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…
5 Great Travel Sites: May, 2017
Every quarter we profile five great travel sites here at Launch Your Travel Writing Career. Some old, some new, some quirky / funky / edgy, some how-to. So, drumroll please, here are.. Five Great Travel Sites: May, 2017: 1. Fathom…
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…
Using Travel Trends to Create Time Pegs
Smart travel writing cover the “why now” questions asked by content gatekeepers and readers alike. Why is this story important, now? Why should I publish it in my magazine or on my site, now? Why should I interrupt my busy…
“X is the New Y”: Creating Buzz Around Travel Destinations
When you want to generate interest and buzz in a travel destination, follow this time-honored titling format: “X is the New Y.” It’s a classic headline construction of the travel publishing world. You see examples and iterations of this in…
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…