HOW TO BE A TRAVEL WRITER
THE POTENTIAL
Everybody would like to do an 'exciting' job,
but really few of us ever manage it.
Unfortunately, it's not that easy! Most jobs
are, by their very nature, destined to be
boring - either a little or a lot!
But there are jobs that offer excitement, and
payment too. Travel writing is one of those
jobs. A job where you can travel the world -
and be paid to do it. It's often not that
difficult, needing only average writing
skills, and it can be extremely enjoyable if
nothing else. You could become a famed
writer!
Of course, few people are in the position of
being able to give up their current job to
become a travel writer on the whim of the
moment. However, it doesn't matter at all,
because travel writing is something you can
start in your spare time - perhaps weekend
and holiday times - then expand it out as
necessary, perhaps to a full time business.
But, if not, still a rewarding part time
activity.
Even if you're not that successful, you can
use a travel writing job as a way of getting
free holidays, or even just weekends or trips
away.
SETTING UP
Setting up as a travel writer is not that
difficult. You don't really need anything
special. If you have a typewriter then that
will help, but it's not essential. Likewise,
with a camera. A portable cassette recorder
into which you can speak your book and then
write it out will help very much.
To be a travel writer you have to make
yourself look like one. So some headed
notepaper with your name and the proud title
of 'Travel Writer' will look good and help
you get customers.
Of course, before you offer yourself as a
travel writer, you have to become one. This
is not as difficult as it might seem. But
basically, what you have to do is get
yourself published on travel matters. There
are various ways of doing this, but one that
works is to write a handful of short
articles on your area as it might appeal to
tourists or visitors. Every area DOES in
some way. Make these articles about 500 to
700 words long.
Send these articles to regional and local
newspapers in other areas (details available
at libraries), saying they may use these for
a small fee, or perhaps free. You'll be
surprised how many publications, eager to
fill space, will be interested. They won't
necessarily pay anything, though even $20 or
$40 would do.
If you don't get paid anything, it doesn't
matter. The thing is that you're
established as a travel writer. Keep doing
this until you've had a few published. You
might even be commissioned for more work,
but that's not important. You're a travel
writer already!
Get tips on travel writing by copying the
style (but obviously not the contents) of
existing travel books as found at libraries.
GETTING YOUR COMMISSIONS
The next step is to get your writing
commissions. Basically you decide where you
want to go, then get somebody who might pay
you to write about that place. Payment might
be in the form of actual cash, but more likely
a mixture of cash and free travel. Or perhaps
just free travel, which is quite good enough in
itself!
When you first start, be prepared to do
travel writing in the U.K. - it can still
mean a free short break. Or, it might be
close in Europe. You might get a worldwide
trip, but don't expect it at this stage.
There are various sources of travel writing
commissions. Consider them all and then think
up some more of your own:
- Package tour companies
- Doing brochures etc
Foreign embassies
- Preparing publicity
brochures for their countries
Airlines, ferry operators etc.
- Doing
publicity
Book publishers
- Preparing travel guides
Newspaper and magazine publishers
- Preparing
features and articles
Advertising agencies
- Working for all of the
above
Tourist authorities
- For the U.S. and various
countries
You can get addresses of all of the above online
(google.com) at main libraries. Look in the directories
section. YellowPages.com will provide many
contacts, but there are specialist travel
trade guides - the librarian will probably
be able to direct you.
Write a letter explaining your service to as
many potential customers as possible. You
may need to write a few hundred, but this is
virtually going to assure you of a few
commissions which could keep you in free
holidays for a couple of years.
THE ARRANGEMENTS
Once you get interested enquiries, make
arrangements with the customer. You'll
probably need to go and see them.
Take careful details of the work involved
and be sure you can handle it. It might be
to write a short article, or possibly to
write a whole book. Show some samples of
your work.
Don't bother about photographs or other
arrangements - the publisher will be able to
handle all that.
Agree terms. Obviously the best position to
be in is to have all your expenses (flight,
accommodation, etc) covered by the customer,
then be paid a wage - even if it is a
minimal one. Even $200 or so a week - that's
still good.
If the company pages a wage, not expenses,
take care. It could cost you money. If the
company pays expenses, not a wage, then be
sure it's somewhere you want to go to get
some holiday value!
In most cases, employers will be fairly
generous since they've plenty of money to pay
out for a good job. Write down what you have
agreed in a letter. Perhaps the customer will
have a standard contract to use. If so, read
it carefully.
DOING THE WORK
You'll probably need little advice on how to
do the work! In fact, you need spent little
time doing the actual work, most of it is
holiday time!
In many cases, the customer will have
arranged an itinerary for you. Just follow
it. Note, however, writing trips are not as
long as regular holidays. You might, for
example,just have a couple of days in each
resort before moving on.
The best thing is to record as much
information as possible while you are there.
Take photographs. Plenty of notes. Sketch
maps. Get a good overall impression. There's
nothing wrong with buying existing guides on
the country. These give another person's
views which is useful.
The actual writing work is done when you get
back home (in order that you can get the most
from the holiday trip!). The best thing here
is to get existing books similar to the one
you are doing (can be any area or country)
and try to follow the same style, though
obviously you would not copy the content.
If you don't find writing that easy, speak
your intended copy into a DVD recorder,then
copy that down onto paper. If the finished
copy still isn't good enough, write and
rewrite it over and over again until it is.
The eventual copy should be typed out (use a
typing service if you have to) as double
spaced copy. Then send it off to your
publishers.
Don't worry if it is untidy, this doesn't
matter. The publisher will transform it into
a book or article etc, and very probably
publish it under your name!
You may be expected to wait several months
for payment. This is normal practice.
EXPANSION IS EASY
The most difficult thing is going to be to
get your work in print, but once that's
done, the work is often easy. You can build
up quite a name.
At this point, being a paid and 'free
travelled' writer might seem a bit far
fetched, but is in fact quite possible. The
secret, if there is one, is to work hard to
get yourself published. Then realise that
your first assignments might not be all that
interesting - probably just down the road
from you. Subsequently, however, major
rewards are possible!
