editorial calendar here though and an editor address to pitch to on the contact page here.

What’s the most memorable press trip you’ve ever taken and what’s the most interesting trip you’ve taken on your own that wasn’t for work?

My most memorable press trip was actually my first one. Perhaps that’s not surprising, but I had the opportunity to visit France with Viking for a Seine river cruise up to Normandy. It happened at a time in my life when I really didn’t know if I was going to ever accept a press trip opportunity, and going through a growth period in my adulthood, and it was perfect timing for me. Some of the friends I met on the trip remain close friends, and as my first time in Europe, the experience empowered me and motivated me to accept more travel opportunities.

I’ve been incredibly blessed to have taken both my dad and my brother on different press trips in recent years, and they remain rich memories for us! My dad and I got to sail the Great Lakes with Viking and see the Niagara Falls, while my brother and I enjoyed a river cruise along the Danube together just last year.

My most interesting travel experience outside of work happened when I was about eight years old. My grandfather had a private jet—unbelievable, I know!—and flew my family and some of our extended family to Quebec for Christmas. We stayed in historic Quebec City for a few days, which I remember as being completely magical in the winter, before staying at a lodge in Mont Tremblant, a popular ski area.

While I did give half of my family the stomach flu on that trip, I recovered enough to enjoy tobogganing in Quebec City and taking a horse-drawn sleigh ride in Mont Tremblant. That trip left such a strong, positive impression on me that Quebec remains a beloved place in my heart, and probably always will—and might have encouraged my wanderlust. I visited Quebec again with my mom two years ago, and had a lovely time experiencing the city as an adult for the first time.

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at TravelPulse. She’s a passionate advocate of responsible travel and believes the best travel experiences happen outside of a planned itinerary. Lacey currently lives in rural Wisconsin. She can be reached at lpfalz (at) ntmllc.com. All photos ©Lacey Pfalz.