The Write Way to Travel

Issue #85
Edited by Lori Appling in Bethany Beach, FL
October 8, 2005

" Remember as you write: Every word is a weapon." -- Herschell Gordon Lewis

Today:

• How to Tap the Hidden Power of Numbers
• Can You Take A Simple Photograph?
• The Simple Secret to Giving Editors What They Want
• This Week's Featured Travel Publication: Trailfinder Magazine
• More Opportunities and Resources for Writers

Dear Reader,

I'm in Delray Beach, Florida this week at AWAI's Copywriting Bootcamp, and we just heard from professional writer and film maker, Herschell Gordon Lewis.

Herschell writes mostly marketing copy but I think his presentation today also applies to travel writers. He talked about the importance of word-choice - saying that two phrases that might, essentially, mean the same thing, are often interpreted differently by the reader.

He compared "generic" descriptors to specific numbers and explained that the generic terms are often interpreted as "more" - more meaning greater or longer or bigger. Here's what I mean:

One hour, for example, sounds longer than 60 minutes. One day sounds longer than 24 hours. Half a pound sounds like more than eight ounces. ("If you don't believe me," he added, "just imagine what would happen if McDonalds changed the name of their Quarter Pounder to McDonalds' Four Ouncer.")

Half a quart, he continued, is more than one pint... one month seems longer than 30 days... half a kilo sounds like more than 500 grams...

Say, for instance, you're writing about a spa in Mexico and you want your description of the experience to come across as positively as possible. Instead of saying you enjoyed a "60-minute massage," (which sounds relatively short) you might call it "an hour-long escape."

This could work if you were describing a negative, too. For example, say the line for a new exhibit at the Louvre is long. Rather than saying, "You'll face a half-hour wait,"(which sounds long) you might say, instead, "Bring a book and brave the 30-minute wait. The exhibit is well worth it."

That's just one tip I've picked up over the past few days. I'll share a few more in the weeks to come.

Jennifer Stevens is here with me, and she shares another important idea below -- this one about writing to a specific audience.

You know, your goal as a professional travel writer is to sell the articles you write. But doing that -- selling your stories -- requires more than simply writing "good" or even "great" articles.

It requires knowledge of your audience -- and of the publications that are likely to pay you for the words you put on paper.

The unfortunate truth is that you can write a marvelous article... but if you send it to the 'wrong" publication, it won't get printed, no matter how good it is.

How do you ensure that doesn't happen? The first step is to have a clear idea of your reader in mind before you start. Even if you don't have a commission from a particular publication, you can always track down what publications your "target" reader subscribes to.

Now, it may seem backwards to talk about what is, essentially, a marketing decision before you even have a "product" (an article) to market. But that's how the most successful writers do it.

And that is why I asked Jennifer Stevens to break this marketing idea down into travel- writing terms, which she does, handily, below.

Before you scroll down, though, I want to remind you about The Bahamas extravaganza we have in the works. (Jen will be there, by the way.) We're heading there in November to learn about guidebook writing and photography. If you've ever dreamed of writing your own travel guidebook, I encourage you to join us.

You'll learn everything you need to know about writing and photographing for guidebooks as well as how to get your book published and negotiate your fee. Three students will get their pictures (and possibly their writing) published in B. Howard's new edition of his Adventure Guide to the Bahamas.

Call the Agora Travel office on Monday and ask for Michelle or Terri -- (800) 926-6575 or (561) 243-6276. They'll get you registered.

And, as always, remember to keep me up-to-speed on your success. If you have good news to share, send me a quick note at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com.

I hope you 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

THE SIMPLE SECRET TO GIVING EDITORS WHAT THEY WANT
By Freelance Travel Writer, Jennifer Stevens

I'm sitting in a green-and-yellow striped club chair in the lobby of the Delray Beach Marriott in Southern Florida. I'd be perched poolside, but it's pouring out. The palms on the beach across the street are whipping in the wind.

Good thing I'm not on vacation.

In fact, I'm here to teach a few pointers about writing well... and to learn a few, too.

I'm participating in AWAI's annual copywriting bootcamp, and I am struck -- as I am each year -- by how much cross-over there is between copywriting (that is, marketing writing) and travel writing.

When you're writing marketing copy, you're selling something. And, the thing is, when you're writing travel articles, you're selling something, too... an idea... a destination...

After all, you want your reader to get to the end of your article, put it down, pick up the phone, and book a trip.

To make that happen, your article must really "speak" to your reader. And that means it needs to be targeted to a specific person -- a person who has certain beliefs, and wants, and needs.

Your article cannot be all things to all people.

In other words, a piece on "Traveling in Colorado" is too general. While all sorts of different people might be interested in doing that, an article with that sweeping a topic just won't provide the specifics necessary to keep enough of them interested. (Or get an editor interested, either, for that matter.)

By contrast, any one of these pieces would have genuine appeal to different, but specific audiences:

• Three Mountain Day-Trips to Take with Kids
• Where to Find the Best Fall Colors in Colorado
• Five Easy Colorado Hikes
• Colorado by Car: A Five-Day Itinerary through Mountain and Plain
• No-Crowd Skiing in Colorado

Not only that, but the more specific and targeted your article is, the easier it will be to write. That's because when you confine your article to a relatively narrow topic, it's easier to decide what doesn't belong in that article -- what is, really, unrelated and extraneous information. And, naturally, it's easier to decide what does belong in it.

What's more, when you take on an article that has a relatively narrow scope, and which you target to a specific audience, it's easier to sell, too.

Editors appreciate a piece that's designed to pique the interests of their readers -- something that doesn't smell generic. Give them what they want... and you'll land those by-lines you're after.

[Editor's Note: Jennifer Stevens has spent the balance of the last decade gallivanting through Latin America and the Caribbean -- to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Mexico and beyond writing about the best locales for overseas travel, retirement, and investment. She is the former editor of International Living and is author of AWAI's Ultimate Travel Writer's Course: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sh/tw4. You can meet her in person this November in The Bahamas. For details: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/bahamas]

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INTRODUCING - AWAI'S NEW E-LETTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS...

Everyday more than 20,000 photographs are published in the US alone. More than 80% of them are shot by freelance photographers, many of them amateurs. You don't need fancy equipment. And you don't need to know a thing about photography to get started. Sign up now for AWAI's new FREE, monthly e-letter and learn how: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/travelwriteroffer

As a special gift, you'll also receive David Morgan's Shoot to Sell in 3 Days. This FREE mini-course includes tips you can put into practice immediately to jump-start your new career.

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED TRAVEL PUBLICATION

Trailfinder Magazine is published three times a year in the UK. Each issue includes four short travel articles written by freelancer travel writers. Articles cover destinations in North America, Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America, and South Africa, but not Europe. A separate edition is also published in Australia which includes two travel articles, one of which usually does cover a European city. Usually, the articles selected for publication are written about your own experience at the destination and capture something unique about the people, the culture, the scenery, the cuisine. Articles usually cover an easily accessible destination and run 800 words. They accept manuscripts on speculation only. Send articles in Word format to trailfindermag@trailfinders.com.

OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES FOR WRITERS:

CHECK OUT: http://www.fwointl.com/ -- A free site that hosts thousands of writing resources and writing links in a massive online database. 40+ genres, funds for writers, job listings, education, news, submission calls, research library. Publishers of Inkwell Newswatch (IN) Writers ezine. All forms of writing resources available. Professional writing resources and writing links for editors, journalists and writers of all mediums.

RETIRE OVERSEAS! Live better...for less, travel farther, have more fun, and maybe make a lot of money...when you expand your world beyond U.S. shores. Read International Living's FREE daily e-letter. http://www.agoraimages.com/opt/tw/

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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

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

THE AWAI FORUM FOR TRAVEL WRITERS -- You'll find this excellent online resource at: http://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.

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

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

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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