Are You a Scaredy-Cat Writer?
Are You a Scaredy-Cat Writer? Four Steps to Conquer Your Fears and Set Yourself up for Success this Week If you have yet to find success as a travel writer, odds are, it's not because the three articles a week you're sending out are all ill-suited for the publications to which you're sending them. No, [...]
Four Ways to Horrify a French Waiter
Today: *** Coffee, Cheese, Butter, and Substitutes: Four Sure-Fire Ways to Ruin an Otherwise Good French Meal *** Authentic Paris: Three Ways to Find It (see today's main article) and the Best Way to Write about It (see today's writing prompt) *** Leave Your Money at Home! If You're Still Paying for Your Travel, Let [...]
April's Photo Challenge Theme: Hospitality and Welcome
In honor of our photography workshop, coming up in Charleston, South Carolina this month, we'd like to pay tribute to Charleston's good ol' southern charm. That's why April's photo challenge theme is: HOSPITALITY AND WELCOME. Pictures might include, for example: * A hostesses or restaurant server seating people or delivering food to a table * [...]
Caught Between a Clock and a Hard Place
How to Turn Your Dreams into Reality in Five Minutes a Day and Other Tips for Time-Stressed Dreamers By Valerie Young in Northampton, MA You've already made up your mind that there has to be more to life than careers, cubicles, and commuting. Yet, the prospect of making a major life change when you're already [...]
Flying Coach...
This month's National Geographic Traveler Magazine includes an article with tips for making the most out of coach class seats.
Superman vs the Frog
If you can make your photographs more unique, you’ll make them more salable too. And one way to do that is to change your “perspective,” your angle. You see, most people tend to photograph from their everyday perspective. In other words, they stand with their feet shoulder width apart and pull the camera up to [...]
Turning a Bad Hotel into a Good Travel Article
In yesterday's newsletter we answered this question from one of our readers: "If you're sent to do a piece on a specific location, such as a hotel, and it turns out to be terrible, do you still have to write the article as promised? If so, what do you say? If you don't feel you [...]
Eating Guinea Pig...
Today: *** How to Turn a Bad Hotel into a Good Travel Article *** Practical Writing Prompt of the Week: Eating Guinea Pig *** Reader Feedback: Writing for Other Markets *** More Opportunities and Resources for Writers Dear Reader, Before you scroll down to today's writing prompt (about eating guinea pig and drinking turkey-flavored soda), [...]
Fix Your Photos with 2 Quick Photoshop Tips
It wasn't too long ago that everyone was shooting film and you had to take your film to a lab to be processed before you could get your prints (or slides). The lab would run your film through a chemical process to "develop" it. Some photographers had their own darkrooms and did the processing themselves. [...]
Stock Agencies: What They Pay and How to Break In
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "TRADITIONAL" AND MICRO STOCK PHOTO AGENCIES: WHAT THEY PAY AND HOW TO BREAK IN A radical shift is underway in the world of stock photography today. Some argue it represents the death of professional photography as we know it. Others are embracing the changing market and finding ways to thrive in it. [...]
Turn Your Family Into Cash
Today: *** Turn Your Family into Cash (without Selling the Kids)... Plus, Budget Travel Magazine Wants Your Family Pictures *** Practical Writing Prompt of the Week: Walking Tours *** Reader Question: Do I Need a Release to Quote Someone in an Article? *** More Opportunities and Resources for Writers Dear Reader, In Wednesday's issue, I [...]
February Winners: "Paint the Town Red"
Every month, I tell Lori that these photo challenges are getting harder and harder to judge. I've noticed that the caliber of photographs has improved tremendously and I hope that's because you're starting to apply what you learn here in these weekly photo tips. January's winner, Judy Guffey, had the privilege (and challenge) of being [...]
