Life As a Travel Writer

Life as a travel writer takes a lot of hard work, however it can be a lucrative career. This career is not the easiest to get into, as it is competitive and hard to get a foot in the door. Getting a job as a travel journalist is sometimes about having connections and networks, which is hard to get when a person is new to the field. Working as a travel writer does allow people to travel the world and see new people and places. Here are some aspects of travel writing:

Press Trips

Press trips are often requested from clients who want to get more recognization for a particular resort, country or state. The publicity should be upbeat and positive in nature. It is sort of like a business meeting. The client will invest money in order to bring the journalist and various photographers to the location. Once the writers and/or photographers return back to their original state, they are expected to sell the positive reviews from their visit. These are also called, "media visits".

These press trips are usually organized in two steps: group or individual trips. When the trips are organized, they can include two ore more people at a time. Some press trips included hundreds of writers. While this is not the norm, it does happen. Travel writers love to participate in these ventures as they are offered free meals, sleeping arrangements and much more. It is like being on a free vacation that the writer does not have to pay for. Once the photographers and the writers are flown in to the destination, they are driven around in a bus or van. The down side of this venture is that many writers and photographers don't have time to just lounge around. They must always be on their toes and taking down new information.

If an individual press trip is scheduled, the writer or photographer must first contact the PR firm or city and request a meeting (also known as complimentary arrangements). Individual trips are a little more softer and not as strict as group press trips, however sometimes the writer will have to pay for their own accomadations and meals. Some destinations will not cover plane tickets or other extra bonuses. If the photographer or writer can somehow find cheap international flights to the destination themselves, then they will be accomodated with restricted meal, press kits, etc.

There are some steps to take before getting invited to a press trip. Writers will need to get a firm assignment letter that shows a good record of past press trips taken. Sometimes, if the writer is able to sell a story to a publisher who have millions of readers, this is highly smiled upon. Some PR firms are not as strict about having a firm assignment letter if they think the writer has a good track record and will be worth the investment.

Travel writers can learn about upcoming press trips by browsing the web or through other writers. There are some organizations that post this information such as the 'Society of Journalists and Authors'. Some writers get a mailing list of assignments once they become a member.

One thing to remember about press trips is that they take a lot of hard work. Press trips should not be referred to as vacations as many writers don't have a lot of down time. Most of the time, the writer will have a schedule to follow and will have to interview various local people.

For those who are looking to become a travel writer, it is possible and a very lucrative business. Writers will be able to see the world and enjoy life while making money at the same time.