Quick Tips to Help You Start Your Travel Writing Career!
Some people dedicate their whole lives to jet-setting. They hop from place to place, taking in all the world has to offer. You’ve likely seen some of them on social media as influencers, humble-bragging about the fantastic life they lead so we can all live vicariously through their nomadic journey. But frequent fliers are also open to the exciting opportunity of being travel writers.
What Is Travel Writing?
It’s a weird genre to define, but it’s evolved over the years. Initially, it was travelers (primarily men) describing their trips. But, sometimes, someone would inject more personality into it, and that’s what it has largely become now.
They’re non-fictional accounts of people’s travels through a lens of exploratory curiosity, wonder, and willingness to learn. They’re a sort of personal quest where the author is the hero, and the adventure is to take in all they can of what their destinations have to offer with as much humility as possible.
People approach it as prose, diary entries, or essays, while some in poetry and others mix it all in, hence why it’s hard to pin down and describe it as just one thing. But if you love to travel and the growth it offers to people willing to embrace it and want to express that to inspire others, you can start today!
The General Rules
As a first-time author who wants to join the ranks of travel writers, you need to know the basics of the format. They’re all done in first-person, past tense, to describe a journey that has happened.
Regardless of the framework you write in, most try their best to capture the intimate details of their journey: Vivid sights, specific smells, the soothing ambiance (but don’t belabor it like you’re Tolkien.)
Finally, the goal is to entice readers to read on and possibly head on their own trip, so the tone is kept conversational and relatable and gives people insider tips. You’re selling an experience, your experience, so you’ll want them to feel like they were there beside you.
Making It Yours
The most commonly suggested means of standing out is to make your voice obvious. You’ll want to find a way to bring your unique perspective to your writing (like how I could lend my opinion on what it’s like to visit a city as someone on the spectrum and how friendly it was to navigate, for example.)
Couple that personal insight with confidence, like you’re the expert. That doesn’t mean presenting yourself as the aficionado on all things San Francisco or Lyons. But you can be of your trip — you planned it, went on the journey, and had the experiences, so you know it best, from start to finish.
Prove yourself as a dependable source of insight based on how you approach travel, and you’re that much more likely to achieve success and gain an invested following.
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Finding Your Readers
How you go about getting your writing out there is up to you. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever for a travel writer to find a following, thanks to the internet and the accessibility of modern travel. What was once a hobby for the rich, anyone with a writing implement and a desire can do.
Travel Blogging
The simplest way to publish your work is through blogging. While Livejournal is a device of the past, people can still make a website cheap and quick that suits the theme of their adventures.
Then, all you need to do is write and market it. Take to social media, share it with other travelers, guest post with established bloggers; do whatever it takes to build your audience, and you’ll find success.
Logs and Memoires
Taking this approach is more of an investment of time and money. Thankfully, I did recently discuss how simple it is to self-publish online. But you can also turn to a literary agent specializing in travel writing to pitch your tales.
The main thing is that you’ll need a more extended, narrative account of your trip or trips. When I wrote above about you being the hero of your quest, travelogs, memoirs, or essays are what I had in mind.
Publications
There are online and print magazines that offer spaces for guest authors and columnists to share their stories. It is generally a more journalistic approach, as you’ll often need to frame your thoughts into an opinion article or editorial. But, if you can get traction here, it’s an excellent way to get your name out there as an authority on travel.
Not everyone wants to be a homebody. If you have a knack for the written word and the travel bug, then harness it! Reading about other people’s trips can be fascinating, especially if someone cannot travel freely.
Plus, when done right, you can build a great business from it that could even lead to paid sponsored trips to some exciting destinations. It’s something plenty of people want to read about, so you know you can find an audience. The point is, while I enjoy writing fiction, it’s not the only option out there.
If there’s a chance for you to write about something you love, and you didn’t know this was an option before, then you do now! So when you get started, find me on social media or email me at jsims@jairesims.com to share your travels, and I can check them out.
About Jaire Sims
Award-Winning YA Author, Course Creator, Blogger, and Self-Publishing Consultant. At twenty-one and as a junior in college, Jaire was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Fast forward one year, Jaire proved that he had overcome all of the challenges he had faced up until this point by graduating from Monmouth College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies.
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