Should Aspiring Writers Subscribe to the Trades?

Subscriptions to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are very expensive.  Should young writers invest in these publications?  If you enjoy reading the trades and you can afford a subscription, absolutely.  But in my opinion, it's not a necessary investment for young writers still working to break in to the industry.

To be honest, I didn't find the trades valuable until I was a working writer.  Trades provide daily updates on recent deals, casting, show pick ups and cancellations, etc.  As an assistant working to land my first staff writing position, the information didn't affect me.  That said, I did read them.  My boss subscribed to both Variety and THR, read them each morning, and then passed them on to me.  (At least one person in every Hollywood office subscribes so once you land an assistant job, you'll likely have access to the print versions of both publications.)

Once I began working as a writer, the information in the trades become much more valuable to me.  For instance, if I'm developing a pitch for a certain production company or studio, it's imparative for me to be up to date on the other shows that entity is developing.  Or if I'm sending my pilot to an actor for consideration, it's important I know what other projects that actor is involved in.  I'm not discouraging anyone from subscribing (I subscribe to both Variety and THR); I'm simply encouraging you not to stress if you're a college student who can't afford the subscription fee.  You can keep up to date with major developments for free via Variety.com, THR.com and of course, Deadline | Hollywood.