Edited by Lori Appling in Bethany Beach, DE

"You rarely get a second chance to make a better first impression."
-- Will Rogers

TODAY:

• A 4-Part Guide to Writing Great Headlines
• Congratulations John Forde!!
• How to Get People to Love and Remember You
• Be a Private Guest at the Exclusive Homes of These Top Celebrities
• Note: Last Week's Featured Travel Publication Is No Longer Accepting Articles So This Week's Issue Includes Two Featured Travel Publications
• More Opportunities and Resources for Writers

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Dear Reader,

I want to start this week with heartfelt congratulations to friend and colleague John Forde. This past Sunday John became a first-time dad when Michael Forde arrived a full two weeks early.

If you're familiar with AWAI's copywriting course, then you know John is first and foremost a copywriter whose contributions appear regularly in AWAI's copywriting course materials and e-letter lessons.

But over here in the travel-writing world we watch closely as John takes the same techniques he uses to write great sales letters and applies them to writing attention-snaring travel articles. (I think he writes travel just for those travel-writing perks, but you can ask him yourself in Paris -- and if not in Paris, then in Chicago -- by clicking here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/workshop/bb)

So, what does this have to do with you?

Well for one, there's a lot to be learned from master copywriters when it comes to writing travel articles. In fact, both John Forde and Jennifer Stevens (our very own Ultimate Travel Writer Course author and Live Workshop architect) credit a large part of their travel-writing success to the secrets Michael Masterson teaches in AWAI's copywriting course (http://www.thewriterslife.com/bb/tw4).

Which brings me to the subject of today's e-letter….

Last week Jen gave us an editor's-eye view of what makes or breaks a headline (see issue #13 in the online archives). But actually writing the kinds of headlines she quoted last week is another story altogether.

And that's where copywriters like Michael Masterson and John Forde come in. They understand the critical importance of using a headline to grab a reader's attention. You should, too. Because your first reader is an editor, remember -- and if you can't get an editor to pick up your article off her desk, you're dead in the water.

So, for some solid advice about how to write headlines editors will gravitate to -- let's turn first to John Forde. Below he offers up an illustration developed for copywriters, but which I think you'll see applies directly to travel writers like you as well.

Below John's note you'll find a hands-on article from Jen Stevens about how -- in very practical terms -- you can put a copywriter's headline-writing techniques to effective use as a travel writer.

EDITOR'S NOTE TO JOHN FORDE:

John, do you mind if I borrow your illustration below? What's that? You're busy with your newborn and I can do whatever I want? Gee, thanks. You can get John's advice firsthand by signing up for his free e-letter at: http://www.jackforde.com.]

Here's John…

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

What's the one great secret for making a good first impression?

There is but one say psychologists, politeness experts, business advisors, and mothers worldwide...

It's not about slicking back your hair. It's not about spit-shining your shoes. It's not even about ironing your shirt, picking the right mouthwash, or telling all the right stories.

No, the absolutely most successful way to be instantly admired, cherished, heralded, remembered, and loved...

Is...

Are you ready for this?

To make sure the person you meet knows that, over the ensuing moments, everything is going to be about HIM (or HER) and NOT about YOU.

Yep. That's it.

In a nutshell.

HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO LOVE AND REMEMBER YOU

Dale Carnegie said it. Miss Manners preaches it. And, if you're any kind of copywriter, you already know it.

Think about it.

Who's the biggest bore at a cocktail party?

After the lampshade-on-head dude (who, let's face it, sometimes is fun to have around)... it's the guy standing in the middle of the room, yammering away about his own blessed feats of greatness.

"I" this, he'll say. "Me" that. And every other genre of self-important prefix to egotism you can think of.

It's all you can do to escape his monologue, with the irony being that once you do escape, he might not even notice.

Sigh.

Likewise, the most beloved person at the party is the mirror opposite. Instead of talking about himself, he lets someone else talk. He listens. He draws out their stories, their hopes, their fears, their dreams.

And then, using the details he's gathered intently, he draws them out even further. Not aggressively, but with the suaveness and savoir faire of Bond sipping the last of his vodka martini.

That, my friend, is the secret to making a good first impression. So what lesson lies therein for a copywriter?

Plenty.

WHY THIS MATTERS SO MUCH

After all, in writing, those first three intense seconds are all about doing your damndest to make a good first impression. Am I right?

Again, think about it...

Your target reader picks up the page. It's like the guest at the party sauntering over to meet you.

You open your mouth.

You speak... here comes your headline... and suddenly, you and your reader are deep into confronting his or her deepest concerns, darkest secrets, quiet wishes and desperate hopes...

Unless, that is, you blow it.

If your reader gets the impression you don't understand him... that you couldn't care less about his needs... that you're a self-important blowhard with a message you'd trumpet anywhere and without purpose, given half the chance...

Then you're headed for the ash can. No second chances. Which is why the headline is the feature of SO many articles about how to write copy.

Because it's so vitally important to making enough of a connection with your prospective customer -- and in the travel-writing world, that means, first, your editor.

---

Thanks John -- that's good advice for travel writers to remember. Your first impression makes all the difference between success and frustration. So spend the time necessary to make sure your headlines speak to your audience's interests.

Below, Jen explains exactly how you can do that.

…Oh, and don't forget to keep me up-to-speed on your travel-writing success. If you have a success story to share, send me a quick note at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com.

Until next week…

Lori
Director, AWAI's Travel Writer Program

P.S. Imagine A SUMMER OF TRAVEL… FREE. What's more, you'll earn a few hundred… maybe even a few thousand… dollars for your trouble. Sound too good to be true? Well, that's exactly how retired television executive Duane Harm and his wife Harlene spent the summer of 2002 -- traveling across the western U.S. All told, they visited 23 different dude ranches in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana over a three-month period, staying for free an average of three days at each ranch. The total value of their summer stays? About $55,000… and they didn't pay anything. Not one cent.

What's more, they wrote an article for Steamboat Magazine, a high-end coffee-table publication based in Steamboat Springs, CO that comes out twice a year. And they were paid for their work. Here's more: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/workshop/bb

P.S.S Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter weekly at: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eletter

A 4-PART GUIDE TO WRITING GREAT HEADLINES By Freelance Writer and Editor, Jennifer Stevens in Chicago:

As I explained last week, headlines really do offer writers an important opportunity to stand out from the crowd -- an opportunity most freelancers miss entirely.

Here are four things you can do to make sure your article headlines grab an editor's attention every time.

The best headlines contain at least three of the "Four U's." "What," you ask, "are the Four U's?" They are --

• Unique
• Useful
• Ultra-specific
• Urgent

Let me explain…

**UNIQUE**

The best headlines give a reader something he doesn't think he'll find anywhere else. Take this headline:

• Aeolian Islands: Sweet harbors, warmth, and a lively volcano just north of Sicily

That's pretty unique. It's about a place most people probably don't know much about. Sicily is already a bit off-the-beaten-path. If that's the "known" reference, well… this promises information I probably won't find in another article.

• Singapore for $30 a night

That's something you don't read about every day. In this day and age, it's pretty hard to stay anywhere for $30 a night.

**USEFUL**

The best headlines also promise the reader something that will be of use to him as a traveler. Like this headline:

• The 10 best little-known inns, guesthouses, and B&B's in Ireland

That's practical, useful stuff. If I were traveling to Ireland, I'd take a look at that article. Or how about this one:

• Comfort Food at Comforting Prices in Paris

I'm a frequent traveler to Paris. I clipped out this article. It recommends all sorts of small, out-of-the-way bistros and cafes where you'll eat well and pay little. Sign me up.

[continued below]

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**ULTRA-SPECIFIC**

In past issues of this e-letter and throughout The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, I praise the "specific," those small, distinctive details that give life to your descriptions, for example. Such specifics are important in your headlines as well. Instead of titling your piece "Exploring the Sunny Caribbean," call it "Three Low-Cost Sailing Trips through the USVI."

Here's an example that's splendidly specific:

• 9 Days in Switzerland, by Trail and by Rail: Hiking the Upper Engadine Valley

Immediately I know what that article is about. It would capture the attention of any reader who likes to hike. Or how about this one:

• The Greatest Ski Run in the World: You start out in the clouds, then ski -- down, down, down -- for 13 long miles of Alpine grandeur

You can't get much more specific than that. I'm intrigued. "Where is this place?" I wonder. So what do I do? I read the article! (In case you're wondering, it's in France, on the Aiguille du Midi in the Mont Blanc range -- you ski down to Chamonix.)

**URGENT**

The best headlines make the reader feel he should read this piece sooner rather than later. How do you infuse your headlines with urgency? You can draw attention to its timeliness. For example:

• This Autumn, Europe is Yours for $399

For anybody looking to travel to Europe in the fall, this would likely prove immediate reading. Or how about this one:

• The Beat in Cuba: A Celebration of Life on an Island That Time Forgot -- Before the Tide of Modernity Rolls In

How's that for "see it now, while it lasts?" That's urgent.

Another way to make your headline more urgent is to add something that gives your subject the aura of "cutting edge" or "new." For example:

• 21 Reasons Why Digital Cameras Are Best

or

• Time Travels: Don't trust hotel wake-up calls? Neither do we. Toss one of these timekeepers in your bag.

The sense you get from reading those headlines is that there's some new technology you should take advantage of or some bit of intelligence that might serve you well. What reader doesn't want to at least be aware of the cutting edge… even if he has no intention of chasing it?

THREE-OUT-OF-FOUR IS GREAT

The truth is, you'd be hard-pressed to cram all "Four U's" into a headline. I'm not saying it can't be done -- simply that you shouldn't preoccupy yourself with trying.

If you can manage three-out-of-four, that's great. Even two-out-of-four isn't bad.

SO YOUR STORY SELLS… BUT WHERE'S YOUR HEADLINE?

Now, all that said… I have for you what may come as disappointing news. You've followed all this sound headline advice. Your story lives up to the promise the editor gleaned in the headline. She buys your story.

But then, what's this? You open up the magazine and, indeed, there's your story with your by-line. But they've put a new headline on it.

[continued below]

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Ah… yes. Well, editors will do that. And there's not a thing you can do about it. It's an editor's prerogative. And editors have all sorts of reasons for fiddling.

Space is one… and graphic considerations. Maybe they already have a headline rather like yours elsewhere and they're looking for some more variety in the issue…

Finally, it doesn't matter. Your headline did what it was meant to do. It got an editor's attention. It helped earn you a check.

[Jen Stevens has spent the balance of the last seven years gallivanting through Latin America and the Caribbean -- to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize and beyond reporting on and writing about the best locales for overseas travel, retirement, and investment. She is the former editor of International Living and Island Properties Report, and she was a writer and editor for several years at Trade & Culture magazine. Jen is the principal architect and writer of Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, published by the American Writers & Artists Institute: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sh/tw4]

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED TRAVEL PUBLICATIONS:

The Sierra Club publishes a national bimonthly magazine. Adventure travel pieces that weave in environmental insights are always welcome for review. They also have a number of departments in which travel pieces could fit. They accept queries by mail sent to Managing Editor, Sierra magazine, 85 Second Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Learn more about their guidelines at http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/guidelines/writers.asp.

50Plus, a Canadian publication geared toward active adults older than fifty, regularly covers travel in their magazine. Send queries by mail to 50Plus magazine, 27 Queen St. E., Ste. 702, Toronto, ON M5C 2M6 or by email to magazine@50plus.com. Learn more about their guidelines at http://www.50plus.com/carp/writersguide.cfm.

OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES FOR WRITERS:

• Credibility and Credentials -- Join a respected group of successful men and women who regularly earn a doctor's or attorney's income. You can easily increase your current earnings without changing jobs or having an advanced degree...adding $50,000 or $100,000 or more each year to your current salary. Click on the link for more details: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/ACL/WACLE111/
• THE AWAI FORUM FOR TRAVEL WRITERS -- You'll find this excellent online resource at: http://www.awaionline.com/forum/. It's a place to get answers to your questions, discuss your story ideas, find readers to review your articles, and stay connected to a community of writers.
  
• You could make $100,000 a Year as a Graphic Designer -- Best of all, there's no daily commute... no boss breathing down your neck…and you don’t even have to be able to draw a straight line (the computer does everything for you). In fact, what used to be a very complicated profession can now be done on a standard computer -- even if you have little or no “artistic” ability at all. Lori H. makes a six-figure income while raising three children at home! And…if you decide this career suits you. We might even give you your first job. Here's how Lori did it: http://www.thedesignerslife.com/lh/tw4
• If you have what it takes to write a powerful "report" that sells vitamins or alternative health therapies you could make very good money in a specialty field that desperately needs you…that will give you as much work as you can handle…and that routinely pays $8,000 and up – with royalties – for each piece you write? Find out more: http://www.thewriterslife.com/health/tw4
• Check out: http://www.fwointl.com/-- A free site that hosts thousands of writing resource links in a massive online database, 40+ genres, funds for writers, job listings, education, news, submission calls, research library. From adventure to westerns, agents to publishers, all forms of writing information available. Professional resources for editors, journalists, and writers of all mediums.
• CAN YOU WRITE A SIMPLE LETTER? If you answer yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be. Here's how you can learn the secrets of this little-known, lucrative business: http://www.thewriterslife.com/bb/tw4

The Write Way to Travel is a FREE weekly newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Institute, available to AWAI students and friends.

© 2004 American Writers & Artists Institute

To ADVERTISE in The Write Way to Travel or to send comments, news, research, or story ideas, e-mail Lori Appling at lappling@awaionline.com.

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