Interested in becoming a travel blogger or travel writer? Maybe you just want to travel more and be able to blog about it? Whether you want to become a full-time travel writer or be able to fund your travels by writing about your adventures there are some steps you can take today to make the dream come true. If you have a passion for travel and love to write, becoming a travel blogger could be your future.
Travel the World and Write About it!
Sound too good to be true? If you love to write and love to travel, it sounds pretty reasonable to me! I’m not saying it will happen overnight or that everyone who wants to be a travel writer will succeed. But, if you are the type of person who is willing to set a goal (to travel the world and write about it) and follow a few steps that I have outlined below you will succeed. Success is about perseverance.
Become a travel writer or travel blogger!!
- Choose a niche. Think about what you are most passionate about when you travel. Is it the food, culture, nightlife, adventure, family experiences or something else?
- Focus. Do you want to focus on print or online? Maybe both? Choose the top three dream outlets you want to pitch and begin to study their submission guidelines and articles or blog posts.
- Get your feet wet. While you are studying your dream outlets write for free. Yes, I said it. Writing for smaller online sites or small local print publications is a great way to practice your new craft, get feedback from editors and provide you with your first clips. Websites such as my travel site 52Perfectdays, James Hills’ site Mantripping and Dave’s Travel Corner all accept submissions from new writers.
- Join websites like Upwork.com and begin looking for paying gigs. For details on how to use Upwork (previously Elance) I recommend listening to my podcast with Rebekah Voss where she explains how she turned her copywriting into a travel writing career with Upwork.com and a gig as a ghostwriter into a year of travel.
- Join the travel community! Look for local meetups, a local chapter of Travel Massive or local press or journalism club. Find travel blogger or writer groups on Linkedin, Facebook and Google+ and join.
- Join Cision. This is a great way to build relationships with travel PR. Here is an article showing how to sign up for Cision.
- Research and join a travel organization such as NATJA, SATW, ASJA or the ProfessionalBloggers Association.
- Attend a travel conference like Tbex, World Travel Market, Adventure Travel Summitt (ATTA), Travel and Adventure Show or New York Times Travel Show and network! This is the best way to meet other writers, editors and travel pr.
- Start your own travel blog. Use WordPress and create a simple site where you can publish your own content. You can also create a page on your travel blog to showcase your freelance work. It’s your online calling card and proof that you are indeed a travel writer or travel blogger! Here is a tutorial to start a WordPress website.
- Take a travel writing course. There are many online travel writing courses that focus on travel journalism and travel photography, including Break Into Travel Writing Academy. The travel academy offers a step-by-step process to launch your travel blogging career including monthly Google hangouts with Alexa. Whether you choose The Travel Writers Academy or a local seminar or even a course on freelance writing at your local community college, this is the best first step in starting your career in travel writing.
These 10 tips will help start your travel writing career! Now, it’s up to you to decide how quickly you want your dream of becoming a travel journalist, travel blogger or travel photographer to come true!
If you think you are ready to take the jump into travel blogging, you might want to fast track and pick up my latest e-book:
30 Days to Become a Travel Writer or Blogger: Travel the World and Write About it!
Good luck and if you have any questions please tweet me or leave a message on Facebook!