October 11, 2024

So you want to be a travel writer

I keep getting asked for advice all the time on how to become a travel writer. Now, that is a question I cannot answer easily because I hesitate to call myself a travel writer. The likes of Bill Bryson and Pico Iyer?, they are travel writers; the rest of us write on travel, sometimes sponsored by a publication, mostly not and write on our travel experiences. And if you do not understand the difference, stop right here. Go back to read Bill Bryson, Pico Iyer, Jan Morris and the other greats and come back.

So, why do I want to write about this now? For one, I get roughly an email a week on this question and I figured it would be simpler for me to write this out on my blog and start pointing future queriers in this direction. And then, I realize that I now have over seventy published pieces in my portfolio, and it is therefore time I stopped feeling like a poseur and admit that I am a writer (along with freelance, travel, whatever other words I want to add or dispense with). So here goes.

And for purposes of convenience, I think I will stick to the phrase ‘travel writer’ here but remember what I said about the Brysoneshwar and Iyernath kind of writers being the real deal.

There are two things you can do – write steadily for a magazine or freelance. What follows is mostly about the second thing. The first role is tougher to get but it means paid trips and cushy holidays, not to mention a steady income. Far greater people have written about this already; the venerable blogger-journalist zigzackly’s pearls of wisdom come readily to mind at this stage. So head there right now.

Start writing. Even if only on your blog.

Alright. So now you know what the v.b.j has to say. I didn’t want to be rude and ask you directly, so I sent you there since he has already asked this; you can write, can’t you? Really. Believe me, there is a large gap between writing on one’s blog (or free content for websites) and writing a piece that is fit for publication. So the ‘I travel a lot and I can write, therefore I can be a travel writer’ logic does not quite work that way.

Sure, a blog is a great way to start – if you feel you have it in you to be a writer, start writing regularly on your blog. Apart from bringing some discipline to your writing, it is a good way to showcase your talent. There are many editors who do not insist on previous published experience and your blog (or some selected posts) can serve as your portfolio. If you have not traveled anywhere recently, then write down stories from your earlier travels – it is a great way to bring back good memories and get writing practice.

Build contacts. Or search for them.

While writers are usually happy to share / exchange contacts of editors that they know or work with regularly, it irks being asked for a bunch of contacts –‘ I don’t know where to begin, please send me the contacts of all the editors you know’. Er, why? Most publications have a clear masthead, some of it even online and all it is takes is a few minutes of time and effort to find the right names and email ids. Spend some time also going through the ‘contributors guidelines’ to see what their expectations are from a new writer.

Get your query right.

Finding the email id of the editor is usually the easy part, I think. Getting the query right is the big thing, especially with an editor you do not know personally or are writing to for the first time. Make your query letter interesting (there are hundreds of articles on the internet on this, please spend some time reading a few of those). It works better if you send an idea or three (not more, please – and not complete manuscripts unless the guidelines specify it ) and not just a bland introduction. Remember there are a hundred other talented writers out there, so why should the editor choose you (unless she is your friend, in which case I say, good for you!) – give her good reason to.

Get spellings right (including the editor’s) and make your pitch short and attractive. Before you dash off that query, research the publication’s style – some like descriptive travel guides without a personal voice while others look for a first hand narrative. Yet others seek not a travel story but a people story – what is special about the place, the people, their food and culture?

Find a unique perspective.

There are travel stories and travel stories; think about what will set yours apart. There must thousands of Rajasthan, or even Jaipur stories out there, so what do you have to say that is new and interesting? (And remember, you are likely to be writing not for your bunch of friends but for travel-savvy readers, many of them who may be seasoned travelers themselves).

The “big story” is one part of it, a really good travel writer brings alive the smaller stories – if you focus on the details, it will make your story seem fresh and new – for instance, local handicrafts, markets, people you meet, some new cuisine or food you tried – all these can be themes for a story…

Editors are happy to spot good ideas, just as they are quick to trash uninteresting ones – remember, the place does not have to be new (how many of us can travel to the Congo? Or Iceland?) or even interesting (I have read enough articles about the hidden gems of Bangalore to say that this is true) – your perspective, your hook has to be.

Here are a few more tips on being a travel writer from experienced traveler-writers:

~ The Seven Myths of Being a Travel Writer

~ Make Travel Itself Your First Priority

~ How to be a Travel Writer

~ The problem with travel writing is not the travel, it’s the writing

Good luck with the travel writing!

12 thoughts on “So you want to be a travel writer

  1. Nice post Charu, it always amazes me how people want to do everything that ‘others’ are good at..:)
    Maybe because when you read about a place ..the description is all so easy for the mind…maybe they think its doable. Only when you get to writing you the the reality, Its so difficult to make a piece look nice and easy read..:)

  2. Sharanya, thanks! yes, the end result does seem effortless and easy… it’s only when you sit down to write – and then edit!

    Vinay, thank you! hope this helped some…

  3. Hi there, I just found your blog today – instant subscribe!

    I blog, and I travel but I never thought about travel writing until I was approached by a Hindustan Times editor for a photo essay on a specific destination. I haven’t written the article yet because I’m stuck on how to write for a newspaper audience instead of for a casual blog audience who has a curiosity about my own personal experience. If I ever figure out how to ‘travel write’, perhaps it’s something I could really get into.

    Anyway, thanks for posting these resources.

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