How a struggling travel writer finally wrote for CNN, SCMP, NatGeo and more
James talks to Phillip Meier about his journey from writing for free for small outlets, to breaking into CNN, SCMP, NatGeo and others.
How To Pitch: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Without a good pitch, your sterling copy may never get printed. Expert travel writer John Malathronas describes his strategy for winning assignments.
What to do when your editor doesn’t pay
What to do when you’re not paid and what your legal rights are. How tricky this becomes when dealing with overseas publications. How to manage all this with tact and professionalism. And humour.
The truth about travel writing – PLUS: 6 surprising hacks
An edited version of this story appears on makealivingwriting.com. So you want to be a […]
$1,000 from one idea
It’s very difficult to answer the question: ‘How long does it take to write a […]
Want to sell more travel stories? Learn from the t-shirt business
Why freelance travel writers need to think about ‘conversion’ in their quest to win more travel writing jobs
Pitch Pit #5: Shows wheel potential
A story with excellent potential that I think many publications would be interested in buying, but the pitch needs significant re-working
What’s the difference between a travel writer and a war reporter?
How travel writers could learn a thing or two from the way war reporters or investigative journalists think.
Travel writing tips: Interview with an editor
A recent interview I did explaining some of the fundamentals on being a professional, hireable, self-sustaining travel writer
The worst headline I’ve ever read (I wrote it too)
How throwing an unthought-out headline into my content calendar made me snigger with shame. How to write a good headline inside
Pitch Pit #4: Dead in the head
A ghoulish pitch that tells me to be afraid rather than showing me why I should be
An interesting new way for travel writers to get hired
Matt Barker’s Horizon Guides connect tour operators with adventure hungry travellers, and he needs writers to help him fulfil his mission
How this freelance writer consistently wins jobs with the world’s best travel magazines
Photographer, writer, author and all-round awesome person Lola Akinmade Åkerström describes how she wins assignments with some of the world’s most coveted travel publications
Always pitch an idea – otherwise you’re just begging
Why pitching without an idea is a fast track to the email trashcan
4 very different travel pitches, all successful
Four query letters from four different writers that all won assignments at prestigious titles – CNN, New York Times, BBC and SCMP