Travel writers lead charmed lives. They are paid to go on vacation, write about their experiences and see their name in print. Or that's what it looks like. In reality, travel writing is as hard to break into as any other writing industry and successful travel writers have worked hard to get where they are. In other words, to become a travel writer, it is necessary to have a combination of wanderlust, writing skills and industry knowledge.
With her free, 12-page e-book, titled How to Make Travel Writing Work for You, published adventure travel writer Linda Ballou uses her own experiences to provide what she calls “a roadmap” for would-be travel writers: the most basic steps that have to be taken to get started in the industry.
Finding a Niche
It is possible to be a ‘generalist’, someone who can write well but superficially about almost any topic. However, it is even better to become an expert in a particular area (think budget travel, culinary travel, active travel, South American travel – the list is almost endless). After finding a niche, start building a portfolio in that area. Helpfully, Ballou’s e-book includes a sample of a letter she uses to pitch travel companies to host her on trips, as well as a letter pitching the completed article to a publication.
Ballou makes the point that initially, however, it may be necessary to work for free. There are plenty of travel sites, newsletters and blogs out there looking for content. Many do not pay but they will provide a byline and those crucial portfolio clippings.
Online Presence
This leads to Ballou’s next step: creating an online presence and a media kit. A personal website, for example, is a good way to be found – Ballou was once commissioned to write an article for an inflight magazine by an editor who came across her details online – while a media kit (preferably also online) is a time- and cost-effective way for writers to profile their credentials.
Writing Ability
Yes, it is important to know how to write. Bad or sloppy writers are not going to get far in the travel writing industry. For anyone who is new to professional writing, the quickest way to learn is by reading and emulating other travel writers (Ballou provides the names of a few of her favorites but most major bookstores will have a comprehensive travel section) or, better still, take a course.
Know the Market
Another key to having at least a shot at success is to analyze the market. Even the most perfectly formed article about New York’s bar scene will go down like a lead balloon if it is pitched to the editor of a magazine that specializes in hiking. Here are some basic questions to ask when thinking about where to place a story:
- Which publications are out there?
- What do they cover?
- Who is their target audience?
- How long are the articles?
- What is the publication’s tone of voice?
Most publications provide a few sample articles on their website and/or writers’ guidelines. If these are not available, request them.
Making Notes
Ballou highlights the importance of taking good notes regularly when traveling. Even a few days later it is easy to forget the details that add color to a story and make it more than a rewrite of the travel company’s brochure.
Equally – if not more - important (and this is often hard to hear as a writer) for bringing a destination alive for readers is through images. It is thus important, if at all possible, to take sellable photos and send them with the text to editors as a complete package.
Be a Good Guest
One of Ballou’s final points, and one that rarely gets mentioned, is good behavior. It may sound obvious, but visiting a location at someone else’s expense is a privilege. It could also be necessary to get the host’s endorsement for a future trip, so don’t blow it by drinking too much or making offensive remarks about the surroundings.
It takes hard work, skill and a certain degree of tenacity to make it as a travel writer. Ballou’s short e-book only has space to cover the basics of getting started in the travel writing industry, but the points made are clear, logical and – perhaps most helpfully – written by someone who has been through the same process herself.
Cecily Layzell - Cecily Layzell is a food and travel writer and founder of restaurant review site www.eat-amsterdam.com.
Join the Conversation