Edited by Lori Appling in Las Vegas, NV.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost (1874 - 1963), The Road Not Taken
Today:
- Wanted: Your Funniest Travel Stories…Introducing Our New Travel Writer's Forum
- How One Never-Before-Published Travel Writer Sold Three Articles in Under Eight Weeks
- Make Money Writing (and Help 3 Million People Get Access to Clean Drinking Water)
- This Week's Featured Travel Publication: Saltwater Fly Fishing
- More Opportunities and Resources for Writers
Advertisement
I Went From "Reading" Romance To Selling My Own Romance Novel
For A Contract Worth $97,500 -- And So Can You!
http://www.theromancewriterslife.com/tw4
Dear Reader,
Everybody loves a funny travel story. In fact, one I'll never forget came from a past workshop attendee who'd been on our cruise along Mexico's Pacific coast. She was driving home from the airport after a warm-weather vacation and got a flat tire. She ended up having to walk two miles uphill in a snowstorm, after midnight, and wearing open-toed sandals . She had a jacket but no gloves or hat. By the end of her trek up the hill she had removed her bra and wrapped it around her head to keep her ears warm.
Stories like that can be hard to get published, they're great for regaling your closest friends and family and even your fellow readers here at The Write Way to Travel. If you've got a story to share -- or if you just want to read someone else's -- check out the new forums we've created on our website: www.thetravelwriterslife.com . Some of your fellow students and readers have already started filling the pages with their travel tales, questions, answers, and insights.
Speaking of past workshop attendees...
Remember Maigii Sterling? Those of you who have been with us for the past few months may remember that I've mentioned her success before. She came to our travel writing workshop in San Diego this past November and sold the article she worked on in class to three separate publications. (How's that for getting your money's worth?)
We've asked Maigii to pass along a few pointers to up-and-coming students. You'll find her advice below.
And if you haven't yet signed up for our upcoming workshop in Argentina, you'd better hurry. Seats are filling up fast. Graduates of our live programs boast more by-lines and see more success than most. And with our next event, there's an extra incentive for you to go: There will not likely be a more affordable time to travel to Argentina in your lifetime. For more details, including the deadline for the Early Bird discount, which ends next week: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/workshop/argentina
Don't forget to keep me up-to-speed on your travel-writing success. If you have a story to share, send me a quick note at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com .
Have a great weekend,
-- Lori
Lori Appling
Director, AWAI's Travel Writer Program
P.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
Advertisement
MAKE MONEY AND SAVE THE WORLD
What if something you wrote could...
Help 3 million people in 29 countries get access to clean drinking water...Provide safe, secure housing for 5,400 families in the U.S. ... Protect 160,000 acres of timberland in Tennessee and Oregon... Put 23 new computers in the elementary school down the street...
http://www.thewriterslife.com/fundraising/tw89/
HOW ONE NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED TRAVEL WRITER SOLD THREE ARTICLES IN LESS THAN EIGHT WEEKS
An Interview with AWAI student Maigii Sterling in Toronto, Canada
TWWTT: Before we get started, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?
MS: I am from Barbados, and my career path has been varied. First I studied to be a R.N and did that for a few years. Then after I got married I went into the fashion business, owning and managing three ladies' boutiques. Then I started a house-building business with my husband.
Now divorced, I was looking for a new path, and travel writing just jumped out at me after I saw the promo for the San Diego workshop advertised in International Living.
TWWTT: You recently have had some success getting your first piece published. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? How did you know where to start and what gave you the confidence to proceed?
MS: Tom from The Traveler first published my clip. I approached him by sending him a query letter with my article attached. I had the confidence because Jen Stevens convinced me at the workshop that my article was good enough to be published. She helped me to edit it and make it better. I also sent that article to International Living and the Toronto Sun, and it was published by them as well.
TWWTT: What specifically about the San Diego workshop do you think helped you so much? Why would you recommend it to others?
I think the San Diego workshop was great! I had never taken a writing course before... never even thought of being a writer. But having done a great deal of traveling, it seemed to make sense. Jen is such a great teacher, the course was very informative, and the small group sessions we did at the end of the course were where I learned how to really make an article work. My fellow students offered really wonderful input.
TWWTT: What advice would you give to new students who haven't yet had an article published?
MS: Get right down to it after the course. Do not procrastinate. Every day that passes takes you further away from your initial intent. My focus was entirely on getting my query letters out and getting published. You have to want it bad enough to make it happen. Finally- read every travel magazine that you can get your hands on!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Graduates from our live workshops are enjoying the freedom of the writer's life from such far-flung lands as Hawaii, South Africa, Thailand, France, and Mexico. You can, too. In fact, imagine a whole summer of travel... free. Duane Harm and his wife Harlene spent the summer after their first workshop traveling across the western U.S. staying for free at 23 different dude ranches in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. 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.
If you're hemming and hawing about signing up for our next live workshop in Argentina, let me assure you, it's worth it: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/workshop/argentina ]
Advertisement
TAX SAVINGS EVERY FREELANCER SHOULD TAKE
Find out where you can save... what the IRS really needs to know... how to make the most of those deductions for travel, meals, entertainment, home office, and more including practical worksheets you can use to make sure you're paying as little as possible to Uncle Sam. You'll find The Writer's Tax Guide: A Money-Saving Manual for Travel Writers and Other Freelancers here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tax/tw4
THIS WEEK'S FEATURED TRAVEL PUBLICATION
Saltwater Fly Fishing is a magazine dedicated to coastal fly fishing. Their readers are interested in articles on every aspect of the topic including pieces that highlight salt water fly fishing destinations. Articles need to be informative. Seasonal pieces should be pitched six months in advance. The Regional Reports department provides the best break in possibility for travel writers—these pieces run 750 to 1200 words and cover regional fishing destinations. Queries can be sent to Russ Lumpkin, managing editor, Saltwater Fly Fishing, 735 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901. View the complete guidelines at http://www.flyfishingmagazines.com/guidelines_sff.shtml.
OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES FOR WRITERS:
- CAN YOU WRITE A SIMPLE LETTER?
If 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/ph/tw89 - RETIRE…AND GET PAID TO TRAVEL
Get the Details and Your Free report at:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/kp/tw4 - More By-lines ... More Vacations ... More Money
I haven't paid for a hotel room in FL for more than 10 years. I've sold 600 articles, 13 guidebooks, and 3,000 photographs. But it took me years to build my career. You, on the other hand, don't have to wait. I'd like to show you, personally, exactly what I do... I'll call you, review your articles, and let you in on the secrets I use to land the best assignments and the most rewarding travel deals:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/coaching - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF WRITING
Learn how to find the best story ideas and places to publish them…how and when to follow up with an editor…what you need to know about buying rights, contracts, and agreements…how to use syndication to increase your exposure and boost your earnings…and more. You'll find The Business of Writing Guide: A Practical Guide for Travel Writers (and Other Freelancers) Ready to Turn Words into Profits here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/biz/tw4 http://www.writersdigest.com/store/booksdisplay.asp?id=10851 - 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. - BIG BUCKS FOR SNAPSHOTS
Photos can be a remarkably strong sales tool when you're approaching an editor with a story. They can significantly increase your chances of getting published (and earning extra income) -- that is, if you know how to take the kinds of photos editors like. Find out the simplest and best camera to take with you (you don't want to be lugging a trunk full of equipment)... how to use time of day... create a mood... how to photograph people versus landscapes and wildlife... and more. You'll find Big Bucks for Snapshots: 53 Can't Miss Techniques for Becoming a Money-Making Freelance Photographer here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/photos/tw4 - NOTE: Big Bucks for Snap Shots comes free when you enroll in Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course at:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/kp/tw4 - TAX SAVINGS EVERY FREELANCER SHOULD TAKE
Find out where you can save... what the IRS really needs to know... how to make the most of those deductions for travel, meals, entertainment, home office, and more including practical worksheets you can use to make sure you're paying as little as possible to Uncle Sam. You'll find The Writer's Tax Guide: A Money-Saving Manual for Travel Writers and Other Freelancers here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tax/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.
NOTE: If URLs do not appear as live links in your e-mail program, please cut and paste the full URL into the location or address field of your browser.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS? E-mail us at memberservices@awaionline.com with both your old AND new information in the body of the message.
