How to Become a Travel Writer
Get Paid to Travel and Write for Newspapers
The Newspaper Travel Writing Market
There's a good-news, bad-news truth about travel writing: There is no shortage of travel writers in the market, and it can be a tough market to crack into.
"As someone who has done an awful lot of newspaper travel writing, as both a staffer and a freelancer -- and I've also been an editor on the national and international desks -- I can tell you that travel editors are inundated with e-mails and phone calls," said Joy Tipping at Poynter.org, the Web site of a leading journalism organization based in the United States. Tipping currently works at the Dallas Morning News.
"Travel editors at large papers get hundreds a week, compared to the perhaps 10 or so queries we get on the international or national desks. Also, most papers will take travel articles only on spec, even from experienced writers, until they've worked with a writer at least once."
Still, as long as there are newspapers, there are travel sections, which continue to accept work from writers.
What Travel Editors Want
Editors expect some basic things from freelance writers:
- To be self-motivated and have story ideas.
- To be accurate.
- To be professional – Submit work that is ready to be published and needs minimal attention from the editor.
- To follow through on commitments. The editor may be making plans based on what a writer says she will submit and when she says it will be submitted.
- And to be able to balance the topic, style, destination and approach, as described by renowned newspaper and guide book travel writer, Don George:
"The puzzle has to fit thematically, geographically, tonally; it's a vast and intricate balance, but when you get it right, it's really exhilarating," said George in an interview with author of Vagabonding Rolf Potts, posted at RolfPotts.com.
To Become a Travel Writer
Experienced travel writers advise that the first step is to read the local newspaper’s travel section. A writer should familiarize herself with what the newspaper uses in terms of story length, sidebar stories and information boxes, and type and quantity of photography. Then prepare an idea pitch.
Contact the appropriate editor at the local newspaper(s). If the newspaper is small, there may be only a few editors at the paper – or even just one. If the newspaper is a large daily, there will be at least one editor who specifically handles the travel section.
As Tipping said, editors are overloaded with emails and phone calls from writers pitching story ideas. So a writer must present himself in an efficient, professional way that stands out.
If a writer chooses to call the editor, he should have a clear goal in mind so not to fumble with it on the phone. Is the goal to pitch the story idea over the phone? Maybe it's to set up a meeting?
If the first contact is made via email, it should be used to show professionalism with error-free, concise writing that grabs the attention of the editor with a well thought out story idea, presented with impressive skill.
As George described, publishing is a puzzle. The writer's goal is to provide to an editor the pieces that have been missing.
