Dear Reader,
A holiday or special event, like a festival, can give you an excuse to write about a place (and, too, help you focus your article).
France is renowned for its many national holidays, festivals, and unique celebrations, so this week we’ve chosen France Magazine as our featured publication.
If you’re among the more than 70 million travelers who will find themselves in France this year, you might consider writing about a holiday or special event that occurs during your visit.
Of course, keep in mind that when you write about time-sensitive events, you need a lot of lead time. (For example, you attend the summer music festival this year, write about it, sell your story to an editor, and your piece appears in print a month or so before next year’s event.)
Jennifer Stevens talks about Special Event articles in Lesson #7 of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program. Refer to your copy before you sit down to write, and you’ll be sure to get off on the right foot.
And whether you’ll be headed to France this summer or fall — or traveling elsewhere in the world — be sure to check out our resources below for more publications you can approach with articles on your adventures.
Lori Appling
Director, Great Escape Publishing
France Magazine is Britain’s top-selling magazine about France. It also has a North American edition. Every month, it offers up destinations, gastronomy (plenty of wine, of course!), lots of photos, and an occasional quiz with prizes. It focuses on the “the best of everything in France and French life” — people, places, history, and culture. (Though it covers property sales and expat life, that’s not the main focus.)
I know of two writers who have sold travel stories there, and they said to be prepared for a long lead time. The editorial department of France Magazine (published by Archant Life) accepts formal queries by mail only (after your initial successful contact, then you can continue your communication by telephone).
Feature articles run 800 to 2,000 words and the pay is about £100 for 1,000 words (that’s roughly US$184 at today’s exchange rate). They accept slides sent by mail or digital images sent electronically — but ask before sending photos for review.
Send your query to: Mr. Nick Wall, Editor, France Magazine, Archant House, Oriel Road
Cheltenham, Glos., GL30 1BB Great Britain
You should spend some time browsing the publication’s user-friendly website. Have a look at http://www.francemag.com to find out the weather in France, make use of a currency conversion chart, or send free France e-postcards to friends. You can even insert text for translation (by Babel Fish). But don’t get too distracted — you’ll want to review the site to find out more about the content and style of France Magazine, too.
There are a few travel stories posted on the site (beaches, historic towns, profiles, and language training), so you can understand the general flavor of France Magazine and the type of photos the editors prefer. You can also order a single issue of the monthly magazine if you want to review a copy without subscribing.
A parting word of advice from me: If you really want to sell an article on France — or any other destination, for that matter — then you need to hone your observation skills so you’ll have at your fingertips the specific details editors like to see in their articles.
So before your next trip, take time to review the Seven Habits of a Truly Observant Traveler, which you’ll find in Lesson #10 of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program. And in that lesson you’ll also find a bonus check-list of seven questions an observant traveler always asks.
By Roberta Beach Jacobson, Travel Writer
For The Write Way to Travel
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]