Suzy: Week 1 Goals – Profitable Travel Writing

Travel Writers Case Study - Suzy: Week 1
Updated: Sep 13th, 2009

Can a Travel Writer make money online?

I believe that the answer is a resounding yes….and I’m going to prove it to you.

Allow me to introduce you to Suzy (not her real name), my first Case Study.

Suzy is a well-repected travel writer who is regularly published in several online and offline travel publications. I met her on a media trip and we spent time chatting about the many challenges facing travel writers who are trying to adapt to fewer paying opportunities and increased competition. She shared with me her frustration and fears as she, and other travel writers, watch as the world of travel writing changes in ways they never anticipated just a few short years ago.

Her problems:

  • Little time to spend with her husband and family. She keeps a hectic travel writing schedule;
  • Decreasing pay for travel articles – and fewer paying opportunities for publication;
  • She writes about destinations of which she has little or no interest – because that’s what pays;
  • She struggles to build an online audience and retain readers;

I told Suzy that it IS possible to achieve these things, if she would just follow some very simple steps, and I’ve written those into a “flow chart”. Suzy agreed to be a case study, and to follow the steps I outlined for her. We’ve been meeting by telephone as our schedules permit, and she’s now accomplished a few of the first steps.

Over the coming month’s I’ll be helping Suzy achieve the following goals:
Each step in the Flow Chart links to explanations, free tools, and resources

  • To earn enough that she can slow down and enjoy more time with her family;
  • To write on a topic about which she is passionate;
  • To feel that she is writing for people who are sincerely interested in what she has to say;
  • To learn how to build readership by writing effectively for both people and search engines.

Each week I’ll update you on Suzy’s progress, sharing with you her experience.

When this study ends I’ll pull back the curtain of anonymity and interview her so that she can share with you her results.

Follow Suzy’s progress as she travels the road to success!

~Trisha

About Trisha Miller 116 Articles
Trisha Miller Editor-in-Chief, TravelWritersExchange.com - Trisha joined the Travel Industry in 1996 with a background in telecommunications and helped to build (and later sell) one of the industry's top inbound call centers specializing in air travel. Her career in Travel Writing began with creating destination-specific content for a corporate travel intranet, and continued as she contributed content to a large number of travel-related companies that were establishing an online presence throughout the late '90's and early '00's. Currently she is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and a former Board Member of the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (2009-2015).  Still a frequent world traveler, and occasional guest-blogger on a number of other Travel Blogs, Trisha writes about travel and technology, sometimes both at the same time. You can follow Trisha on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/TravelWriting

10 Comments

  1. This is VERY cool. As a newbie starting my own journey on travel writing, I will follow this series very closely.

    Best, D.

  2. @Donna and @Diogo – thank you – I hope that everyone reading it will find something useful in the experience – it’s been interesting and fun so far for both “Suzy” and me, and we’re looking forward to giving readers a peek at the process!

  3. We all seem to be sailing in the smae boat. Awaiting the series with eagerness and HOPE!

  4. This just got more interesting since you mentioned Suzy is an established travel writer. I’m just now learning about how the times they are a changin’ when it comes to traditional print media and travel writing.

  5. Thanks for the great encouragement everyone! I’m really glad to hear that others are finding this useful and interesting…..”Suzy” and I are certainly enjoying the process, and looking forward to the “reveal” when we get to the end….

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