If you’ve travelled, you’ll probably have some stories you could – in theory – sell to a magazine, newspaper or website. Just because you don’t have journalist qualifications (pah! Who has?), it doesn’t mean you can’t get paid for some freelance travel writing (and possibly photography, too). That said, whilst you might be able to pen a funny email home, there’s a bit more to good writing. Follow Lonely Planet author Don George’s tips and get pitching some ideas…
1 Know the publications you want to write for: check the destinations covered, their readership, approaches taken, themes favoured. Then ask: why is my story – in subject, angle and tone – perfect for them?
2 Know yourself: what most impassions you on the road; sites, local cuisines, people?
3 Know your story: what’s the lesson, truth or theme you’re trying to communicate?
4 Prepare before you go: research your destination thoroughly and prepare your itinerary around a story idea.
5 Go with the flow: while following your prepared itinerary, leave yourself open to the guiding gifts of chance.
6 Craft your story with a beginning, a middle and an end: the beginning introduces the setting of the story. The middle develops your points with anecdotes and examples. The end brings the piece to a satisfying conclusion, ties the story back to its beginning, and delivers the reader back to the world.
7 Focus, focus, focus: on the road, pay close attention to the world around you; take notes on the spot. But don’t try to cover too much.
8 Get multiple stories from one trip: you have more words to sell that way.
9 Stories are best pitched via email. Include examples of your work, photos, and a killer paragraph that a travel editor couldn’t possibly turn down. Better still, write the full story.
10 You’ll get rejections, but don’t give up: keep reading; keep learning; keep networking. And keep writing!
