When Phil Thomas was made redundant from a white collar corporate job, he took the opportunity to chase his dream of being a travel writer. Starting from zero (no experience, no network) he took just a few months to see his name in BBC Travel, Travel + Leisure, The Independent, Conde Nast Traveler and more, getting paid for his stories. So how did he do it?

Travel Writing Skool: https://www.skool.com/travel-writing/…
What Editors Want, a weekly newsletter for freelance journalists: https://whatedswant.substack.com/

Phil’s blog: https://www.someoneelsescountry.com/
Phil’s BBC Travel article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/… —

• *00:25* – **Phil’s unique entry into travel writing**: An introduction to Phil’s journey, how he became a published travel writer for major outlets like BBC Travel and Travel + Leisure within a year, starting with no prior experience in media or writing.

• *03:07* – **The “lightning bolt” moment**: Phil discusses the catalyst for his career change – redundancy from his corporate job – coupled with a milestone birthday pushed him to pursue travel writing, a long-held passion.

• *04:24* – **First steps**: Buying books, completing a three-month travel writing course, and joining James’ Travel Writing Skool for critical feedback on his pitches.

• *06:35* – **The stepping stones to getting published**: Phil summarizes his strategic approach, starting with a travel writing course, and setting up his own blog (“Someone Else’s Country”) to self-publish and demonstrate his range.

• *07:59* – **The value of non-paying bylines**: Why non-paying bylines are a critical part of the early days. Phil found this process invaluable for getting his writing edited, receiving feedback to improve his craft, and building a portfolio of published work, with his first article on Turkmenistan for TravelMag.

• *11:23* – **The fear, uncertainty and doubt**: Phil discusses the emotional roller-coaster of winning pitches, then not hearing back, as he started to put his ideas out there for editors to evaluate.

• *25:50* – **Patterns in his successful pitches**: Phil shares what made his pitches successful, emphasizing the “why me, why now” component, the use of superlatives to create a talking point, and a sense of intrigue in titles (e.g., “the perfect Tuscan base you’ve never heard of”).

• *29:16* – **Thorough publication research**: Why it’s important to research a publication’s previous content to understand its niche and avoid pitching topics that have been recently covered.

• *31:26* – **Gathering unique local details for stories**: Phil reveals his method for enriching stories with local flavour by being “nosy” and engaging with locals on tours or in everyday situations, asking questions like “where do you go to drink with your friends?”. These “snippets of conversation” and “one-liners” make pitches and articles more vivid and personal, as exemplified by a story sourced from tips scribbled on a beer mat in New Mexico.

• *45:06* – **The importance of following up on pitches**: Nearly all of his paid commissions resulted from a follow-up email. He advises creating a simple, short follow-up that offers a slightly different angle or additional appealing information without regurgitating the original pitch, typically sent two weeks after the initial submission.

• *1:04:01* – **Absolute “don’ts” in pitching**: Phil and James discuss common mistakes, such as pitching the wrong topic for a publication’s niche, submitting ideas already covered, or pitching a broad “topic” instead of a specific “story”. Don’t assume an editor has prior knowledge and always demonstrate what makes a destination or subject “epic” through specific details and access.