I'm often asked if travel writing is a lucrative market forfreelance writers. Let's face it - the idea of getting paid tosit on the beach, sip on drinks with umbrellas in them, and workon your tan appeals to us all.
I don't know how lucrative travel writing is but it sure is fun!I haven't written a lot of travel pieces and I usually don't setout with that particular market in mind. For the most part, thepieces I've sold have been the result of something I stumbledupon that piqued my interest while doing something else.
For example, a few summers ago I was driving home from Atlantawhen I passed a billboard with the word "SPA" emblazoned on it.It was advertising Chateau Elan, a winery inn and health spa afew miles up the road. I'd passed Chateau Elan at least a dozentimes before and each time was struck by how unusual it was tosee a French chateau amongst the red clay and kudzu of Georgia.The difference this time was that I had just finished working onanother piece for Spa Magazine. "Wow," I thought, "I bet they'dbe interested in knowing about Chateau Elan." I wrote a queryentitled Southern Ho'spa'tality." They liked it and I had notonly an $800 assignment, but a 3-day vacation for my family aswell.
I didn't have any real travel article clips to send, but did Imention that to Spa Magazine? No way! But, I believed I could dothe article, so I wrote a convincing query letter and got theassignment. The magazine loved the article and it definitelyearned me points with my wife and daughter.
Travel writing is really not any different than other types ofmagazine writing. The basics are the same. Keep your eyes openfor interesting story ideas, develop a unique slant orperspective, write a well-crafted query letter, do yourresearch, and write a tightly-constructed and narrowly-focusedpiece. And before you know it, you'll be sitting on that beach,earning while you burn.
The ideas in this article are from, FROM SPARK TO FLAME - aproven, systematic process for fanning your ideas intomoney-making magazine ideas that make a difference
I don't know how lucrative travel writing is but it sure is fun!I haven't written a lot of travel pieces and I usually don't setout with that particular market in mind. For the most part, thepieces I've sold have been the result of something I stumbledupon that piqued my interest while doing something else.
For example, a few summers ago I was driving home from Atlantawhen I passed a billboard with the word "SPA" emblazoned on it.It was advertising Chateau Elan, a winery inn and health spa afew miles up the road. I'd passed Chateau Elan at least a dozentimes before and each time was struck by how unusual it was tosee a French chateau amongst the red clay and kudzu of Georgia.The difference this time was that I had just finished working onanother piece for Spa Magazine. "Wow," I thought, "I bet they'dbe interested in knowing about Chateau Elan." I wrote a queryentitled Southern Ho'spa'tality." They liked it and I had notonly an $800 assignment, but a 3-day vacation for my family aswell.
I didn't have any real travel article clips to send, but did Imention that to Spa Magazine? No way! But, I believed I could dothe article, so I wrote a convincing query letter and got theassignment. The magazine loved the article and it definitelyearned me points with my wife and daughter.
Travel writing is really not any different than other types ofmagazine writing. The basics are the same. Keep your eyes openfor interesting story ideas, develop a unique slant orperspective, write a well-crafted query letter, do yourresearch, and write a tightly-constructed and narrowly-focusedpiece. And before you know it, you'll be sitting on that beach,earning while you burn.
The ideas in this article are from, FROM SPARK TO FLAME - aproven, systematic process for fanning your ideas intomoney-making magazine ideas that make a difference
Source...