Taking a Look at Your Own Backyard
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...
View ArticleA-BROADening Experience
As an international travel writer, I’m routinely asked these same three questions from people I meet: 1) What’s you favorite place in the world? 2) How did you become a travel writer? 3) How can I (or...
View Article10 Tips for Staying On the Writing Beam
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...
View ArticleFREE SEX and other Attention-Getting Words
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...
View ArticleExpand Your Portfolio To Access New Markets
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...
View ArticleAre Press Trips REALLY ‘Traveling’?
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...
View Article5 Tips on Keeping in Touch with your Audience while Traveling
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...
View ArticleWhat You Can Learn from a Travel Writing Workshop – Part 1
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...
View ArticleWhat You Can Learn from a Travel Writing Workshop – Part 2
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...
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What You Can Learn from a Travel Writing Workshop – Part 3
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...
View ArticleFour Tips to Getting Noticed Online
Starting out as a freelance writer isn’t easy. The competition is tough, especially for online freelance work. When you start at the bottom, you have little choice but to accept lower rates compared to...
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Travel Writing: Are You Niche Enough?
You’re a travel writer. You don’t write about food or gardening. You write about travel therefore, you have a niche. Unfortunately, unless you have star status as a travel writer, you’re not niche...
View ArticleNavigating the Freelance World with E-Contracts
Freelance work is a great way to supplement your funds especially when you have a regular 9-5 job. Some even decide to go freelance full time when their loyal clientele has grown too huge to manage on...
View ArticleFinding New Angles For Your Travel Stories
Learning how to write stories from different angles is essential skill for any travel writer. Most of us have to operate on a shoestring budget, hence the need to make the most of our working trips by...
View ArticlePrograms for Aspiring Travel Writers
Travel writing is a romanticized profession. It conjures images of adventuring to far off places, meeting interesting people, and eating delicious food – all while you get paid. It’s not quite so...
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A New Way to Find and Celebrate Great Travel Content
Some time ago I wrote a piece for this site on how certain online markets were maturing and beginning to offer new opportunities for well-paid, professional travel writing assignments. In the months...
View ArticleTravel Writing vs Travel Journalism
Like many writers, I had dreams of wafting around the world and spinning tales about my adventures to a rapt audience at home. And luckily I did have the chance to do that, but not without a few sharp...
View ArticleTravel Writing in the Digital Age
Once upon a time, travel writers scoured the globe with a pen in hand ready to record the abundant secrets of the great unknown. Nowadays, travel writers have a lot more to think about. Search engines...
View Article6 Tips for Conducting a Successful Interview
As a travel writer, you want your stories to be as authentic as possible. The best way to create a realistic piece is to discuss the destination with those around you. Incorporating interviews into...
View ArticleHow To Work With Your Local Tourism Board
Some travel writers make the mistake of thinking they need to travel to far-flung destinations many time zones away…. … when, in actuality, there are interesting travel-related stories waiting to be...
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