BootsnAll Travel Community

Last year when I did RTW for a little while, all 10 people who read my blog raved about how I should turn it into a book. None of them have ever been anywhere and none of them are writers. As far as I know none of them even keep up with any travel lit. I had a great time writing the thing and really just hoped that my family would read it and not miss me. That worked.

On to where you guys come in. Travel writing isn't something that anyone with a little blog can get into, is it? A cute anecdote or two and the ability to construct a semi-decent sentence aren't reasonable credentials, are they? This is similar to my parents saying I should make a living off being a musician just becuase I can play an instrument, right?

It's my feeling that travel writing has to be done purely for the love of travel writing. It has to be a passion. Am I being naive? Too romantic? Please knock this dumb fantasy out of me, I'd really appreciate it.

Itubeo - don't look at me, I hold the same "dumb fantasy" that travel+writing=career. My idea is, why not? If you're interested, do it! I've been taking steps, writing articles (and getting paid for them). It's not to a point where I can quit my job, but bit by bit, I'm getting there.

I suggest researching the career just as you would any other. There are a number of books on the subject that I've highlighted within an inch of their lives: "Travel Writing" by L. Peat O'Neil is my favorite and "Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing" by Don George is fantastic.

Also, study travel magazines, books, articles...I say "study" not read. Reading informs you of the intended idea. Instead, study the form, the words, the concept. Ask yourself why that piece was marketable. What are the travel trends?

Try your hand at writing something beyond a blog. Research your favorite magazine's Writer's Guidelines for an idea of what sells. Pick up a copy of the Writer's Market for a collection of publications and their specifications.

Above all, my friend, NEVER talk yourself out of a dream.

quote:

Originally posted by itubeo:

It's my feeling that travel writing has to be done purely for the love of travel writing. It has to be a passion. Am I being naive? Too romantic? Please knock this dumb fantasy out of me, I'd really appreciate it.

Yes. You are. Writing is about 99% putting pen to paper and about 1% passion and muses. Aspiring writers spend a lot of time musing about their "strong passion," while professional writers know better than to talk about it. Pros just write. If you think you might have the stomach for it, give it a row. Don't worry about any of that other crap.

Thanks for the resources, my library has a copy of "Travel Writing" that I'll go check out this afternoon.

Of course I like the idea that it's the product that matters. But as with all of the other arts, the selling, marketing and exploitation can make you nauseous. I don't much care for Pepto Bismal.

quote:

Originally posted by itubeo:
Of course I like the idea that it's the product that matters. But as with all of the other arts, the selling, marketing and exploitation can make you nauseous. I don't much care for Pepto Bismal.

If you have a weak stomach for selling and marketing, I'd stay away from professional writing. There is writing as a hobby and there is writing professionally (which includes editors, rejections, deadlines, etc). Travel writing seems dreamy, but it's a job like all others. If you aren't interested in the business side of selling your work, then you might keep it as just a hobby. Which is totally fine. But I'd still suggest researching the career to see if you'd like to pursue it!

One good thing about travel writing is that it's something you can start slowly with. You can dabble (without giving up your day job) to see if it's something you're willing to plunge into. Do your research on the field and on specific writing markets, write up some stuff, send it off, and see how it goes.

Depending how you feel, you might end up with a nice hobby or a new career.

I've personally followed this route and so far have settled on being content with travel writing as a hobby. The deciding factor, ironically, may be the passion that you mentioned. I do have a passion for writing and for travel. But having worked as a professional writer, and having looked realistically at what it takes to be a full-time travel writer, I decided that I liked my current (non-writing) job better.

Full time travel writing -- at least starting out -- seemed like less an indulgence in my passions than, well, a job with its share of boring, unsavory tasks. I like to travel for the sake of travel, and write for my own purposes. Traveling with my primary focus on getting a story ... not interested. Writing about a place because it's "hot" or because a new five-star hotel is opening ... fuck that.

Look closely at travel writing. A lot of it is PR fluff. A lot of it focuses on resorts, hotels, nuts-and-bolts stuff. That's the kind of stuff you’ll likely have to do a lot of in order to make ends meet. You’ll also have to harass editors, pitch stories, research the market, all the stuff mentioned above. As a reward -- if you make a good name for yourself and write well -- you may get one or two more personal "passion" pieces (read: non-practical, non-market driven stuff like you might find in a blog or Paul Theroux book) published in an anthology or something, at about $100 a pop.

I personally wanted to do the more personal stuff without bothering with the dirty details. So that’s what I’ve done thus far. See my blog-book (linked in my sig) for example of what I mean. It’s not really meant to be marketable writing, and I don’t have a travel writing “name” that would make it marketable. But I have managed to publish a few excerpts from it. It’s won a few awards. And most importantly I had a lot of fun with it. So from my perspective, it’s worked out fairly well.

So, yeah, I’d give it a shot, at least on a trial basis. But don’t quit your day job or abandon any other career plans just yet ...

[EDIT: BTW, to get started, you might want to think about submitting something here].

I'm no travel writer, but I imagine that it's like any other job. Some people love it. Some may hate it. Some are better at it than others, and some people got the gig due to connections.

That being said, if you can earn a decent living off it and you don't mind doing it...what's stopping you?

If nothing else, try and get published or monetize your website.

Ever since i got back from my RTW trip i've tried to push my career in the direction of becoming a full time writer, and I belive anyone can do it if you really want to.

I was lucky to get a job in tourism pr, which meant i was able to make some great connections with travel editors, and get features published in several magazines and newspapers. It doesn't matter if you are an amazing writer, if you don't have the right connections, you won't get stuff published.

A big portfolio is not such a big deal, it helps to have a couple of published pieces of course, and when you're starting out you have to be prepared to write for free.

I've been writing freelance articles in my spare time for a few years now, and recently i've been paid for several articles and a couple of city guides and i'm now on the verge of getting a two month full-time travel writing gig.

I've had to write alot of boring, standard articles as thats what the editors want, but I've also set up a website www.jamblemag.co.uk so I can write about topics that interest me and may not get published elsewhere.

Writing professionaly takes a lot of graft, you've got to be prepared to be ignored or rejected by lots of editors and some days you'll come up with an amazing idea only to see a similar article published in the paper next day!

I also think it's incredibly tough to make a living just from travel writing, which is why i also write environment, business, conference and music articles - all on evenings and weekends.

So my best advice is to do stuff in your spare time to start with and see where that takes you.

I think that most of us don't have the stomach for really being professional travel writers. I know that I don't. I don't want to write any service stories about where to stay, where to eat, and how much it will all cost. I think of something I'll enjoy writing about, try slanting it to a publication, and then pitching it.

I agree with jv's approach. You should try to develop some of your blog posts into pieces for publications. Try finding a local publication that will give you space once a month to write some stories.

The most important thing is that you write a lot. I look at my stories one or two years back and I cringe. If I'm going to recycle them, I always have to re-write them.

Go the writing-as-a-hobby route and if it turns into something else great.

Good Luck!

Nice that Kelsey (above) has revived this excellent thread. I wouldn't be so negative about the possibilities of travel writing as some of those who commented back in June. I'd say 'give it a shot', for there are certainly many precedents for travellers starting with something very modest (eg. like you, a text written for a small circle of friends and family) and then becoming very successful.

Hilary Bradt, who founded Bradt Travel Guides (www.bradt-travelguides.com) wrote a text while on a barge somewhere in the headwaters of the Amazon. Turned down by regular publishers, she persevered. Nowadays she heads one of Europe's most successive publishing houses, with a superb list of travel titles.

Others here have commented on the question of inspiration. Someone suggested above that writing is about putting pen to paper, rather than a question of passion and muses. In many ways, I'd agree. It's easy, perhaps, to write about the exotic places you stayed on your RTW trip. But real travel writers write about all manner of places, and the acid text is whether you can make even the most mundane spot come to life in prose. Choose somewhere you know well, a sort of boring run-of-the-mill spot. If you can write an engaging piece of prose about such a place, then you surely have the makings of a travel writer.

I wish you every success.
Nicky
editor / hidden europe magazine
www.hiddeneurope.co.uk