You Can Sell Travel Stories After You Return

Did you know … you can sell travel stories from previous trips you’ve taken — even years ago?

I prefer to sell my travel stories before I leave for my destination. But I’ve also sold dozens of them retroactively, after I’ve returned.

There are certain conditions that you must meet if you want to sell your articles after you’ve traveled. Most important, your information must be up-to-date.

If you’re writing a piece several weeks or months later, check your information online to make sure your facts are still correct.

Better still, send the draft of your travel story to the media/PR director at your destination for fact checking.

Then, when you send your final article to the editor, you should mention that it has been fact-checked. This will save them time fact checking. And it will give the editor confidence in your professionalism and make it more likely that you’ll be given more assignments in the future. This step is crucial, because if your facts are incorrect the editor will hear about it from irate readers, with a predictable result—the editor will not hire you again!

Here’s an example of the importance of making sure your information is current: When I write my automobile museum articles, I always make sure I only write about the classic cars that are permanently on display, versus the temporary exhibitions.

Here’s why. If I describe a car on temporary display, and a reader goes to that car museum to see that particular classic car, he or she will be very disappointed if it’s been removed from the gallery floor. And the editor will hear about it from an angry reader!

In many cases, your travel stories can be several years old. Of course, it depends on what you’re writing about. I’ve sold plenty of military museum articles years after I visited them. Museums don’t change much over time. Likewise, if you’re writing about ancient historic places, you’re going to be fine. The Acropolis and the Coliseum haven’t changed for millenia!

~Roy