Becoming a travel writer is one the coolest job at the moment. You get to travel some of the exotic destinations, you get to meet most amazing people around the world, you get to know the local cuisines of the places, it’s history & archeological site and then you write about it, share your thoughts with the audience. However, to do all these things, you must know you are passionate about traveling and open to experience new places and environments. An active travel writer loves doing research, good at taking photos, knows to edit, and has a good writing skill. If you think, you can fit into it or can improve your skills, you’re good to go.
Travel writers can write about anything such as location, cuisine, reviews about hotels and restaurant, airlines, shopping, ecological tourism, culture, history, resorts, etc. If you have decided to become a travel writer but somehow you’re confused on where and how to start. Here are 10 ways on how to become a travel writer.
1. Start small
Writing for big companies, major publications, and professional blog is every writer’s dream but what if you have no prior experience in this field. You may not even have samples to show to your clients. However, to get the big fish, you should focus on small ones in your initial days of starting your career as a travel writer. Focus on the smaller brands and publications to build your portfolio. You can reach out to the publications of your city and pitch them the stories you have. Find any websites who are looking for new travel writers, and present a well-crafted article to them. Build a good rapport with the editors and producers.
Don’t think about the money in your initial phase because first, it’s important for you to build your strong portfolio. Moreover, the more strong your portfolio will be the more experience you will gain thereby increasing your confidence and writing skills which will eventually lead to more work. Finally, when you will go to the bigger publications, you will have the sample of your experience to show them. Therefore, take time to experiment with smaller publications and companies, enhance your writing skill and develop a strong portfolio.
2. Read
In this era of the internet, reading books is not just limited to libraries. Gone are those days, when you have to go to the library or buy a magazine to read a piece of content. That doesn’t mean the importance of the library and buying the magazine is not there. There is still so many information you can gather from the library. However, if you think, you don’t have much time to go to libraries, start reading online. You can find as many information and knowledge you want.
The Internet is full of knowledge sharing place. So, make utilize of that and read whatever it interests you. Be consistent with your reading. The idea is not to copy anybody but to get to know about the style of writing, what genres you enjoy, who is your favorite writer, and what is happening in the traveling world. Moreover, reading gives you about what tricks successful writers are using in their content. Furthermore, you will make yourself familiar with the market by reading various successful travel writers and bloggers. Reading will also give you inspiration for writing high-quality content. Therefore, to be a successful travel writer, read every day and make a note.
3. Pick a niche
Nowadays, travel writing is not just limited to publishing article on newspapers and magazines. Today’s writers are writing on different platforms such as blogs, websites, online magazines, etc. A successful writer knows their niche and following that style is what makes them unique from others. With their unique angle and certain niche, they can engage with their readers through stories. Hence, if you want to be a successful writer, find a niche and specialize in it. The best way to find your niche is to know what interest you more and if you can’t think of something, here reading will works for you a lot. Read a lot of magazines, and blogs to get a clear picture of what topic you enjoy most and what you want to write more about.
Various traveling niche can be any city, country, or your favorite destination, it may also include any particular type of traveling such as adventure, solo traveling, culinary travel, nature & wildlife, exploring various cultures & world heritage sites, wellness tourism, Highpointing like Hiking, climbing, or driving to the highest elevation point, Religious Pilgrimages, Health or Medical Tourism and the list goes on.
The more you will write an article on your niche, the more you will get visibility. In no time, you will become an expert in your subject thereby gaining the attention of larger media outlets.
4. Start a travel blog or write as a guest posts
Now that you have figured out what you are most interested in to write about, it’s time for you to build a blog. Building a blog has become so easy with WordPress that you don’t need any technical background. Although, you must learn some basic skills to get things done. Starting a travel blog is a great way to build your professional presence. Your travel blog is the best portfolio you can show to your future big clients. Your blog is your digital place where you can present your biography, your past and future travels, your social media feeds, and you can showcase your articles, photos, and videos.
You can also showcase your photography skills if any by adding your favorite travel photos to your blog. Remember, if you want to convert your visitors into the reader, write high-quality content and make sure there are no grammatical errors. When writing, keep a balance between being professional and personal. In Addition to that, your blog should also help your reader in providing useful and valuable contents to your readers.
Similarly, you can also contribute as a guest post. Guest posting is a way through which you can post your content on different blogs of your niche and you can also provide a link of your blog. In addition to that, guest posting offers several benefits such as if you write a high-quality post you will get a high amount of traffic to your website once it will go live. With guest posting, you can connect with influencers and grow your network, it improves your online authority, your content will get more and more share on social media, it will not only increase the followers of your content but will also boost your followers count, you will get a good backlink, will help in generating leads and much more.
5. Write
Creating excellent content is key. Not to mention, the top-notch content is the king nowadays. The best way to write the first piece of your content is from your hometown or city or the place where you’re living in. If you watch carefully, there are so many things to talk about in your city itself. Focus on local events, activities, any spiritual or historical place, any center of attractions, local cuisine. Writing about your own town or city will give you a good start without spending much on traveling. A successful travel writer creates stories by looking in their surroundings. As a travel writer, you should also observe what is happening around you and you will get stories to write about.
The biggest mistake newbie writers do is they fail to communicate with their readers. Before writing ask yourself, what do you want to convey your readers and what are the key points. Accordingly, start writing a well-crafted content. Always gives value to your readers. People come to the internet to find the solution to their problem and if you give them the solution, they will become your loyal readers.
Some of the useful travel content you can write about is budget travel tips, details on the itinerary, places to stay, food recommendations, Instafamous spots for photos, tips on traveling with kids, solo traveling tips, an so on. Keep in mind, whatever you write, write with passion.
6. Build your online presence
In the present digital age, it’s important for you to maintain an online presence. Having an online presence will help you in promoting your content to the audience and editors in the industry. Online presence includes your online portfolio, your blog, and social media platforms. Update your blog frequently with your biography, your past travel experiences, and your articles. The greatest thing about having an online presence is that the editors or bloggers may contact you for work. Build your presence on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and many more. These platforms help you in sharing your contents with thousands and thousands of people.
7. Build your network
You have started your blog and created your Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest account. Now it’s time to build your network. Networking can help you in starting your travel writing career, networking helps you in creating strong relationships with the editors in your industry or with your clients, and helps you in meeting with new clients which will eventually lead to more works. Even though it’s important to have a network online but it is equally important to have a strong network outside the online world. Meet people face to face. Look for travel conference, workshops, and meetups happening in your area and attend these events. You will get to learn new things and will have an opportunity to introduce yourself.
8. Check for jobs online and offline
You can also register yourself in various online job platform such as Upwork, Fiverr, freelancer and there are a lot of them to choose from. In Upwork, you need to apply for the job opportunities posted by clients and work as an hourly basis or as a fixed rate. Unlike Upwork, in Fiverr, you need to create a gig for the services you offered and if the client like your gig, they will buy it and you need to deliver the project on the given time. On the other hand, in freelancer, you have to bid for the project. These platforms are the most popular one help you in getting a lot of travel writing opportunities.
Similarly, you may also register yourself with different travel writer websites, for instance, Freelance Travel Writer, The Travel Writer’s Life, Backpacker, GoNomad, Wanderlust, Travel Writers and the list goes on. You can also find travel writing opportunities of various Facebook groups, where people are looking for travel writers and they post their requirement. You can also check in the jobs section of Craigslist.
Look for travel writing opportunities offline such as local publications post about the requirements or any magazines who are looking for a travel writer.
9. Pitch unique and original ideas
The Internet is full of knowledge sharing platforms. So, take advantage of that and read whatever it interests you. Be consistent with your reading. The idea is not to copy anybody but to get to know about the style of writing, what genres you enjoy, who is your favorite writer, and what is happening in the traveling world. Moreover, reading gives you about what tricks successful writers are using in their content. Furthermore, you will make yourself familiar with the market by reading various successful travel writers and bloggers. Reading will also give you inspiration for writing high-quality content. Therefore, to be a successful travel writer, read every day and make a note.
10. Invest in yourself
If you’re completely new to this industry and have a dream of becoming a successful travel writer. It is highly recommended that you should invest in yourself. There are many courses available online where they teach you about travel writing, travel photography, travel videography, video editing, etc. These courses will help you enhance your skills. These skills will be an added advantage for you. Therefore it’s extremely important to learn and develop new skills.
Thanks for reading!
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