I was a struggling-to-make-ends-meet newspaper reporter when I received my first paid travel assignment. It wasn’t big or glamorous, but I felt like I’d won the lottery. I was asked by a magazine to visit a Vermont ski resort to take a mountain-biking lesson.
Being an avid cyclist at the time, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. So let me get this straight, I kept telling myself, I spend the afternoon riding an expensive bike, traversing through gorgeous scenery, then get paid to write about it? Do I really have that right?
I did.
I wrote the story, the check arrived in my mailbox not long after, and the piece was published.
Those pangs of excitement and disbelief still hit with every new assignment. I have a skill, I remind myself, and that skill is in demand.
You see, telling stories about a place, giving readers a true sense of that place, is a coveted commodity. In the digital age, information comes easy. Review sites are overloaded with recommended tips on what’s good, when new places will open, and what should be avoided. But capturing an experience, bringing to life what a place looks and sounds like, well, that’s another matter entirely—and not so easy to find.
That’s where a good travel writer comes in. Writers are curious people. We like to learn. We are good at talking to strangers. We like to find the stories beneath the story that everyone already knows. And we have the ability to turn the familiar into something new and surprising. Those are valuable skills and they all contribute to making a memorable travel story.
Editors aren’t necessarily short on writers, but they are often short on strong ideas from freelancers. Take advantage of that. Find ideas that sing to you, pick travel stories that only you can write, then sell your editor on your stories. Do that and your next travel adventure could be on the house… in addition to a handsome paycheck for your story.
Just remember: The work of being a successful travel writer requires practice. It takes diligence and perseverance. Read all the good travel writing you can get your hands on. Start with The Best American Travel Writing series. Become a ruthless self-editor, then allow others to bring a sharp eye to your work. Your writing will improve, the story-telling will get better, and the kind of travel work that others pay you to do will come your way. And it will come often.
Once you start filling your calendar with paid travel adventures, the excitement never gets old. I can guarantee you that.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can fund your travels and make an extra income with photography, travel writing, blogging, and more in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Five Fun Ways To Get Paid To Travel: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]
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