To comp or not to comp: The PR answers (Part 4)
What effect do press trips have on the accuracy of stories? Final part of the series, with answers from the PR side of the debate
To comp or not to comp: Travel pros debate, Part 2
As expenses dry up and fees stagnate, press trips and comps are increasingly necessary to get the story. But is that right?
Lessons from a debut self-published author
Some of the mistakes I made and lessons I learned as I went through the self-publishing process, from idea to sales, all by myself.
Horrible editors: Recall and regret (Guest post)
A travel editor turned freelance writer recalls her ‘bad writer avoidance strategy’ and how it came back to haunt her
Why editors don’t answer your emails
The single most infuriating part of being a freelance writer is being ignored. Here I explain why that happens and how to deal with it.
Pitch Pit #3: The over-sensitive writer
Did someone kidnap all the headlines? A long-winded food pitch doesn’t sell what could be a nice story
One thing travel writers can do to earn more from every word
Here’s one thing freelance travel writers can do to earn more money from each story they write. It could help you earn double or even triple.
Pitch Pit #2: Don’t be so generous
The second Pitch Pit victim ignores my advice about headlines and offers too much.
Freelance travel writing jobs – 127 publications that buy travel articles
A selection of publications, print and online, travel writers should know about
Pitch Pit #1: Where’s your head at?
The first Pitch Pit critique takes a swing at flowery language and hyper-positivism.
Here’s why freelance writers should source photos for their editors
Freelance writing is a competitive field, and we need to ask ourselves: how can I make myself more valuable to an editor? How do I retain a spot in the front of their mind when they ask themselves: who’s a good writer for this job? This is how
Here’s how the ‘million-dollar blogger’ makes his money
Johnny Ward earned $1 million in three years blogging about his travels, and continues to earn five figures (US$) every month from ‘blogging’. How? Allow me to throw the cloak off this mystery
Understanding your editor: The other side of the email divide
The editor you pitch is not the end of the line. He or she then becomes an agent for your work, pitching your idea to his or her own editors. Understanding this should give you the tools to pitch better
3 reasons freelancers should NOT be paid by word count
If you can’t be bothered to click: 1. The internet is space rich. 2. Writing is nearly always the easiest part of being a journalist. 3. Freelancers often have to spend their own money
The perfect pitch (or ‘what editors want’)
Here’s a formula for the ‘perfect pitch’. It won’t guarantee a sale, but it will at least guarantee some editorial pitch respect