Inside Travel Writing
Susan: Bad spelling, bad punctuation, poor writing. It just immediately turns me off.
I don't want to read the three paragraphs in the query letter, so why would I want to read anything else they have written.
I get letters that the first line is "I'm a published writer," but then what follows is dribble. Wow me with your writing, not your publishing history. Don't tell me you can write, show me.
??? I know some of the readers are hoping to write full-time. Can travel writing be a full-time occupation?
Susan: Yes, travel writing can be a full-time job. It is difficult to do, but it can be done. I don't recommend someone just leaping into full-time travel writing. As a freelancer, it's going to take awhile to get established and most of us write other types of articles and some teach.
My advice is to start building up your portfolio. Start getting to know the editors in the business. It is a small, small world so getting your name out in the field is really important.
??? What is the best format for a travel article?
Susan: I really like first person stories instead of news-reporting style. You have to tell a story. A travel article is not a bunch of dry facts... you go to this beach and it has these attractions. You want to have some kind of story in there.
Telling a story is becoming a real trend in all types of writing, but especially travel writing. Get dramatic! Get passionate! Tell a story about what happened to you. First-person stories makes it easier for me to see the place through the writer's eyes.
That's the ultimate goal of travel writing. You want to share your experience with your readers. Too many new writers get hung up on -- "Oh, I'm writing an article! I have to be so formal." You have to use correct spelling and punctuation but you don't have to be formal.
In the second installment of my interview with Susan, we'll talk about life as a freelance write and how to move your writing career forward. If you have questions for Susan, send them to me by email or ask in
Latest Articles