A travel writer has a lifestyle like no other. If you love to travel, you’ll make a great travel writer. However, it takes time and dedication to build a following. You are responsible for finding and creating your opportunities. If you’re interested in writing for a magazine, research it. Become familiar with the style and tone. Find out who the editor is and pitch a story. Editors will not come to you. If you want to be a travel writer, just do it!
When you start your adventure in travel writing, expect a few bumps along the way. You may receive low paying writing assignments, especially if you’re new. You may even work a full-time job until your travel writing takes-off. Do not get discouraged. Many people start out this way. Build a solid portfolio and learn what you can. It will make you stronger person and writer.
If you enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures, a travel writer job is perfect for you. You get to explore new areas of the world and learn about people. History lovers would enjoy being a travel writer. There is so much about other cultures. Some of them go back more than 5,00 years.
When you make the decision to become a travel writer, pickup a couple of travel writing books. Remember that travel writing is a genre of writing. Proper grammar and punctuation are still necessary. If you are not strong in this area, get writing help. Writing software can help you strengthen your skills as a writer.
Travel Writer Tips
Here are some tips for becoming a travel writer. You can find groups on Meetup.com, Yahoo, and Google. If you join any group on Meetup.com, they have strict rules. If you do not plan on being an active member of a group, do not sign up.
- Read travel writing books
- Take a couple of travel writing courses
- Travel
- Write
- Build an online as well as a “hard copy” portfolio
- Create a resume and or video resume
- Join travel writing forums
- Learn photography
- Find a writing or travel group
Freelancing Quick Tip from Solo Gig.com: Going Beyond a Resume:
“With the amount of layoffs announced in January, the piles of resumes that employers have to sift through to find the right candidates are growing across a variety of industries. It is becoming increasingly important to provide more information than the standard resume allows for, and social networking sites are a great place to start. For example, try creating a professional profile on Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. Then, customize each profile to show off your career goals, hobbies, skills, and experience. You can also add links to direct people to your blog and code samples, display a portfolio, or even upload a video resume. Allowing employers to learn as much as they can about your skills and background will help them connect you to the right opportunities faster.”
Being a travel writer can be a rewarding career. You get to travel, see the world, learn about new places, have a spiritual experience, and grow as a person. Traveling opens the doorway to other parts of the world and you receive an accurate viewpoint of a country or city. You cannot always believe what you hear or read. Who knows, you may write a compelling article that will be picked up by major magazines such as Newsweek or Time.
Rebecca
Are you contemplating becoming a travel writer? What’s stopping you?