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Travel Writing (cont.)
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Create a small database
of potential publications (or such) to target. Read as many back
issues of those publications you can to get an idea of the kind
of articles and the flavour of writing that is preferred by that
publication. See how your articles measure up to the ones that
have already been printed. Make sure to have a diary or PDA available
that you can take down names and contact details for magazines,
newspapers and such that you come across. Good organisation will
help you focus your campaign more efficiently. |
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While the scope of this article is not to teach you how to write,
or what to write, it is to try to help you identify avenues to publish
what you write - and that largely depends on the style of writing
you have and the market you wish to conquer. If you’re looking
for information on how to write travel articles be wary of cheap
websites peddling 20-page guides on how to become a travel writer.
There really are no quick and easy ways into the travel-writing
scene. You need to put in a lot of research, write many articles,
and a lot of perseverance. You can get there in the end, but sending
$19.95 to buy information that is perhaps dubious at best won’t
help your cause.
Start wherever you can
Websites, free or paid for. Local newspapers or magazines. Give
your stuff away and get your name out there. The more you write,
the better you’ll become. The more exposure you get, the more
confident you’ll become. The more you have in your portfolio,
the more kudos you’ll have when it comes to trying to dealing
with the bigger fish.
Your own particular style
Something we’ve touched on earlier. Have you given any consideration
as to how you want to present your articles? What particular angle
will you bring to your observations about the destination you wish
to write about? Will you take a factual bent to your article? A
humourous one? A cynical one? Largely dependent on your style are
the areas that you can target to have your work published. Humourous
articles, for example, may not be a suitable style for a newspaper
article, but yet may be perfect for a website. These are factors
that you have to take into account when deciding where to submit.
Additionally you may need to have a good understanding of the writing
styles that are particular to a certain media. Magazine articles
for example have a general writing style that is different to websites.
Knowing where you want to pitch your article to will help you develop
a style that will lend itself to that medium.
Guidebooks
Probably the most obvious option most people think of when you suggest
writing about your travel experiences is guidebooks. It would be
an understatement to say that the mainstream market has largely
been saturated with guidebooks of all flavours, for all destinations,
for perhaps the last decade or so. That’s not to say that
opportunities don’t exist there though. Guidebooks are still
big business, and the very nature of those books is that the information
needs to be updated regularly. Big brand titles like Lonely Planet
and Let’s Go need to constantly refresh their information
to maintain market share. That in itself presents opportunities
for travel writers, but generally only for those with a recognised
track history and a decent portfolio of work under their belt, so
if writing for guide books is your goal, get as much of your work
out there as you possibly can.
Self-Publishing
Particularly in this day and age, with desktop publishing available
to most people who travel, self-publishing can be a viable alternative
to getting your work published. In particular with destinations
that are not covered by the mainstream publications, self-published
books can find a rapid market with certain groups within the travelling
sector. Up-and-coming destinations that are generally unknown, events
that still haven’t captured a huge international market, and
just about any kind of travel experience that would appeal to a
particular audience lend themselves nicely to the concept of self-publishing.
Self-publishing is not for the weak of heart though. You need a
thick skin, and plenty of perseverance to hammer away at suppliers
and distributors. |
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