BootsnAll Travel Community

So I've been taking this travel writing class in New York City, run by Media Bistro, a group that organizes such a thing. (It's the only writing course specifically for travel in NYC.) http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/

To save you the $499 that I forked over for it, here's what I've learned: the sad truth about travel writing (as a living) is that it has little to do with travelling at all (at least in the beginning stage). Most of the time spent in trying to become a working travel writer is spent at a desk, writing proposals and pitches to magazines. Every story you write must be timely; most magazines look for stories three months ahead before they become "hot topics." (i.e. a winter feature would be pitched in August/September)

If you are just starting out, the shorter the story, the more likely it is to get published. These starter stories are usually news articles, like Outside's "Dispatches." Only until editors become familiar with your name would be you allowed to write longer anecdotal features.

Also, if you want to make a living as a travel writer, be prepared to write articles or stories about places you could care less about. It's all about being timely.

Make sure you have lots of patience and lots of emotional immunity to rejection, too.

e.

Thanks for your post e. Was there anything redeeming about the class? Who was on the faculty? I was wondering about those Media Bistro classes. I know that the Book Passage Travel Writers Conference in Marin near San Franisco is fantastic. Good insider info, and truly worth the $500-$600 for the networking alone.

Check out my blog Written Road, for tips, leads, and markets for travel writers. And good luck!
http://www.jenleo.com/blog

Jen

Jen Leo
Written Road: www.jenleo.com/blog

Media Bistro's travel writing class was okay. Most of it was workshop sessions where we'd go over homework assignments, each one a different type of story within travel writing: the personal essay, the travel news article, the service article, etc. It was good, because usually the stories you don't want to write are the ones that help you make your way "in."

The teacher in New York is Paula Szuchman, the deputy editor of the New York Post's new travel section. She comes from Conde Nast Traveler and Travel and Leisure.