There’s plenty of advice floating around on the Internet about what prerequisites you need to be a travel writer. I’ve certainly contributed to this pool of information.
For this post, I’d like to toss out a few more pearls of wisdom about what it takes to get your travel stories published and get paid for them.
I’m putting my advice in the form of questions to get you thinking….Here goes!
Nine Questions That Travel Writers Needs To Ask Themselves
- Are you prepared to read about and research your destination in advance?
(Sooo many travel writers don’t bother doing this crucial step). - Are you prepared to actually write about your travels?
(I have met so many wannabee travel writers that are in love with the romantic idea of sitting on a white sandy beach, in a hammock, under a palm tree, Mai Tai in hand, with their laptop. But when it comes to grinding out the words, they’re just not into it.) - Are you interested in exploring new places?
(Seriously; I know travel writers that do not enjoy visiting new places because it puts them out of their comfort zone). - Are you prepared to travel on your own without relying on packaged tours?
(I meet so many wannabee travel writers that are scared by the idea of preparing their own travel itineraries and arranging their own transport). - Are you comfortable with wandering off course to open up new and exciting and surprising story ideas and opportunities?
(Spontaneous wanderings can be the source of many great story ideas!) - Do you enjoy meeting new people?
(If you don’t enjoy meeting new people, you’re definitely in the wrong business!) - Are you polite to all people you meet?
(Yes, even the obnoxious ones!). - Do you have the ability to travel several times each year?
(Yes, I know, the experts tell you to start out by writing about local attractions and destinations. And this is a good plan. But after a while you’re going to tap out all the available attractions your locale has to offer—unless you’re fortunate enough to live in Paris, or London, or New York, or some other place with unlimited travel writing potential). - Are you persuasive enough with editors, to get them to buy your stories?
(If you can’t sell your stories, you don’t get to write them!).
How did you measure up?
~ Roy
