Seven Things You Should Know About Travel Writing


By Shelley Wake 

Travel writing is one of the easiest ways to get published in international markets. With travel writing, your location means you can write things local writers cannot. You have a definite advantage. 

Here are seven things every writer should know about travel writing.
ONE: IT IS ONE OF THE BROADEST MARKETS FOR WRITERS.
Take a look at a few magazines or newspapers. Local newspapers, national newspapers, general interest magazines, men’s magazines, pet’s magazines. So many publications have a travel section. Add to that travel books, airline magazines, travel agency magazines and you have a huge market for your work.


TWO: THERE ARE VERY FEW SUBJECTS THAT CAN FIND A PLACE IN ANY MAGAZINE. 

There are very few subjects that can find a place in any magazine. But travel articles can. A pet magazine - ‘Top Holiday Spots for You and Your Dog.’ A business magazine - ‘Places To Be - Hosting a Conference in Bali.’ A parents magazine - ‘Where to Leave the Kids While you Sight See.'

Learning the art of travel writing can truly enhance your opportunities.


THREE: YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE HOME TO BE A TRAVEL WRITER! 

This is only true in one case. When you want to write about the place you live in. Who knows more about your town than you? Depending on where you live, you could write multiple articles, on multiple subjects for multiple pay checks without leaving home. If you happen to live in London or California or Venice your options are much wider. But no matter where you live, there are many opportunities. If your town isn’t big enough to warrant many stories you might focus on the closest big city, the state or even the whole country. It just depends on where you live. 


FOUR: TRAVEL WRITERS REALLY DO GET TO TRAVEL THE WORLD FOR FREE. 

Many travel publications do not publish travel articles unless the author has actually been to that destination. Editors know that a writer can not really write accurately or capture the spirit of a place unless they have been there. Then there are the tourism companies. They want their attractions to be written about. They need their attractions to be written about. It seems wild to think that someone is going to fly you to Africa, put you in resort accommodation, provide all your meals, take you on safari tours and give you gift packs just so you can write an article. 

But think about it from their point of view. Your article is their advertising. It has the power to attract more visitors than any ad they can place. And when you consider the amount of money in the advertising field, the cost of looking after a writer is almost insignificant.

So it is true. Travel writers do get regular invitations to go on ‘press trips.’ And then there are travel assignments, free flights, flight and accommodation upgrades and much more.


FIVE: EVERYONE GOES ON HOLIDAYS

This point is important for two reasons. One, it again shows you just how big the market is. Not everyone has kids, not everyone is a vegetarian, not everyone is interested in motor sports, but EVERYONE goes on holidays. 

The second point, is that YOU go on holidays. Wherever you happen to go, you can turn it into a travel article. Then send it out, get it published and wait for the checks to arrive. Think of those checks as refund checks. You had a wonderful time and now you have been given your money back. 


SIX: THERE ARE THINGS TRAVEL WRITERS NEED TO KNOW

Travel writing has a lot to offer. And of course this means there are a lot of people doing it. There is a lot of competition in the market. But there is also a lot of opportunity for people who are willing to put in a little effort. There is a lot to know but mostly, the same rules apply as to any other type of writing.

Study the publication.
Follow the contributor guidelines.
If possible query before writing the article.

The other thing to know is that travel articles are not usually reports, they are more like stories. A good travel article will make a place come alive. It will have personality. It will be a nice mix between offering facts and telling a story. You will make the place come alive to capture your readers' interest in the destination. And then offer specific facts as well, so your reader can follow up if they decide to go. 

Of course, this is not true for every publication, read the guidelines to find out what each market is looking for.


SEVEN: REPEAT SALES

One of the best things about travel writing is 'repeat sales'. If you wrote a profile of a business in Jamaica you could probably only sell it to one local market. But if you write a travel article on Jamaica you can sell it to travel magazines in America, Australia, England, Asia, India, the list is endless. Most publications will only require rights for that country. This means you can sell your article not just once, but many times more. A good article may be able to sold to almost every country in the world. That is a lot of sales. Articles may need revisions and rewrites to suit each market, but once your research is done you have a whole host of opportunity just waiting for you.


Now you know these seven things about travel writing, it is your choice. But if you are looking for international markets, there is no better way to break in than with travel writing.

It is one of the very few areas where not being local becomes an advantage. And every writer should embrace every advantage that comes their way.



About the Author

Shelley Wake is a freelance writer based in Australia. She specializes in the subjects of health, career and business and writes mainly for online and international markets. She is also currently working on two books, one is a career guide for new workers and the second is a guide for managers on managing people effectively. She can be contacted by email at mishelh@ozemail.com.au.

© Copyright 2002 Shelley Wake.
 

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