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This was very informative, do you mind explaining the term "targeted market research"? I also have ADHD and this all makes sense to me up to a certain spot where my brain is saying I need more info before it does that magical "click". I would really appreciate the help!

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Thanks so much for reading! I'm on hiatus due to some health issues, so sorry for the delay in responding to your comment. When I first started out, writers were advised to do "targeted market research" by reading (IMHO an excessive number of) a magazine's back issues before pitching them. Some recommended reading the last 3 issues; others suggested a year's worth. I think some folks still recommend that.

By reading widely, I usually get a sense of what's trending, which I think is more important than reading a million back issues or online articles. I'll read a few recent articles and do a word search to make sure that they have not covered the topic recently. Even when pitching print (which I don't do that often), I'll lean more on their published writers guidelines (if available) and web content to determine whether my idea is relevant to their readers and their writers guidelines. My ADHD is in full force today so I hope this makes sense!!

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