Travel Writing Leads

In addition to all the awesome leads the Jen posts on Written Road, here's a thread dedicated to leads. Please try to keep it lead-specific and PM with personal messages or start new threads with topics of conversation.

Do you have a lead to post?
Feel free to add your lead to BootsnAll's Travel Jobs board for free, in addition to adding it to this thread.

American Way Mag: Click on 'Road Warrior Contest' and see what you can come up with to win cool tickets and prizes!

I've posted this link on here before, but I thought it might just fit better on this thread.
Jet

http://www.gonomad.com/

GoNOMAD, the US webzine, were calling for article submissions a couple of weeks ago on the mediakitty site. They only pay $25 per piece, but at least they pay, and with it offering payment for articles its a good site to say you have been published on.



http://www.indiavarta.com/travel/23may04.asp

American Australian Travel Magazine

I contacted the publisher for writing guidelines concerning this new online travel magazine (google didn't bring up an address yet). They got back to me fast, so I thought it would be nice to save other folks some time and share the guidelines with you.

Here you go:

American Australian Travel Magazine


Contributor's Guidelines:
The American-Australian Travel Magazine is an online travel publication launching in August 2005. It targets Americans and Australians with the intention of traveling, and experiencing, new and exciting things. We are providing our readers with articles, photo galleries, local colloquial language and slang tidbits, and Q&A section that serve to explore a more down-to-earth look at both countries. Our intent is to work with state travel bureaus in Australia and America to promote our online magazine, and hardcopy when available.
Writing Guidelines:
Our content will serve a diverse market including, families, singles, couples, retirees, gays, business and budget travel. We are open to covering a number of topics, but keep in mind that you will be writing for an audience that may be unfamiliar with the local slang or language used in either country.
Guidelines for Length and Style:
Primarily people who have always wanted to travel to either country will read the American-Australian Travel Magazine. Writing should be engaging, informative, and entertaining.

· Destination profiles should consist of a combination of sidebars, and photos relating to a specific destination or a common theme. Up to 1,200 words.
· Photo gallery (number to be determined) with article up to 500 words
· 60-300 word sidebars, special interest, travel tip boxes, a three-in-one describing hotels, sights, restaurants or events.
· Feature articles up to 1,200 words
· General round-up articles of 200-500 words

Writing Proposals:
If you have an idea for an article please send a proposal. We will read the proposal and give the writer direction. No proposal can be guaranteed publication until we have read your final piece. Your proposal should include your idea in several compelling sentences (including theme, topic, outline and article length) and tell us why it’s appropriate for the American-Australian Travel Magazine.

Photography:
Photographs are a very important element to our publication. Photographs should be true to life. Try not to have too many posed photographs unless the theme warrants it.
All images should be supplied as JPG file, 300 DPI. They must include a form identifying the image, name, location and detailed address.

Payment:
American-Australian Travel Magazine is a start-up, but we have a goal of increasing payments after a few months in the market. Until then we will pay $25 per published articles up to 600 words with one photograph. $35 to 1,200 words with one photograph. $5 per photo after that. If we publish you in four editions (not four articles) the payments will increase, and will be negotiable.

Rights:
We buy One-Time Rights for 90 days. We expect you to own the copyright to anything you submit.

Submitting Articles or Proposals:
Submit by mail, fax or email.

Email should be submitted in Word document, double-spaced, name, address, number of words.
A 1099-MISC form may need to be filled out by American Writers.

Publisher/Editor
American Australian Travel Magazine
Billabong Publishing LLC
24405 222nd Ave SE
Maple Valley, WA 98038

Ph: 425-413 5347
Fax: 425-413-8880
Email: Billabong_Publishing@comcast.net

Okay, I'm up and at 'em!

http://www.craftytraveler.com has soft-launched with a whopping 2 articles (one on hiking the Resurrection Trail in Alaska, the other on the French Quarter of New Orleans).

I'm currently accepting articles-- compensation is either a paltry $20 per accepted article or you can opt to have a 1/40 chance at $800. My reasoning behind this is that, for writers who don't fit into the starving artist category, $20 is not much of an incentive to write, while a chance at $800 might be.

Note: This is a labor of love-- this site was born out of frustration with travel sites in general-- my goal is to have a compilation of really good destination guides which will ultimately be searchable/sortable/filterable.

I.e. once there is enough content a user should be able to search for articles referencing the nightlife in France, articles referencing adventure travel in France, or get as specific as articles written by women about adventure travel in the Middle East.

Because it's a labor of love, ever dollar paid out is out of my pocket (which is why I can't pay more).

I've got a queue of articles that I'll be moving in over the next few weeks, but would LOVE to see a burst of submissions from BnA folks.

Your article will be featured on the front page of the site for some indeterminate amount of time!

Regards,
-Tony Wright
webwright [at] gmail [dot] com

This seems a little fishy.
Travel Europe Magazine

Anyone else have experience with a set-up like this guy is trying to pull together?

quote:

Anyone else have experience with a set-up like this guy is trying to pull together?

The word 'commission' makes my flesh crawl.

No word on pay, but looks like fun.

"Write scripts that take people on themed walking and driving tours of the world's major cities. " iTours

quote:

Originally posted by Leif, God of Thunder:
No word on pay, but looks like fun.

"Write scripts that take people on themed walking and driving tours of the world's major cities. " iTours

A little more info on this one, including pay...

.........................................

* Freelance Radio/Broadcast Writer, Songwriter, Comedian wanted ASAP
PAY: $500 - $5000
Radio/broadcast writers, songwriters, stand up comedians, poets, journalists: WE WANT YOU! ASAP Addicted to travel or writing? Have an irreverent style? Want to wake up Happy? iToors is the world's most listened-to travel podcast. (A podcast is a radio style program delivered to a portable music player). We are seeking 10-15 very talented freelance writers to write scripts that take people on themed walking and driving tours of the world's major cities. Our immediate need is for people to do the themed New York City and Paris (and some major US cities) podcast writing. The most important requirement is an incredible ability to write for the ear (in other words for listened rather than reading). We prefer comedians, songwriters, poets, and broadcast writers who understand how to write for an audience that LISTENS. TO APPLY: If you are interested, please listen to one of our iToors at http://www.itoors.com then email us with a sample of any writing you have done for the ear. If you do not have any samples, please write us a 2-3 paragraph sample of what you would write for iToors. Tell us what city you live in and what hobbies/topics you have/prefer. Send all to mailto:info@itoors.com. A few points on style & Samples
* Write using highly descriptive show-don't tell language that will create vivid images in a blind person's mind; evokes strong emotions; has realistic dialog; avoids clichés; and sounds good to the ear; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE avoid clichés ESPECIALLY travel clichés: "nestled in the hills"; picturesque Tuscany; and so on.
* Write ONE Sample (2-3 paragraphs) specifically written for this application that is representative of what you would write for us. The topic should be something you are very familiar with and passionate about. If you are not sure what to write about, consider these examples could include: a food tour of Paris, a film tour of New York City, a trail of John Steinbeck in Monterey, California; an architecture tour of Chicago; and so on.
* The sample you write for us should walk a fine line between documentary and drama. It should have the reality and factual truth of a documentary but the characterization and drama of a narration. It should avoid clichés or the expected content. In other words, if you were writing about Scotland, we don't want to hear anything about Haggis, bagpipes or rain. We don't want to hear about anything "nestled in the hills." We want to hire immediately, so the sooner you get your samples to us the sooner we can hire you! We pay based upon a point system that combines experience with amount of work. Typically projects range from $500 to $5,000

Oh man....

The makers of Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky are looking for a pair of adventurers willing to travel the globe together to find the best that life has to offer. Must be curious, intelligent, with strong writing skills and a sense of the world around them. The team will be responsible for the creation and compilation of 50 tips that identify extraordinary moments and experiences that will be compiled into 'The Chivas Life Guide.' Compensation is $100,000 which includes stipend and travel expenses. Prospective candidates can obtain more information and an application at http://www.chivascircle.com/editor. DUE DATE IS OCT. 10!!!!!

Possibly a little bit of a soul-sell, but could be good $$ on the side if you do a lot of diving trips anyway:

http://www.scubawriters.com/

--- [ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ] ---

GoNOMAD.com Announces More Cash Grants--Hurry, Deadline 11/15/05!

GoNOMAD.com, an alternative travel website based in South Deerfield, MA, has announced the third in a series of grants to help travel writers foster their craft.

Each quarter of 2005, the editorial team at GoNOMAD will review applications in the form of a one-page synopsis of where the author wants to go and what kind of a story they want to write. Writers are asked to provide a one-page list of their published travel stories, or links to stories posted on the web. The most promising of these synopses will be culled down to one lucky winner every three months,
with four recipients in 2005 receiving the $500 cash award each.

"We've had a tremendous interest in this program since we began this in January, and we hope to continue to see interesting ideas that make it hard for us to decide the winner,' said GoNOMAD editor Max Hartshorne.

GoNOMAD.com will have the first right to publish the destination guides, and submissions are not limited to traditional travel writing. "We are open to publishing photo or video galleries or guides done as podcasts," said Hartshorne, one of the four judges for the awards.

Our first winner, David Atkinson, wrote about following the trail of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid in Bolivia. Then Kelly Westhoff, our 2nd winner, won with her proposal to write about a lonely seaside town in Uruguay.

"Every time we run this contest, I'm amazed at the breadth of ideas, and the sweep of places people want to write about. It is fun to be able to provide this little boost to make someone's trip happen, and we like publishing these unique articles on GoNOMAD. It's a great opportunity to break into the travel writing business, to get published and share your stories with the world," Hartshorne said.

Submit your one-page proposal to GoNOMAD.com, P.O. Box 4, South Deerfield, MA 01373 Email: travelawards at Gonomad.com, or fax 413-665-5006. No phone calls please.

Deadline for the Third Travel award is November 15, 2005. The grant will be awarded on December 15, 2005.

Read our writer's guidelines:
http://www.gonomad.com/corp/writerguidelines.htm

For contest details:
http://www.gonomad.com/contest/contestrules.html