It's heartening to see that a spontaneous, semi-deranged, babbling letter of introduction sent in place of a proper resume and references can still get you somewhere in this day and age.

My cartography skills need some work, but otherwise I have negotiated through Lonely Planet's nail-biting application process with flying colors and they have approved me as an author. Being approved as an author doesn't guarantee that they will ever contract me to work for them, but something tells me that no one else is beating down their door to update the Romania guide, so come next spring I should be in there, assuming I don't go broke before then and move into my brother's basement in South Minneapolis.

Once again, I have the BnA network to thank for leading me down this path. Special thanks to Jessie796 for posting the original "Lonely Planet is now hiring" thread and Crackerjillian for impulsively proofing my writing sample and helping me cut 300 words.

Less exciting, but notable, my very first appearance in a book occurred recently. A very, very brief blurb of mine on the subject of tourist crowds in popular destinations during off-season appears on page 15 of the latest Rough Guide "First-Time Europe." Dig it. This also came about through a BnA encounter. The Rough Guide editor in question saw my babbling on the subject in my BnA piece on Florence and asked me to summarize it for a sidebar.

Moral of the story, BnA should sub-bill itself as the "ultimate resource for freelance writers."

Congratulations! That's great.

Tell us what it's like when you start

Congrats Leif!
Liz

This is great news! Congrats

Fantastic! Congratulations! Happy scribbling!

Have you received any kisses yet...(or anything else...) from your new found status leif...?

Thats gotta be a good chat up line when meeting that innocent 18yr old in a hostel on her first trip...?

'What'ya reading there...? Oh yeah...I wrote that...!

quote:

Originally posted by stiv:
Thats gotta be a good chat up line when meeting that innocent 18yr old in a hostel on her first trip...?

'What'ya reading there...? Oh yeah...I wrote that...!

I'm stealing that line.

its yours mate... I have the one in the cab on the way home...

'see that door trim there...? I designed that...'

Ive had mediocre success with that...good luck with yours...

CONGRATS LEIF!! That's AWESOME!

I'm so curious as to what life is like under contract with LP, please keep us posted!

Everyone bow down to Leif, the God of Thunder!

Are you anything like "Thunder from Down under" that plays Vegas??

I'd be willing to pay to see that!

He, he. Just kidding.

Congrats.

holy cow, that is awesome!!!!!

WAY TO GO!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Leif, God of Thunder:
Kiss me, I’m a Lonely Planet writer

Ok - but no tongue.

(Congratulations)

Conngrats Leif!
Is that Essen stuff for Lonely Planet?

No, Essen was for an American executive traveler magazine. On that note, guess what they decided to do with the Essen vs. Cologne debate? They dropped it all together! Now the spot is open, meaning I don't necessarily have the assignment anymore (it's difficult to arrange free travel for an American not originating travel in the US). BUT, Johannesburg, South Africa is on the list of replacements and the air route between London and Johannesburg is very busy and therefore has lots of potential for me to ply a free ticket out of someone, so I have my fingers crossed (though I will spend half my fee getting from Romania to London to get to that free flight).

No, I have simply been accepted as a LP author. No contract yet and there probably won't be one until we get closer to high season 2006, if at all. Must be patient...

yay! congrats!