“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”
-- Red Smith

Humor is perhaps the most essential resource for travel writers – humor and patience. Travel is the fun part, selling the hard part. And most professionals agree that selling travel material today is harder than ever. The good news is that there is plenty of advice, new media, and opportunities for networking that can ease a beginner’s entry into this field. The challenge is to create a specialty and to seize every chance to promote and expand your portfolio. As you define a niche in today’s competitive travel market, the following tools of the trade can help. 

ONLINE RESOURCES

Author-Network, www.author-network.com/travel.html. Provides a myriad of links to travel writing sites and online travel magazines.

Mediabistro.com. An invaluable source for writer, editors, and media professionals for jobs, news, classes, and career information. AvantGuild membership offers more benefits for a fee.

Travel Info Exchange, www.infoexchange.com. Tom Brosnahan's site has practical information for publishing and opportunities to network with other writers.

Travelwriters.com. This one-stop shop for travel writers offers a bulletin board, press trips announcements, information on new markets, media requests, and press releases.

WriteNet, www.writenet.org/index.html. A resource for those who teach writing.

The Writer’s Life, www.thewriterslife.homestead.com/home.html. Tips on how to sell.

The Written Road, www.writtenroad.com. An interactive site for travel writers.


ORGANIZATIONS

American Society of Journalists and Authors, www.asja.org. A professional organization for freelance writers. Sponsors an annual conference in NYC.

American Society of Media Photographers, www.asmp.org. A professional organization for photographers in publication.

Author’s Guild, www.authorsguild.org. Since 1912, a society of published authors that advocates for fair compensation, free speech and copyright protection.

British Guild of Travel Writers, www.bgtw.org. Membership includes writers, editors, photographers, producers, and radio and TV presenters.

Canadian Authors Association, www.canauthors.org. The national Canadian writers association founded in 1921. 

International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association, www.ifwtwa.org. Open to writers and photojournalists who publish at least 10 articles a year. Publishes the e-zine www.global-writes.com.

National Writers Union, http://nwu.org. The union that represents and advocates for magazine and book authors. (See www.freelancerights.com).

North American Travel Journalists Association, www.natja.org. A professional group of writers, editors, and photographers that sponsors an annual conference and awards.

Outdoor Writers Association of America, www.owaa.org. An organization of outdoor writers and photographers with an annual conference, awards, and scholarships.

Society of American Travel Writers, www.satw.org. Open to established writers and photojournalists. Association membership is open to those in public relations.

Travel Journalists Guild, www.tjgonline.com. Membership is open to established freelance travel journalists.

Travel Industry Association, www.tia.org/researchpubs/index.html. TIA reports and publications on the state of the travel and tourism industry.


PERIODICALS AND NEWSLETTERS

Publishers Weekly, Reed Business Information, www.publishersweekly.com. A trade magazine for the publishing industry.

Travel Publications Update, Travel Marketing Sources, 3 Monroe Parkway, Suite P, Lake Oswego, OR 97035, 503-534-9960. Email: travelmarket@comcast.net. A listing of magazine and newspaper markets for freelancers with guidelines for submissions. Pat Snider has been editing TPU for 13 years, the same product sold by travelwriters.com for more money. $32 for email attachment; $34 on CR-ROM.

Travelwriter Marketletter, www.travelwriterml.com. A monthly paid subscription newsletter ($65/yr) that gives up-to-date information on selected markets. Includes press trips.


PRIZES AND AWARDS

Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, www.thomascookpublishing.com/travelbookawards.htm. An annual prize for the best literary travel writing.

Solas Awards, www.besttravelwriting.com. Travelers’ Tales awards prizes for the best travel stories of the year.


READING

Anika Scott has penned a funny and forthright how-to-break-into-the-business article for beginning travel writers at http://www.eurotrip.com/preparation_and_packing/travel_writing.html

Don George’s The Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing, 2005.

Louise Purwin Zobel’s The Travel Writer's Handbook, Surrey, 4th edition, 1997.

Louisa Peat O'Neil’s Travel Writing, Writer’s Digest Books, 2^nd edition, 2006.


REFERENCES

Editor and Publisher International Year Book, www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/resources/yearbook.jsp. An annual directory of newspapers and syndicates.

Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media, Thomson Gale. An annual directory of publications and media groups.

Hudson’s Directories, www.hudsonsdirectory.com. Covers newsletters, magazines, foreign media, Washington DC media, and other categories.

International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses, Dustbooks, www.dustbooks.com/d.htm. Includes small book publishers and limited circulation magazines.

Literary Market Place, Information Today, Inc., www.literarymarketplace.com/lmp/us/index_us.asp. Reference guide to the American and Canadian book publishing industries, including publishers, agents, editorial services, book manufacturers, awards, and associations. Also publishes an international directory.

Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory, R.R. Bowker LLC, www.bowker.com/catalog/000055.htm. An annual listing of magazines and other periodicals. Also publishes an international edition.

Writer’s Handbook, Kalmbach Publishing Co. An annual guide to magazine markets for freelance writers. Also, publishes The Writer magazine.

Writer’s Market, F+W Publications, Inc., . An annual directory of magazine and book publishers based on editors’ input. Also publishes the monthly magazine Writers Digest, www.writersdigest.com.