Over the past several years of working with novice travel writers, I’ve noticed they tend to make a lot of incorrect assumptions about how things work in freelance writing. These assumptions cost them assignments with paying magazines and newspapers. One prevalent assumption is that some paying magazines will not be interested in their stories. I [...]
As a travel writer for print media, I’m often asked by other freelancers how digital media has affected the print travel magazine business. That’s a fair question. DEFINITIONS Print travel media consists primarily of travel magazines, travel memoir books, & travel guidebooks. Digital travel media includes travel websites, travel blogs, travel service websites like TripAdvisor.com, [...]
Over the past couple of years, I’ve received several desperate requests from novice travel writers, …. ….asking me to help them round up some last-minute assignments, so they can request complimentary accommodations, meals, entry to tourist attractions, rounds of golf, fishing trips, boat cruises, and a host of other freebies, at their destinations. There’s only [...]
Do you envision yourself on a distant shore, documenting your daily adventures, while at the same time, funding your dream lifestyle? Many people are finding that becoming a travel writer is an attainable goal. But a few missteps can shatter those dreams in record time. Some of the suggestions below are applicable to all who [...]
Some travel writers seem to forget that we’re travel writers first and foremost, and not critics. Our job, as travel journalists, is to show and describe our destinations to our readers. We should be painting a picture of the places, showing our subscribers the people, the culture, the food, and all those other neat things [...]
Wouldn’t it be great if we had the power of foresight? We could gaze into the future and learn from our mistakes. Well, I may not have the superpower of foresight, but I’ve learned a lot—and gained a lot of valuable experience—in my ten years in the rough-and-tumble freelance travel writing game. Looking back on [...]
Most editors are short on time and even shorter on patience when it comes to poorly written pitches. From copy-and-paste emails with the wrong name to queries riddled with spelling errors, you’d be surprised at what editors are sent on a daily basis. The main problem, however, is that the majority of queries are off [...]
It’s not where you go, but how you show readers… …what it was like once you got there that matters most. The most exotic of places can be made to look dull if travel writers ignore the basics of good travel writing, and your articles may never find their way into print if you continually [...]
Having been to Utrecht 19 times in 14 years and written about it in press, I feel that I can write about it with some authority. I know what I am writing about and I know how to make it useful to people who may seek to go there. But what about the travel writer [...]
Thanks to the internet, your travel writing is available for everyone to read. And for new writers, this can be scary. After all, these days everyone’s a critic, and you may not want to be judged. Who does? Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced travel writer, you may allow fear and doubt to crush [...]
