Edited by Lori Appling in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"I handed in a script last year and the studio didn't change one word. The word they didn't change was on page 87." -- Steve Martin
Today:
- Do You Want My Job?
- Let Us Help You Double Your Travel Writing Success
- Set Yourself Up for Perks
- This Week's Featured Travel Publication: Outpost Magazine
- More Opportunities and Resources For Writers
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Dear Reader,
The plan today is to go hang gliding.
Here’s the story: From March 30-April 2, we held our live travel-writing workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (I sent you daily reports to fill you in on some of the secrets the attendees were learning. In case you missed them, you can read them in the E-letter Archive on our website: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/.)
Anyway, rather than fly right home from Buenos Aires, I've taken a few days off to explore South America.
I visited Iguazu Falls (a collection of more than 275 waterfalls spanning nearly twice the length of Niagara Falls in Canada).
And then I hopped a flight to Brazil. I'm in Rio de Janeiro, and today, as long as the weather holds out, I'm going hang gliding over the city.
I tell you: This really has got to be the best job in the world. I'm exploring new places and meeting new people.
I've been taking lots of notes and doing my best to travel with a writer's sensibility. (In other words, I'm paying attention to what all my senses reveal... striking up conversations with the locals... and picking up lots of brochures and menus and business cards so I've got all the "practical" stuff I need at hand when I sit down to write, once I'm home.)
I'll scribble a few articles about my experiences (I've got quite a few ideas in mind), and then when I sell them to publications, I'll earn by-lines and checks in return.
It's a fantastic way to defray the cost of my vacation. And, not only that, but I'll also be able to write off portions of my expenses on my taxes. (You know, you can do the same thing on your next vacation. Our tax expert details exactly how here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tax/tw4 )
In other news, student Jeanine Buckley wrote to say that even though she hasn't finished Jen Stevens' travel-writer course yet, she's already enjoyed great success getting published. She says:
"TravelLady Magazine has now published two more articles I recently submitted.
"The feedback she gave was that my writing is so good she's anxiously waiting for more articles. She even started sending me invites to press trips to motivate me to finish more articles.
"I just submitted my first course assignment, so I think I'm doing this backwards, but it's working! Thanks for the GREAT courses. (I'm also taking the copywriting course, and have landed a copywriting assignment -- have just finished the first assignment there too.)"
As Jeanine can attest, both The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course (http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/kp/tw4) and AWAI's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting (http://www.thewriterslife.com/ph/tw89) are, above all else, practical and hands-on. They don't deliver esoteric advice. They show you exactly what you need to do to be successful.
Speaking of success, a reader of this e-letter sent this question:
"I'm new to the whole process of submission -- I've been writing personal essays, so the material that I write about is my own.
"But if I'm writing about a place -- do I need to somehow get their approval? Specifically, I've written a 300-word piece on "Tour and Tea" at the National Cathedral -- do I need to get any kind of 'approval' from the Cathedral before I send the piece out?"
I've asked Jen Stevens (author of our travel-writer course) to supply an answer. She does, below, and also talks about one of the best ways you can use your interaction with the "powers that be" at the places you're writing about to not only position yourself as a professional, but to put yourself in a position to garner the kinds of perks successful travel writers enjoy. Scroll down for Jen's commentary.
And 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 week,
-- 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
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GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT, GET THEM PUBLISHED, AND GET THOSE PERKS
By Jennifer Stevens in Colorado Springs, CO
Do you need to ask permission to publish something about a place you've visited? The simple answer is: No... at least, not in the United States.
Here the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees us the right to free expression. And so as a writer, you can say what you like about a place -- provided it's not libelous.
In other words, say what you like -- but make sure you have your facts right.
Now, as a travel writer, this is not hard to do. You're not investigating scandals. You're not setting up secret meetings with sources who insist they remain anonymous.
You're writing in the interest of educating your readers about the world. You're writing to encourage people to explore the planet. You're offering up your observations and thoughts and, too, the practical information readers need to follow in your footsteps.
It is in the interest of the places you're profiling that you have access to all the information you need. After all, most folks in the travel industry are itching for "press." Good press leads to good business. (And, essentially, it's free advertising. In fact, it's arguably better than free advertising.)
So whether you're dealing with a museum, hotel, cruise company, tourist board, restaurant, shop, tour operator, or any other travel-related firm, you'll likely find the management eager to accommodate you... happy to provide you with as much help as possible... and anxious to answer your questions.
That said, you are under no obligation to inform anybody at the place you're writing about (we'll say it's a museum) that you're there to gather information for a story.
Nor are you under any obligation to show anyone at this museum your story before you send it to your editor. (In fact, most journalists would consider it bad form to do so.)
VERIFY THE FACTS -- IT'S YOUR JOB
However, as I said earlier, you should make sure you have all your facts right. The editorial staff at the publication you're writing for will insist on that and may even have a fact-checker verify what you've written.
So before you submit an article to an editor, double-check the facts yourself. Now, you could simply call the museum and confirm the hours of operation, for instance, by listening to the recorded announcement.
But you'd be better off talking to the museum's public-relations or media-relations person. That's because by doing so you put yourself on that person's radar screen.
TURN YOUR QUESTIONS INTO PERKS
That is a good place to be for several reasons:
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It can help you get more information (and more access) than you ever thought possible. So ask what questions you need to ask to be sure the information in your article is correct. But then think about what would make your piece better.
If talking with the curator of a particular exhibit could prove fruitful, then ask if it's possible. Chances are, your contact may suggest just that, well before you ask.
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It's a way for you to stay plugged-in to what's going on. Ask your p.r. contact to put you on her media list so that you receive regular press releases about the museum. And ask her what's coming up -- show genuine interest.
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It can lead to some attractive perks. You see, it's not just press releases the p.r. person holds. She is also the keeper of such bennies as free museum passes, invitations to preview new exhibits, wine-and-cheese receptions with artists, and so on.
And those are the coveted items she hands out (with pleasure) to the writers who she likes most. Those writers tend to be the ones whose articles have most benefited her museum in the past.
USE A THANK YOU TO STAY ON THAT RADAR SCREEN
Once your piece is published, make sure that you send a quick thank you with a copy of your article to the p.r. person who helped you out -- even if it was simply to verify a few facts.
Remember, your article makes her look good. She'll file it. And she'll remember you. It's a smart way for you to stay on her radar screen -- and stay at the top of her "invite" list, too.
[You'll find four days of sound advice and insider secrets from Jen Stevens, Steenie Harvey, John Forde, and other experts in our Virtual Workshop. It's the next-best thing to meeting with them in person. For details: www.thetravelwriterslife.com/virtual ]
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OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES FOR WRITERS:
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF WRITING
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THE AWAI FORUM FOR TRAVEL WRITERS --
You'll find this excellent online resource at: www.thetravelwriterslife.com/forums . 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
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