Travel writing is a great way to earn money and write about a topic you love. However, it can be hard to break into this industry.
Fortunately, there are several ways to get started as a travel writer. These include freelance writing, blogging and being published on travel websites and magazines.
1. Submit to Travel Blogs
If you love traveling, you can turn your passion into a lucrative freelance career by writing travel articles. However, it’s important to note that blogging takes time and effort. In addition to publishing articles, it’s also necessary to promote them through search engine optimization and social media marketing.
Once you’ve decided on a niche, it’s important to research your target audience and understand their needs and goals. This will help you create content that appeals to them and enables you to build a loyal reader base.
Aim to write informative and useful articles that will help your readers achieve their travel goals. Avoid cheesy and “diary”-style posts, as these are likely to get ignored.
Another way to increase traffic to your travel blog is to promote it through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also use plugins to optimize your blog for specific keywords and increase its rankings.
Lastly, you can use affiliate marketing to earn commissions by recommending products related to your niche. You can also promote travel services and tours through these channels, including hotels, resorts, spas, and airlines.
One of the best ways to get started is to submit your travel articles to popular websites that specialize in your topic. These publications will pay you a fair rate for your work and give you the opportunity to grow your travel writing portfolio.
When it comes to pitching, you’ll want to be sure to include all the relevant information, including your credentials and travel experience. Additionally, you should submit a sample of your writing style, including examples of previous work.
Road & Travel Magazine is an online publication specializing in automotive, travel, and personal safety topics. They’re looking for women between the ages of 29 and 59 who love to travel. They’re looking for travel articles that explore new destinations, and are full of interesting anecdotes and a global perspective.
Before you start pitching travel blogs, it’s a good idea to develop a media kit that includes your bio, photo, and links to social media profiles. This will help you stand out in the crowd and attract editors to your travel writing.
2. Write for Magazines
Writing travel articles is a great way to make money from home. You can sell them to a variety of publications, including local magazines, tourist brochures, and travel guides. The key is to get your pitch in front of the right people.
It’s also essential to do research before you start writing. This will equip you with the knowledge you need to tailor your pitch to the magazine or website’s editor and its readers.
Another great idea is to read the submission guidelines of a publication that you want to work with. This will give you a good idea of what kind of travel stories it prefers, and how it wants them written.
For example, if you are interested in submitting to Backpacker magazine, then do some research to see what kinds of articles they usually publish. It’s unlikely that a story about a family “staycation” would be on-message for them, but if you find an interesting angle to tell the story in a different way they may be more likely to accept your pitch.
Many publications, especially smaller ones, are happy to buy travel articles that are based on research alone. This is a great option for people who are short on time and resources, or for those who don’t have access to a lot of background information about the destination they’re visiting.
However, it’s essential to know that this type of travel article will rarely get you paid as much as one that is more bespoke and personalized. For example, if you were to write an article about your trip to a remote mountainous location in Kansas for a publication that specializes in backpacking trips, they probably wouldn’t want to pay you very much at all.
To earn money writing travel articles, you need to be able to provide high-quality, original photographs that will stand out from the crowd and make your article more appealing to editors. This will require a DSLR camera, a reliable editing software program, and the skill to manipulate images.
While it’s not easy to make money writing travel articles, you can do it if you follow some basic rules and have a genuine love of traveling. These include researching your market thoroughly, following editorial guidelines, coming up with a fresh and original angle, and submitting your best work.
3. Write for Websites
One of the best ways to earn money writing travel articles is by submitting them for publication on websites. These sites often pay a decent amount for quality articles and can be a great way to build your portfolio while developing a name in the travel industry.
When pitching articles, research the site you are interested in and study their existing content. This will give you an idea of what their audience expects from them and help you write content that fits with their site’s style. It also helps you avoid sending them a pitch that sounds like a complete rehash of their own content, so you can focus on what they need instead.
It is important to follow all the rules of grammar and spelling when writing for websites. This will ensure that your copy is both easy to read and easy to understand for your target audiences. In addition, many businesses have their own branded style guides that they require all writers to adhere to.
Another important thing to remember when writing for websites is that your words need to lift the user experience. The goal of a website is to draw visitors in, so you should always focus on how your writing can make them feel welcome, entertained, and inspired.
You should also remember to use the right keywords when drafting your content for websites. This will help you rank higher on search engines and increase your visibility, which can result in more traffic to your website.
For example, if you are writing for a health and wellness blog, your words should be relevant to the topic you are covering. In this case, you could choose to include tips about how to stay healthy on a trip or how to find good fitness classes while in the area.
Whether you are writing for a travel website, a business website, or an individual blog, it is important to be consistent with your voice and writing style. A common practice is to read your content aloud and ask yourself how it sounds. This is a great way to spot if you are sounding too formal or too informal and can help you improve your writing.
4. Write for Newspapers
Newspapers don’t pay as well as magazines, but they can be a great way to get experience and clips without spending all your time traveling. However, it is important to be sure you have a solid pitch and writing sample to show potential editors.
Newspaper articles should be written to relate the news in a way that is easy for readers to understand. They should include all the main facts, along with any information that might help the reader learn more about the subject. They should also include a lead, headline, and appropriate structure.
The best way to write a newspaper article is to take the time to research and gather all the relevant information before you begin writing. This will save you time in the long run and make your writing more accurate.
During the research process, it is vital to conduct interviews with people who are familiar with the topic at hand. These interviews can help you confirm all of the facts you have gathered and provide additional information that will be helpful to your readers.
It is also a good idea to interview witnesses who have first-hand knowledge of the event or incident you are writing about. These witnesses can give you the most accurate information and help you create a compelling story.
It is also important to let someone else read your article before you submit it for publication. This will ensure that your writing is free of any grammatical or spelling errors and is well-organized. In addition, it will help you make any changes necessary to improve the quality of your work.
