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 [...]
As a travel editor, I can admit that sometimes communication between the editor and the writer fails. These tips might be useful for beginning writers – whether travel or any other genre. Respect Word Count limits When your editor says one thousand words, it really means “one thousand words”. Maybe one thousand [...]
Once upon a time, travel writers scoured the globe with a pen in hand ready to record the abundant secrets of the great unknown. Nowadays, travel writers have a lot more to think about. Search engines have completely changed the game, and now online writers need to be smarter than ever to get noticed in [...]
Freelance work is a great way to supplement your funds especially when you have a regular 9-5 job. Some even decide to go freelance full time when their loyal clientele has grown too huge to manage on a part-time basis. Becoming a freelancer, however, comes with risks, including not getting paid by your client. Here [...]
Have you been reluctant to take lessons in writing, watch online seminars or read books on improving your writing? Perhaps you fear that if you are too heavily influenced by outside sources you will lose the originality and raw talent of your own style. Or, that your writing will become like the boring literature they [...]
