Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a Three-Part Series Six Things You Need to Know About Travel Writing. Although a travel writing workshop helped me jump into the field, experience and time were my best teachers. I read other travel writers, researched outlets, sent out queries and wrote voraciously. Some of my attempts [...]
Editor’s Note: This article is Part Two in a Three-Part Series How DO You land that first travel writing assignment? It’s an age-old question that many aspiring travel writers have asked — how do I get a writing assignment if I don’t have any writing clips yet? It is, understandably, a frustrating conundrum, and it [...]
Editor’s Note: This article is Part One in a Three-Part Series It’s funny how one small decision can change your life. Fourteen years ago, I was working as a stringer for The Chicago Tribune. Based in Colorado, I covered the usual news topics. Then Columbine happened, and I spent the next year covering the sorrow [...]
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 [...]
One of the best things about traveling are the unpredictable situations one gets into. Like when you realize you are in remote little village without any Internet access. While this is great for relaxing and focusing on exploring the surroundings, you might get stressed that you’re neglecting your readers. Especially if your income depends on [...]
Research is the key for all writers, especially when you are a travel writer. Whether you are writing about exotic destinations, new hotel openings, the best restaurants or the most popular spa…you need to do your research about whatever topic your article will be about. Research on your subject will allow you to learn about [...]
I recently asked my friend and colleague, Ed Wetschler, if he was traveling much these days. It was a fair question for Ed, who is the Executive Editor of Tripatini and chair of the Northeast Chapter of SATW. But his answer baffled me. “No,” he said. “I’m not. I’ve taken some press trips, but I’m [...]
A short while ago I wrote this post about the emerging online market for travel writing. I explained how changes in search engine and social media technology were causing commercial travel websites to start seeing themselves as travel publishers in their own right, opening up significant new opportunities for professional travel journalists. The idea is [...]
When I was at Conde Nast, my colleagues and I periodically talked about how powerful the words “Free” and “Sex” were. Those were the two words that sold the most magazines, the two most frequently used words on the covers. However, they were never used together (which, quite frankly, would have drawn even more readers). [...]
For some reason, most people believe (falsely) that they need loads of cash, and a year long sabbatical to write a travel book. Don’t get me wrong, having loads of cash is never a bad thing, but it just isn’t necessary. The most expensive part of travel should be the plane ticket, which hopefully you [...]
One of the biggest challenges I have as a writer these days is just staying on the beam. For example, just now, rather than write that first sentence and move on to the next, I Googled ‘staying on the beam.’ I wanted to check—was it being used in this context by all sorts of writers [...]
Victorian towns with a touch of the Old West swaggering out the saloon doors. Stickball in a 19th century Native American village. Discovering over 500 varieties of soda. A wildlife refuge where Teddy Roosevelt once hunted with Comanche war chief Quanah Parker. Celebrating a centennial. Oil barons and their riches. Experiencing the sights and smells [...]
If you’re already an established travel writer, you’ve heard it dozens of times. “Oh what I would do to have your job!” Indeed, the life of a travel writer can be an enviable one, but at the same time, it’s not for everyone. Take a few minutes and answer the following 12 questions. Jot down [...]
Last year at about this time I wrote a blog post about… …how I spend the last week of every year (as I have for many years) in quiet reflection on what I’ve accomplished during the year that’s just passed… …did I meet all of my goals? Some of them? Am I happy with how [...]
About four years ago, in a fit of naivety and suffering from a serious case of itchy feet… …I jacked in my steady career job in PR, bought an entry level D-SLR camera and booked a ticket to South America. I had it all worked out; I was going to become a travel writer. I [...]
