![]() Editors are busy but they need content (and people to write it) as much as we need them. In terms of pitching story ideas to editors: know their publication inside out before pitching ideas and keep pitches to just a few lines. Social media skills are important now, too editors and publishers are increasingly looking for writers who already have a squillion readers/followers. Start a blog, find the kind of travel writing you love reading, write as much as you can, develop your writing skills. I think the trick is to find an aspect of travel you’re passionate about and start writing about that. What advice would you give young writers looking to break into the industry? It’s tough work, but someone’s gotta do it. That’s something that no one really tells you when you’re starting out. You really have to love the writing part too. The final misunderstanding is that being a good travel writer is about loving travel. There’s nothing like having to produce five stories from a three-day trip to focus the mind. Sure, professional travel writers do get to do fun things in far-flung places – but we’re also taking notes and pictures and doing interviews and thinking of story angles and trying to fit as much into each day as possible to maximise our time in a destination. Another misconception is that you’re always on holiday. The difference is subtle but vital: if we were paid to travel, travel writers would lose our independence and integrity (subsidised trips, by the way, come with the understanding that you’ll write what the readers needs to know, not what the publicist wants them to know). One is that you’re paid to travel you’re not. But there are three big misconceptions many people have about travel writing. I try to never take for granted that I’m, say, hiking in Mongolia or expedition cruising in Kamchatka, for work. (I still am, to be honest, but have found a few techniques to tame the dragon – sometimes.) 2. Which was not the advice I wanted to hear at the time because I was terrified of writing. ![]() After travelling across Africa as a backpacker, I wanted to get some of my photos published – only to learn that the best way to do that was to write words to go with them. I’d love to say I studied journalism and have a PhD in Travel Literature, but the truth is I fell into travel writing through a side-window: photography. We sat down and basically asked her how we could Make It too (#shameless). She’s written for all the major publications and can be fairly said to have Made It in this much coveted industry. Louise is one of Australia’s best travel writers, and she’s picked up the industry’s top award four times to prove it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |