{"id":3633,"date":"2010-09-13T05:00:43","date_gmt":"2010-09-13T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nerdseyeview.com\/blog\/?p=3633"},"modified":"2010-09-21T08:51:41","modified_gmt":"2010-09-21T15:51:41","slug":"travel-writing-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nerdseyeview.com\/blog\/2010\/09\/13\/travel-writing-2-0\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Writing 2.0"},"content":{"rendered":"

“I like sugar in my coffee, not in my career advice.” Tim Leffel, author, Travel Writing 2.0, via Twitter<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Confession: I am a sucker. Many years ago, when I first declared to myself that I wanted to be a travel writer, I signed up for a travel writing “program.” This “program” didn’t actually offer me any solid advice, not in the least, what it did was give me some specious downloadable “credentials” that I could present to various hotel managers or PR agents convincing them that I was associated with a “legitimate” publication. In addition to a series of poorly designed PDFs, I paid for — that’s right, I paid for this — the opportunity to have the site publisher introduce me to travel providers, making it possible for me to score the ever coveted comp stay and\/or meal at a property near me. In return for this, I was given the privilege of publishing my stories about these destinations on the publishers site. All this is true. In short, I paid to have my work published on a mediocre travel site.<\/p>\n

In retrospect, that 400 dollars I spent was not for nothing. I discovered the tenuous relationship between writers and travel providers. I learned about good editors and bad ones — I still remember how a story I’d written about sailing — I do not like boats, not one bit, I get claustrophobic and seasick — had been eviscerated by the publisher, going live as a shiny “isn’t sailing FUN!” story. I learned that taking yourself seriously and acting like a professional is more important than having credentials. I learned that I had more than a fleeting passion for writing about travel — I love it, I love the words, I love the work, I love the process of experiencing a place and then, trying to distill and reproduce it in such a way that you, the reader can be there with me.<\/p>\n

When it came time to renew my annual membership in the “program”, I told the publisher that I’d be happy to continue writing for the site, but — in vernacular — “Dude, this is a scam. I can totally do this on my own. I like having a venue, but I’m not going to pay for it.” Fast forward: Welcome to Nerd’s Eye View. The thing that I don’t understand — never have, honestly — is the actual business piece of being a freelance travel writer. And as I came to it very late, and with a focus on narrative over service (or, in non-industry parlance, advice) the part about actually making money as a travel writer remains my biggest challenge. Yes, now I know how to write a pitch (I took a class) and I know how to write a service piece (experience and guidebook work has taught me well) and I know how to find who’s publishing what (I read. A lot.) and I know how to work with travel PR professionals (I speak about it at conferences, apparently). But if you click through to my about page, you’ll see that the very first line tells you how I pay my bills. It is not<\/em> as a travel writer.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of “You Can Do It!” e-books and programs that will sell you the way to being a successful travel writer — or blogger. I can neither confirm nor deny the efficacy of these programs, though I might posit that those selling them are actually not making their living as travel writers, they are making their living selling programs about how to be a travel writer. There aren’t as many places to look for tempered facts about the very messy market that is travel writing. You can find lists of places that are accepting writing, but you won’t find as many places that tell you that you’d better have a solid backup plan or “a spouse with a real job and benefits”, to quote a travel writing friend. You can find lots of people who tell you they’re travel writers, but not nearly as many who tell you that they piece their income together out of a complicated and sometimes ugly patchwork of either a “real job” or like myself, a smattering of clients in the tech and marketing space. Lots of people will tell you about the awesome benefits — myself included — but not so many will tell you that they took a week out of their day job to attend that trip and when they returned, the paying gig they had dissolved. (This exact thing just happened to me while I was in Alaska on a press trip.)<\/p>\n

I won’t tell you not to participate in those “You Can Do It!” programs. It’s great to have positive feedback and to feel like you’re striving towards an achievable goal. But there are two things I would advise you to do, if you’ll have it. The first is to take a writing class. Or two. Not a travel writing class, mind you, just a generic writing class. I did it at my local university extension program a few years ago and I still use the basics I learned in that class. If I had the money to do it again, I’d register for the non-fiction writing series in hopes of picking up solid journalist processes that are not exclusive to travel. In addition to investing in your writing skills, you might pick up a copy of Tim Leffel’s TRAVEL WRITING 2.0<\/a>\"\". Tim doesn’t sugar coat it; he presents the struggles and state of today’s travel writing market in all its ugly glory. But he also provides strategies for tackling that market. And — I think — he shines much needed light in to the places that most people who are trying to sell you stuff about the travel writing market don’t want you to see.<\/p>\n

There are a few things that don’t sit quite right with me in this book — I’m passionate about blogs as a platform for polished writing, not just as a personal soapbox. And some of the quotes feel a little decontextualized, especially since I know many of the quoted writers personally. These are minor quibbles. The unflinching look at the market and what you have to do to carve out your place makes it worth overlooking the issues I had. This book is solid, honest, and a much needed insight on a difficult career choice. You think you want to be a travel writer, do you? You should read this book.<\/p>\n

Tim has given me a copy to give to you! Leave a comment and include what you suspect is the biggest myth about travel writing. Or, if you’re not there yet, leave your top pressing question about making it as a travel writer. I’ll pull a name at random to send the book to — but your comment must follow my guidelines. I like to make sure you’re paying attention, I’m fussy that way. I’ll close comments in one week — September 20th and pull a name then. <\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Comments are now closed. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“I like sugar in my coffee, not in my career advice.” Tim Leffel, author, Travel Writing 2.0, via Twitter Confession: I am a sucker. Many years ago, when I first declared to myself that I wanted to be a travel writer, I signed up for a travel writing “program.” This “program” didn’t actually offer me … <\/p>\n


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