One content brainstorming idea is to take four different views of a long-tail travel keyword string for a topic like Eurail travel guides ” a great way to explore the current travel writing marketplace is by entering long tail keyword…
Launch a Pre-Trip Pitch Push to Land More Paying Gigs
Any time you have an upcoming travel writing trip, do a pitch push and try to land more story assignments before you depart. You have a compelling message for a pitch push – “I’m heading to Barcelona, and think my story…
Master the Quarterly Pitch Plan
The Quarterly Pitch Plan: Why It Matters Pitching story ideas is like fishing: If you want to catch more fish, get more lines in the water. And if you want more travel writing assignments, get more queries out to paying…
A Day in the Life of a Travel Writer: Best Practices on the Road
It’s hard to pinpoint a “typical” day in the life of a travel writer, since the nature of the gigs varies so wildly. Some travel writers go on assignment for 48 hours, others a week or two months. But one…
Travel Writing and Emerging Destinations
The next Costa Rica, the new Brooklyn: Emerging destinations are any that are on the doorstep of greater awareness among travelers. They’re the places to go see, now. By focusing on emerging destinations, you tap into an active audience of…
Four Keys to Great Storytelling
A golden rule of writing is to know your story. I learned this from the great travel writer Don George of National Geographic Traveler, and a former colleague of mine at Lonely Planet. He’d tell authors to have a solid sense…
Five Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block
Sometimes the words don’t flow as readily as you’d like! Overcome the frustration of writer’s block with these tips: Write a Letter to a Friend: If you can’t get a rhythm going, start off with a low-pressure writing exercise to get…
Six Keys to Great Relationships with Editors
Relationships with editors, print or digital, are among the most important ones for any travel writer. Nurture these relationships and give editors extra confidence in working with you on current (and follow-up!) gigs by following these six proven tips. Learn…