Travel Writing

There ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. — Mark Twain

One thing I always get asked about in my magazine classes is travel writing. It’s something I don’t do often, as it’s hard to pop off to Europe when you have two small kids at home, but on a cold Alberta, winters day, I can definitely see its appeal.

To traveling around the world, all expenses paid, right? Well regretfully that’s not how it works. Few magazines or travel web sites can afford to send their writers half way across the world to get a story, but that doesn’t mean that a smart writer, can’t cash in on travel.

“I do a fair amount of travel writing,” says Sandra Phinney, a freelance writer from Yarmouth, NS, “most of it celebrates things from my home town or province. It’s great way to get into travel writing.” Sandra suggests writers contact their local department of tourism, search out privately owned publications as well as magazine from other provinces, the U.S. or even abroad, for opportunities to sell their locale.

She also stresses writers need to get the most out of every trip by querying diverse magazines. “In the next three months,” says Sandra; “I plan to query a food magazine about one of our wineries, a business magazine regarding a corporate shark fishing get-away and a unique birding opportunity in southwest Nova Scotia for a nature magazine.

If you’re lucky enough to be heading out of the country, Sandra recommends you first contact Canadian Embassy or Consulate to see if there is a "Canadian connection, any businesses doing import/export, missionaries or teachers?” Also collect as much information as you can while you travel. Check out everything, especially places not on the regular tourist routes. Do mini-interviews to establish a rapport with the locals; people you can follow up with later by phone or email. That way when you return from your trip, you’ll have a wealth of story information.

To get started here are a few sites to visit:

- National Geographic Traveler hopes to “capture a place’s essence in a way that inspires readers to follow in the writer’s footsteps. Traveler’s Guidelines

- blue caters to the traveler and adventure sportsman and urban explorer. blue’s Guidelines

If you’re looking for something a bit more specific there:

- Spa Magazine for those who wish to be pampered

- Backpacker magazine for those who go off the beaten track.

- Gripped for those looking for something vertical.

- Journeywoman which calls itself the premiere travel resource for women, but only offers a $35 dollar honorarium for stories.

There are also a few sites that list travel magazines like:

Yahoo Travel Links , World Newspapers.com , and a site set up specially for travel writers which boasts rates, guidelines and contact information for 500 travel magazines and 200 newspaper travel sections. Travel Writers.com - Note: not all the content on Travel Writers.com is free.

My Baby

The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to
write a book about it. Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881)

This week I got a mock-up copy of the first book in Jackfruit Press’s new series, Sir John A. MacDonald - The rascal who built Canada, written by Jackfruit Press founder and publisher Jacqueline A. Brown, as well as a copy of their promotional catalogue which shows the cover of my first book, John G. Diefenbaker - The finger waggling chief. And even though my book will not be out until sometime this summer, seeing the mock-up cover somehow made it all feel real.

It’s a bit like being pregnant. You know that if everything goes well, in a few months, you’ll be able to hold your new baby and brag about them to all who will listen. But you also feel a bit apprehensive and don’t want to get too excited, just in case something happens and it doesn’t work out the way you dreamt it would. Oh, the life of a writer!

Have a good week and Write On

Lanny