How to Write Travel Articles

Travel writing is one of those dream jobs that ranks alongside being an international reporter or a sports broadcaster. However, while it may seem like a way to get paid while taking a vacation, a travel writer faces challenges to describe new places or create new takes on old places. Get your travel articles published with these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Check out travel markets. Market research is the key to getting published. Study of a publication tells you about the audience, the style and the format. Locate writer's guidelines through a website or by requesting to answer what a market's needs are and other specifics to break into a market.
2. Decide on a topic without going to an exotic locale. Then work within your publisher's guidelines to establish a slant and an angle—ways to direct the piece to a specific audience or highlight a specific aspect of travel.
3. Query the publication with a one-page pitch letter to the editor. You're selling two things in a query letter: your idea and yourself. Provide enough detail about your idea to interest an editor. Then show the editor that you're the person to write this article through your own writing experience, stressing any travel credits.
4. Research your article. The best research is an actual visit that allows you the opportunity to show the local flavor of a locale. Take notes. Observe your surroundings. Jot down tips that help other travelers. Ask questions. Pick up brochures.
5. Write your travel article based on an outline. The outline doesn't have to be elaborate, just a reminder of the main points you want to cover. First drafts should be done without editing. Allow your creative side to enthusiastically communicate what makes this place so attractive to travelers.
6. Allow your article to sit for a day or two before rereading it with a fresh eye. Now is the time to edit. Make certain your sentences make sense and are arranged in a logical order. Capture a reader's interest with a dynamic opening. Bring your story to a close with a satisfying conclusion.
7. Arrange for photographs. The right photos can sometimes clinch the sale. If you're a decent photographer who can offer high quality slides or digital photos, then offer to provide photos. High-end markets often send their own photographers to a location.

Tips & Warnings

• Persistence pays off for writers. All writers receive rejections, but those who continue to practice, improve and market their writing come out ahead.

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