Is travel, the thing that drives you? Would you rather survive on a packet of noodles everyday to save up money for your trip? Do you feel like the only thing you were ever born to do was travel? And do you hopelessly dream that you could earn money just by traveling? Well, one of the ways in which you can do so is Travel Writing.
Travel writing can entail hotel reviews and destination guides that you can get published in magazines, newspapers and websites. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Travel writing needs a lot of patience and dedication. You might not get anything in terms of remuneration at the beginning. It’s only with time that your work will start giving you lucrative returns, and if you persevere, you could even earn between Rs. 15000 to Rs. 25000 for a 3-4 day assignment.
If you have the passion to travel and the skill to express your thoughts through words, you should definitely give this a shot. Here are some key points to help you build your travel writing career:
- Start traveling
The first and foremost thing to do is, obviously, travel. You need to convey your own unique stories to be able to stand out and get noticed
- Personal experiences v/s cliches
Look for stories that connect with you and hone your writing skill accordingly. Have your own voice and don’t mimic others. Drop the cliches and take your readers through your personal journey
- Carry a diary
Make sure you carry a pocket diary or notepad when you venture out. You want to make sure you have everything chronicled before you go home and actually sit down to write
- Read and research
Read up and research on all the top travel bloggers and their articles. Also read the publications you would wish to write for and try identifying their writing style with yours
- Create a blog or a website
Make an interesting website or a blog where you can present your biography, update your travel plans, post your articles, photos, videos and also manage your social media feeds
- Make social media your pal
Create your page on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to connect with fellow writers, editors and readers
- Network – online and offline
It’s very important for you to network – both online and offline. Online you can connect with fellow writers and editors on social media, online forums and websites. Offline you can connect with them by attending meetups, conferences and workshops
- Master the art of writing media pitches
Once you have documented your travel stories, you then need to write to magazine editors to get them published. Make sure you concentrate on your media pitch as you want to stand out from the rest.
- Don’t get demotivated
If those editors do not reply back to your email, don’t lose heart. Every writer will be rejected one time or another. You need to focus on your work and keep forging ahead
