Working As A Freelance Travel Writer

By Douglas Moore


The world is a large place, full of many countries and cultures that are very different from your own. You may have dreamed of traveling the globe at some point in your life, but found that it may not have been in your budget, not to mention your schedule. It can get costly very quickly, and you may not have enough vacation time to cover the days you will be gone. One way to get around this is to enter the freelance travel writer field, which allows you to traverse the globe and get paid for it, instead of having to pay yourself.

While a regular worker would be an actual employee of a magazine they write for, you as a freelancer would not be an employee, but rather a contractor. You may work with several companies at one time in actuality.

Since you do not work for a magazine or newspaper directly, you will have to come up with an article idea and pitch it to an editor at a publication. Or, if you have already traveled quite a bit and wish to write a guide book, you can pitch that idea to an editor at a publishing house. Based on your pitches, each editor decides if they want to hire you.

You may be hired for a one-time article, or a series. You may even become a regular columnist, but still be a freelancer, which means you are free to write for other outlets at the same time. Your articles will have a travel theme, and could run the gamut of that industry. You may be tasked with reviewing a new hotel or resort, a theme park, or write generally about a city, state or even an entire country.

Instead of reviewing specific locations, the piece may have a specific focus such as adventure travel, ecological travels, cultural experiences, and even food reviews that cover an entire cuisine rather than a restaurant. The pay will be per assignment, and may or may not include the travel expenses. You may have to pay those expenses such as lodging and airfare on your own and get reimbursed later.

It is helpful in many ways to go to your meeting with copies of published pieces to help the editor decide if they would like to hire you or not. It is also helpful to have a degree, usually in English or journalism, but is not an absolute necessity.

Many writers are not journalists, but should adhere to journalistic standards in order to become a part of this industry. The Society of American Travel Writers stipulates that all pieces be factual and not plagiarized, even partially, from another writer. You can accept payment for your review, but not specifically for favorable reviews, and you should always be considerate of hosts when traveling for work.

The life of a freelancer is fun and full of freedom, but it can also be a little more expensive due to extra expenses such as medical insurance. Since you are not an employee of any particular outlet, you do not get the benefits such as medical cover, sick leave, or vacation days. This is why you should think long and hard about how much money you can accept for each article while still having enough to live on. Plan not for an easier time financially later.




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