tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1 2008-06-30T15:13:35Z Movable Type 3.32 tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.513 2008-06-30T15:11:14Z 2008-06-30T15:13:35Z

********************** June 28, 2008 The Right Way to Travel ********************** HOW TO ENSURE YOU ALWAYS SNAG THE BEST HOMETOWN STORIES By Jennifer Stevens in Colorado Springs, CO Snorting steers, six deep for a city block, clomp down Tejon Street with wild eyes. Riding horseback, ranch hands in leather chaps and cowboy hats keep them in line. Pikes Peak offers up a 14,000-foot backdrop. And, for a few minutes, you get the distinct feeling that this town really is part of the old, authentic west. This once-a-year tradition kicks off the Ride for the Brand Rodeo. But I missed the story. Because even though I sat on the curb saying, "I should really sell an article about this to an airline in-flight magazine," I didn't do anything to make it happen. You see, in-flight editors always like to have hometown stories written by hometown people. But to ensure you can deliver as a local "expert," you've got to have the goods when the editor needs them. And that means stories that could run any time as well as stories that are time-sensitive. For instance, an editor could run a piece about the Garden of the Gods (a local tourist attraction here) any month of the year. But she could only print a story on the Ride for the Brand Rodeo in the weeks before it occurs -- so readers would have time to get to it. To ensure you can offer editors both sorts of pieces, take up these three habits: ** 1) Carry a little notebook and pen in your pocket -- even if you aren't headed out to "cover" a story. You just never know when you'll come upon one. I could have easily turned to the folks sitting to my left and asked what had brought them there and how they liked what they saw. But I didn't have a notebook in my pocket. So instead of being able to pitch that story to a magazine for publication this summer, I'll have to go again this coming July 4th and pitch the story to a magazine for an issue next summer. Talk about "you snooze you lose." **2) When you're headed out to an event (a festival, a weekend art walk, a movie in the park, a cattle drive down your main street) -- even if you have no intention of writing about it -- bring your camera anyway. If you have photos, you can often fill in the details for a story afterwards. But without the photos, you'll find that story a lot harder to sell. ** 3) Use your camera to take notes. You needn't ruin a perfectly good outing by spending the whole time ignoring your friends and family while you scribble notes. Instead, shoot a picture of that Historic Landmark sign so you'll have a copy of the full text to refresh your memory later. Or put that restaurant menu on your lap and take a quick shot. That way you'll have all the prices and the correct spelling for each entrée recorded. [Ed Note: Jen Stevens is author of AWAI's Ultimate Travel Writer's Program (http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/kp/website) and architect of our live workshops. She was also the lead instructor at our live Breaking into In-Flight Magazines event this past December where several of our attendees learned to land by-lines in prestigious airline in-flight magazines. We recorded that event and packaged the recordings with our popular Breaking into In-flights Writer's Guide which you can still get for a 20% discount until Monday, here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/nut/website.] ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.512 2008-06-30T14:55:09Z 2008-06-30T15:08:10Z

June 26, 2008 ************************* Featured Publication: Up Magazine Website: http://www.up-magazine.com ************************* GET PAID TO GO TO LOCAL BARS AND SHOP FOR SOUVENIRS By Bonnie Caton in Arlington, Virginia If you can shop for souvenirs, enjoy local festivals, scout out the best places to have a drink with friends, discover up-and-coming neighborhoods, and get to know the prominent people in the towns West Jet airlines flies, then you can write for its in-flight magazine, Up. Up magazine covers a wide variety of topics relating to travel, celebrities, and business tips. It publishes freelance-written content in 17 different magazine departments, including hotel round-ups, business advice, book reviews, travel gear, restaurant recommendations, interviews with prominent or interesting people, and even where to get the best souvenirs in West Jet destinations. More than half of Up's main sections run under 300 words long, and six hover around 200 words, making Up a good magazine to break into with a small, postcard piece. If you write long, consider a restaurant round-up or an article in the Day Tripper section, which profiles a destination within driving distance of a West Jet destination. Day Tripper stories should include photos and a map of the area, according to the guidelines, and should be "off the beaten path." If you've got an idea for an article on one of these topics, you'll have to query the magazine for approval, first. In your query, the editors would like to see your story idea, angle, length, and direction you plan to take. You'll want to make sure that it conforms specifically to one of the magazine sections. Also, include one or two clips, attached as a Microsoft Word document, and let them know if you have photos available. Tomorrow we'll hear from photographer Pat Stevens about how to take photos that make in-flight magazine art directors happy. Until then, you'll find more information on what to write for Up Magazine and what to include with your pitch in the writer's guidelines, here: http://www.up-magazine.com/contributor_guidelines_sept2607.pdf And if you want to make it even easier to get into Up Magazine - or a dozen other prestigious, glossy in-flight magazines - pick up a copy of our popular guide, Breaking into Airline In-Flight Magazines: Secrets, Tips, and Tactics to Quickly and Easily Crack one of the Industry's Most Lucrative (and Glamorous) Markets. For the next four days, you can get it, along with two of our most popular travel books, for 20% off, here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/nut/website . ************************* Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eletter ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.511 2008-06-25T15:42:23Z 2008-06-30T15:07:50Z

You'll find more than 100 story-hungry publications profiled in our website archives now (www.thetravelwriterslife.com)... all places where you can earn a by-line and a check. But even though we profile a new one every month, we can't possibly cover them all (there are thousands)... So today, I asked Roy Stevenson, one of our previous Ultimate Travel Writing Workshop attendees, how he finds editors to buy his stories. Roy has sold more than 150 stories since attending our Ultimate Travel Writing Event last year. Scroll down to find out how... -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. There are still 15 seats left for this year's Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop in San Francisco this July 24-26, 2008. Don't forget that the Early Bird Discount expires on Tuesday. Go here today to reserve your seat at the discounted price: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco . ********************** June 21, 2008 The Right Way to Travel ********************** From Magazine Reader to Prolific Writer in 10 Months: An Interview with Retiree -Turned-Freelance-Travel-Writer Roy Stevenson By Bonnie Caton in Arlington, Virginia Roy Stevenson doesn't need Writer's Market to find out where to get published. He likes to do his own research on publications at newsagents and bookstores like Barnes and Noble. He knows his magazine racks... and the sales clerks know him. They even tell him about other magazines in his writing genres when they see him walk in the door. Roy's been at it since he came to the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop last July... and over the last 10 months, he's met with loads of success - 150 published articles. The coolest part, he says, is walking into Barnes and Noble, grabbing a magazine off the shelf, and flipping through to find his name on the glossy pages. I interviewed Roy this week to find out what kind of research he's doing... how he went from magazine reader to magazine writer... and where he finds the right publications for his stories without using Writer's Market. Here's my interview... BONNIE: Let's start with a little background. What made you want to come to the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop in Portland last July in the first place? ROY: I'm an exercise physiologist by trade. I train personal trainers to work in fitness clubs in the Puget Sound area. I teach mornings at a local community college (exercise science, nutrition, health, and P.E. classes). But I've only been back in the U.S. for one year after spending almost six years living overseas. Three years in Singapore and two-and-a-half years in Belgium. I didn't work in this time, as my wife was on an expat contract, so I traveled non-stop around Asia and Europe. Thirty-five countries in five years! Now that I'm back, I want to write about the amazing places I've seen and some of the exciting things I've done. That's why I attended the Travel Writer's Workshop last year in Portland. I've had articles published before. Twenty years ago, I wrote about running and fitness (which I have broken back into with much success these past 10 months), but travel writing is whole new game to me. I can write fitness and running articles in my sleep -- but it's the travel and military stuff that excites me to no end. BONNIE: Where do you go first when you're looking for publications for your travel, military, or fitness articles? ROY: First, I check the better-stocked magazine racks in about four or five bookstores and specialty magazine stores here in town. Specialty magazine stores, or newsagents, can be real gold mines. They tend to stock some of the more offbeat publications you won't find in Barnes and Noble and the other big chain stores. Offbeat magazines are generally more "freelancer friendly" than the big glossies on the supermarket racks. I check these racks every three weeks. I know the people working in the specialty stores now, and they know the genres I write about. Often, they even tell me if there's a new publication I should know about. BONNIE: Where else do you look? ROY: The Internet, of course. It's amazing what you'll uncover when you Google your genre. I Googled "maritime magazines" to find some leads to pitch a series of articles about maritime museums in Europe and eventually came up with a list of well over 50! There are other online sources I'll use occasionally, too. Some time ago, AWAI published a lead on NewsDirectory.com, which I use when I'm tracking down newspapers to pitch. It has proved invaluable, and I've had two successful newspaper article leads from it so far. I also always keep an eye on the magazines and e-zines profiled in the weekly "Featured Publications" you send out, as I've gotten some tasty little morsels from those, too. BONNIE: When you're out researching for a place to pitch your articles, how do you choose publications that are approachable, and that you know will fit your writing style? ROY: I know this is hardly scientific, but I'm a big believer in multiple submissions and will pitch an article idea to any magazine I think the article could or should appear in. I'm just not scared to pitch anyone. And here's a tip that's helped me a lot: I don't care about rejection letters. A rejection letter at least indicates the editors are looking at my pitch. Sometimes they like my query letter so much they suggest I pitch them with something else. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm including below two other secrets Roy has given us in the past about how he's maneuvered his success. But he's saving his biggest secret for this year's Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop in San Francisco this July 24-26. We've asked Roy to be a guest speaker at this event and share with our attendees how he gets multiple by-lines and paychecks out of a single article... along with his seven-step strategy for going from story idea to publishable clip. You can meet and shake hands with Roy and other travel writing experts like Jennifer Stevens and Steenie Harvey there. Plus, pick up writer's guidelines and editor interviews to about a dozen approachable travel publications at this year's Publication Expo. You have only three days to sign up before the Early Bird Discount period ends. Sign up here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco . And here are the other two travel writing secrets from Roy: How to create a sacred bond with editors: http://tinyurl.com/6jzrpd How to advance your writer status by starting small and working up: http://tinyurl.com/5b3yyn .] ************************* Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eletter ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.510 2008-06-25T15:35:01Z 2008-06-30T15:04:16Z

Once upon a time, two travel writers had the same great idea - to write a story about romantic picnic spots in New York City. Then, by a slip of fate, they both submitted their stories to the same editor on the same day. One of the stories was masterfully written, full of practical advice, and followed the writer's guidelines exactly. The other story was good. Not nearly as well written. But it came with bright, beautiful photos of each picnic spot... with people out enjoying the sun in the city. Which one did the editor pick? You guessed it. The story with the beautiful photos. These days, even as a writer, you're nowhere without a decent camera. I just bought a new camera myself, so I know how hard it is to find the right one. So today, I have a special gift to help you out when you look for your next camera. It's a Free Report called: How to Buy the Right Camera. I've posted it on our website for you to download (free) here: http://www.thephotographerslife.com We'll talk more about how to pair articles with photos for greater success at The Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop this July 24-26 in San Francisco. If you haven't already done so, you should sign up before the $300 Early Bird Discount period ends (only four days remain). You'll find all the details here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. While the story above might sound like a hypothetical fairy tale, editors tell us all the time that they'd prefer great photographs with mediocre writing over great writing with mediocre photographs. One travel editor at a big city paper once told us in an interview: "Occasionally, truly stunning photographs will carry a mediocre story, but rarely is the reverse true. A great read is usually not enough to hold up terrible photography." Another way to get published more often is to explore hot trends and niche travel markets, like food writing. Food-related travel articles are hot right now. But if you're missing us in Denver tomorrow for our Denver Food Writing workshop, don't worry. We're recording the whole thing. And today, you can reserve a copy of the recordings, which come with our new guide: Formulas for Breaking into Food Writing here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eat/website. We're offering this package at a huge discount because it hasn't gone to print yet. Which is why it's worth your attention right now -- because when you order ahead, you'll get all the materials at a fraction of the cost. ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.508 2008-06-25T15:00:23Z 2008-06-30T15:03:50Z

How to Break Into Food Writing Workshop Denver, Colorado June 21, 2008 Handouts - * Terms to Know - here * Story Starters - here Recordings - * The Biggest Little Niche: The Easiest, Fastest Way to Break into Food Writing, by Jennifer Stevens - PowerPoint Presentation - here - Audio Recording * Why It's Easier Than You Think: Three Tried-and-True Fundamentals the Pros Know That You May Not, by Jennifer Stevens - PowerPoint Presentation - - Audio Recording * How to Know What to Write: 11 Recipes for Food-Focused Articles You Could Write Next Week, by Jennifer Stevens - PowerPoint Presentation - here - Audio Recording * "So this guy was standing at the meat counter...": How to Conceive and Package Your Ideas So They Sell Easily and Quickly, by Jennifer Stevens - PowerPoint Presentation - here - Audio Recording * Foodie Spy Tricks: What to Notice Before, During and After Your Meal, by Kyle Wagner - Audio Recording * Guided Tasting: How the Pros Write about Food, by Kyle Wagner - Audio Recording * Idea Generator: Where to Find Stories You Can Sell... Plus, Three Sure-Fire First Sentences to Help You Get Them on Paper, by Jennifer Stevens and Kyle Wagner - PowerPoint Presentation- here - Audio Recording * How to Approach -- and Charm -- Editors into Buying Your Ideas, by Jennifer Stevens - PowerPoint Presentation - Audio Recording * What's Next? Your Three-Step Plan for Success, by Jennifer Stevens - PowerPoint Presentation - here - Audio Recording * Questions and Answers - Audio Recording ]]> tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.509 2008-06-25T14:35:37Z 2008-06-30T15:02:55Z

************************* Featured Publication: Transitions Abroad Website: http://www.transitionsabroad.com ************************* REAL TRAVELERS WHO YOU LOVE TO EAT: THIS IS YOUR MAGAZINE By Bonnie Caton in Arlington, Virginia When you travel, do you get a rush out of navigating public transportation, stumbling through the language, and chowing down with the locals? If you do, then you're probably not a tourist... but rather, what Transitions Abroad magazine refers to as a real "traveler." This magazine defines itself by underlining this difference between tourists and travelers. "The distinction is simple," the guidelines say, "tourists are those who bring their homes with them wherever they go, and apply them to whatever they see. They are closed to experiences outside of the superficial. Travelers, however, leave home at home, bringing only themselves and a desire to learn." This distinction is an important thing to understand about the magazine if you'd like to get published in it. And, really, it's a great place for a by-line. They have over five million readers a year and they're still accepting articles from new writers. The pay isn't bad, either: $75 to $100 for about two pages of single-spaced text. As a writer, what I like about the site is that I can see a long list of story titles and teasers in each department. The culinary travel section, for example, includes stories about how to find good eats in Bangkok, but nothing on northern Thailand. I've made a mental note that this might be a good place to pitch my story about a fiery cooking class I took up north in Chiang Mai. Here's what you need to know if you're thinking about pitching any of your travel stories here: For starters, Transitions Abroad magazine is looking for practical how-to stories that are respectful of local culture. The editors stress that your article should be information-based and up-to-date, so be careful to check your facts, too. They also encourage that you add a sidebar with any details that aren't in your story, like prices, contact information, directions, etc. Articles about food markets, cooking lessons, wine, and other culinary-related subjects are welcome, so long as they stick with the independent traveler (not tourist) theme and allow readers to experience a culture - any culture - on a deeper level. You'll find all the information you need to submit a story to the culinary travel section under the Cultural Immersion Travel Writer's Guidelines, here: http://tinyurl.com/5ssht9. Should you write a knockout article that closely follows the writer's guidelines, you can submit the whole thing (as an attached Microsoft Word document only) via e-mail to webeditorial@transitionsabroad.com. Here's to you -- and me -- getting published in Transitions Abroad. [Editor's Note: I leave tomorrow for Denver, where I expect to pick up some more tips for my next food-related travel articles. If you're missing us in Denver, don't wait another minute before signing up for our next travel writing event in San Francisco. This is our biggest event of the year and we always sell out before the Early Bird expires. After this, we won't host another travel writing event like this in 2008. You'll have to wait a full year before the opportunity comes around again. Sign up today and save $300 here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco .] ************************* Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eletter ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.507 2008-06-13T20:34:06Z 2008-06-25T15:49:04Z

here. Freelance writer Steenie Harvey also has some great tips about what editors like and how to make sure you're matching your article to the right publication. So today, I'd like to pass along one of her funny (yet all-too-true) articles on why good travel articles often get unwanted rejection slips. Scroll down for details... -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. Steenie will be with us at the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop this July 24-26 in San Francisco. Adept at landing incredible assignments -- and an editor's dream to work with -- this July, she'll tell you how she does it... and hand over the keys to getting unbelievable perks. You'll find more details here. NO POODLES - NO FALSE TEETH - NO TRAVEL ARTICLES: EIGHT REASONS WHY GOOD ARTICLES GET UNWANTED REJECTION SLIPS By Steenie Harvey in Ireland Here comes another one, just like the one before it. This time the envelope is from Condé Nast Traveler. Tearing it open, you discover the depressingly familiar contents. Instead of a check, it's yet another rejection slip... Six months along the freelance travel writer trail, and you've just garnered the 17th refusal for your story about the gal pal trip to Paris. What's wrong with these editors? You've shown it to your humor-deficient Mom, and even she giggled like crazy. That sleazy guy on the Metro who stood far too close for comfort... losing Tammy at the Eiffel Tower... the karaoke bar full of drunken Australians. Oh, and the mad picnic at Versailles -- nobody realized Marita had false front teeth until they got stuck in a baguette... Emily erupted in violent blotches after one slice of garlic salami... and, to top it all, a poodle came and piddled on the pâté. But Budget Travel didn't want it, Travel & Leisure didn't want it, and the Washington Post's travel section never even replied. So why is your story constantly being rejected? Well, it does sound suspiciously like the kind of claptrap that some novice writers just love to indulge in. Editors (and readers) want to hear about the destination -- not about you, your family, or your lunatic friends. In a nutshell, they want to know what's in it for them. But say you haven't written reams of "me, me, me" nonsense. You know you've got a really great story -- there are benefits galore for the reader -- but it's still pulling in the rejection slips. Are you absolutely certain you're not doing something fundamentally wrong? I'll list a few common reasons why you might be getting the editorial cold shoulder in a moment, but first, look more closely at those rejection slips. Are they all standard print-outs and generic e-mails? Or has an editor sent a more personalized reply? If it's a personal reply, don't give up hope with that particular publication. Personalized notes show the editor may be receptive to working with you -- editors are busy people and it would be far less time-consuming to send a standard "no thanks" rejection slip. Yet if they've taken the trouble to send a personal reply, you might actually take that as a sign of encouragement. Just because, on this occasion, the story (or even the query letter about a story) won't work for them, doesn't mean that will always be the case. What you should do is thoroughly study some past issues of the magazine -- and then send off another story/query that's more in keeping with previous articles. That said, let's turn now to those common reasons for rejection... 1. Are you aiming too high, too soon? Most of us have tried it, but the well-known glossy travel magazines are notoriously difficult for novices to crack. Unless you have something astoundingly unique to offer, the best way to break into these publications is with short, "front-of-the-book" pieces. 2. Do the writer's guidelines say "queries only?" (You have read the writer's guidelines, haven't you?) If so, do you really think you deserve special treatment... and that they'll accept your unsolicited manuscript? 3. Is your story right for the publication you're aiming at? Again, carefully study the writer's guidelines as well as copies of the magazine. If none of the articles are written in the first person, this is not the place for your personal experience of camel-riding in Mongolia. No matter how fascinating the tale, it won't find a home in publications that only use North American travel stories either. 4. Has the publication focused on the destination recently? Or is your article "old news?" For example, there's no point in pitching stories about locations in The Da Vinci Code -- that was done to death years ago. 5. Is your query or story title too vague? "An American's Impressions of Rome" won't work -- but something on "The Nine Most Romantic Places to Picnic in Rome" might. It doesn't have to be a round-up article, but most good travel stories have a definite theme. 6. Is your spelling atrocious? Many editors are lousy spellers themselves, but it offends their journalistic principles to see others doing it. We know of one travel editor who immediately bins any article when she sees the word "accommodation" spelled incorrectly. Use your computer spell-check! Grammar and punctuation are vitally important too. 7. Ah, the azure blue waters and all those villages that nestle. Is your story too cliché-ridden? Any article that starts by calling a place "a Paradise" or "an Eden" means automatic rejection if you send it to Howard Pousner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (It's one of his pet peeves.) 8. Have you got the editor's name right? Most editors hate it when their name is misspelled. Mary Lou Nolan, travel editor of the Kansas City Star, says "the writer doesn't have a prayer." What's even worse is addressing your query/story to the previous occupant of the job. That's almost guaranteed to bring on fits of editorial apoplexy. I had my own share of rejection slips when I was starting out as a freelance writer. So don't be disheartened if you're still waiting to see your name in print. If you can learn from your mistakes, your professionalism and persistence WILL pay off. [ED. NOTE: In case you don't know Steenie Harvey, a frequent contributor here, she's International Living's roving editor, a world traveler who's ventured from Ireland to Thailand to India to Spain and well beyond (and that's just in one year). If, like Steenie, you'd like to get paid to travel... don't miss the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop this July 24-26 in San Francisco. If you've ever dreamed of writing stories from a hammock at a beach cabana in the Yucatan, getting free hotel stays and VIP service wherever you go, and getting paid to live the life you want... Then this is your chance to make that dream a reality. If you're ready to transform yourself into an accomplished, professional travel writer, plus have in hand approachable publications where you can get your start, The Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop is hands-down the best place to begin your journey. We only host this event once a year, so it always sells out. Sign up today, as seats are filling up fast and the Early Bird Discount period ends in just 12 days! Reserve your seat here. ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com ]]> tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.505 2008-06-13T16:37:24Z 2008-06-13T20:28:51Z

here. Even if you can’t make it to this year’s Expo, the report is still worth a look. It’s full of tips that can help you get published no matter where you send your articles. And, if you haven’t registered for The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop yet, click here for details. Or, call Terry toll-free at (866) 415-1425. I look forward to seeing you there! -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com]]> tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.504 2008-06-13T16:23:01Z 2008-06-13T20:26:12Z

Click here to download:
"How to Get the Most Out of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop Publication Expo."]]> tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.506 2008-06-12T18:17:49Z 2008-06-25T15:50:47Z

here. Most of these smaller departments in the magazine look approachable for newer writers. And, if you land a byline in Spirit, you'll have a prestigious, good-looking clip under your belt. Plus, the pay is very good -- around a dollar per word -- so you could make around $300 for half a page of text or up to $700 for about two pages. This is an in-flight writing opportunity to jump on sooner rather than later. And if you want to write about cities that Southwest Airlines doesn't cover, you can consider other in-flight magazines, too. There are scads of them out there. One way is to go through each of their websites, searching for the writer's guidelines. Or, you can get a list of 25 of the most approachable magazines, with their writer's guidelines and detailed instructions on how to write and pitch stories in our Breaking into In-Flights guide. You can get your hands on that guide for 20% off right now, along with another two of our most popular travel products in our special "Flying for Peanuts" bundle. Sign up soon, though, because the bundle deal ends in less than two weeks. Find out more here. ************************* Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here. ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com ]]> tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.503 2008-06-06T23:11:18Z 2008-06-25T15:52:03Z

Flying for Peanuts: Which Credit Card Has the Best Travel Rewards Program Yesterday, I gave you a list of four credit cards I recommend for their travel rewards programs. And I told you that I recommended a different one for each of the people in the office here because each person has different needs and preferences. Today, I thought to give you some more details about my recommendations so you have a better idea about which card might make the most sense for you. If you missed yesterday's issue on credit card reward programs, you'll find it here. And here's my detailed rundown on the cards I recommended to my staff: Maximum Rewards Platinum Edition Visa is right for... People like our staff writer, Bonnie Caton. Here's why I recommended the Maximum Rewards Platinum Edition Visa for her: ** 1) It's a Visa card. Bonnie shops in thrift stores and eats in little corner cafes. Since Visa is more likely to be accepted in these places, I recommended she choose Visa over American Express. ** 2) It doesn't have an annual fee. Bonnie doesn't currently use a credit card. Nor does she have a lot of expenses she can charge to one -- no car insurance, no gas, no pets, no home improvement, and she's not a big shopper. At a rate of one point per dollar, it's not likely Bonnie will charge enough in one calendar year to claim a free flight, much less justify an annual fee. ** 3) The Maximum Rewards Platinum Edition Visa gives THREE points on every dollar spent on flights and hotel. And that's what a large portion of Bonnie's chargeable expenses are. Her family lives in Portland, so she flies back and forth on holidays and sometimes just for a visit. She also flies quite a bit for our workshops. And those dollars can quickly add up. **4) With this card, even though you earn one point per dollar (and more when your charges are for airfares and hotels) your points actually trade in at a higher value. A $400 plane ticket, for example, will only cost you 32,000 points rather than 40,000. AND the card comes with an entire catalog full of other rewards that aren't travel-related -- Starbucks gift cards, computer equipment, hot air balloon rides, and more. Bonnie's a "life experiences" kinda gal so she may want to accumulate points for a hot air balloon ride or a drive around the race car track. That, or trade her points in for gift certificates she can send to family and friends on their birthdays and at Christmas. The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card by American Express is a good fit for... People like Terry Frank, our product development manager and workshop coordinator. For Terry, I see two big pluses for the Starwood Card: ** 1) Terry has pets, a house, a car, a cell phone, and she spends a lot of time (and money) on her horses. In total, including reimbursable expenses she has for work, Terry will likely charge more than $20,000 a year on her credit card (without carrying a balance). But she's not likely to reach the $25,000 mark, which is what she'd need to charge to accumulate enough points for a free flight across the U.S. The cool thing about the Starwood card is that it gives you an extra 5,000 miles when you transfer 20,000 miles to a frequent flyer program of your choice to cash them in for a flight. This extra boost will throw Terry over into "qualifying territory" for a free flight every year. ** 2) The Starwood card will give Terry an amazing deal on Starwood property hotels. Terry can stay in a Starwood hotel for five nights for the same rate Bonnie will pay for two. And Terry's room will likely be nicer. Terry likes "Western" luxury, and she'll certainly find that at Starwood hotels around the world (which include the Sheraton and Westin brands, for instance). Bonnie, on the other hand, is happy with a more "authentic" travel experience and most often opts for a "local" hotel instead of a chain. So this benefit wouldn't mean much to her. I recommended this card to Terry because it IS the best-value card in terms of the rewards (even when you compare it to Bonnie's card). And Terry will charge enough in one calendar year to really take advantage of those benefits and get her annual fee's worth. Blue Sky from American Express is a good card for... People like our marketing assistant, Jackie Gray. I like this card for Jackie for three reasons: ** 1) There's no annual fee. Jackie, like Bonnie, doesn't have a lot of expenses she can charge to a credit card. She likes to shop for clothes but she doesn't spend enough to accumulate the minimum number of points she'd need for a free flight every year. And if she can't cash in on the big rewards, I don't think she should pay an annual fee. ** 2) The Blue Sky card operates on a reimbursement system rather than a transfer or tier rewards system. Unlike the Starwood card -- where you have to transfer points into a frequent flyer program to get the free flight -- the American Express Blue Sky Travel card gives you points that are exchangeable for travel dollars. With this card, Jackie can buy her airline ticket wherever she wants and charge it to her card. Then she can decide whether or not she wants to use her points to reimburse herself for all or part of the ticket. This is great for Jackie because she's not likely to charge more than $7,500 worth of expenses every year and 7500 points earns her $100 worth of travel dollars. ** 3) Jackie's more of a once-a-year-big-trip kind of traveler than she is a several-times-a-year-small-trip gal. She'll save all year for a two-week trip to Australia, Asia, or Spain (those were her last three trips) and when she gets there, she's likely to stay with friends or family. So she rarely, if ever, needs hotel accommodations. I might have recommended to Jackie the same Visa card I recommended to Bonnie. But I don't think Jackie will get the same kind of satisfaction from the rewards that Bonnie will. Jackie, I can see, would much prefer $100 off her big trip airfare than she would a couple small gift certificates she can give away as presents. (Remember, neither woman spends a considerable amount of money on credit, so neither will qualify for a free trip with one year's worth of purchases.) The difference is that Bonnie is more likely to hold out for a domestic ticket, which she can trade in to see her family in Portland. Whereas Jackie would need to wait a few more years to rack up the 50,000-60,000 points she'd need for her bigger international fare. Delta Platinum American Express is right for... People like me. For me, I decided to stick with the Delta Platinum American Express I already have. Even after doing all this research. Now, it's true that occasionally I find myself in a place where they don't take American Express... and it's true that this card comes with a $150 annual fee... but here's what I get in exchange... ** 1) A free companion ticket once a year when I renew and pay the $150 fee. This is a great deal for me because, as you know, I travel a lot for work. AWAI reimburses me for my flights to and from workshops and conferences. But they don't pay for my husband to tag along. So once a year, it's nice that I can extend a work trip by a few days and my husband can come for free. ** 2) Double miles on flights. I fly Delta a lot... more than any other airline. So it's nice to get double points on those flights. Not as nice as the triple points Bonnie will be earning. But nice. ** 3) Now the number one reason I'm sticking with this card is because between me and my husband, we charge A LOT to our credit cards. We never carry a balance. But we charge over $50,000 a year when you add up all our personal expenses plus the expenses we charge that are reimbursable by his company or mine (travel, computer equipment, client lunches, etc.). The Delta Platinum card gives me an extra bonus when we charge $20,000 or more in a calendar year and an extra extra bonus if we charge $50,000 or more. And that bonus helps me maintain my status as a Medallion Member at Delta (which affords me free upgrades to first class on domestic flights, priority boarding, waived baggage fees and more). Now, if you're not charging that much to a credit card or you're not traveling at least 15,000 miles a year, then I wouldn't recommend this card. But I fly just enough miles on Delta every year to just miss the cutoff in Skymiles I need to remain my Medallion Member status based on my flights alone. So this extra boost I get from the credit card points is enough to qualify me. Couple that with the free companion pass, and I feel like this card is my best bet. If I flew just a little more often on Delta (if, say, I stopped buying my tickets based on price alone and decided to fly Delta exclusively or I discovered that the trees outside were made of money) then I'd likely cancel this card. Because in that case, I'd no longer be riding the cusp of Medallion Membership, I'd have it on flights alone. I hope these little vignettes help you find the card that's right for you. These days, with the cost of jet fuel soaring higher and higher and with fewer planes traversing the skies, air travel is getting more expensive. At least, that's what all the headlines say. But if you know how, you can easily "work the system" and save. We'll show you exactly how it's done and hand you hundreds more easy, money- and time-saving secrets to traveling better for less when you take advantage of our Flying for Peanuts Sale. It's only on for a few more days... When you sign up now, we'll send you... 1. The secrets to getting one of those comfy, roomy, leather seats up in the very front of the plane so you can fly across an ocean and feel as comfortable and well-rested as you would in your favorite living room chair. You'll find the know-how you need in our exclusive online report, How to Get a First Class Seat - for Less - on Most Every Flight You Take. 2. The insiders' secrets to getting those super-expensive long-haul flights for a fraction of what you'd expect to pay. Europe? Asia? South America? We'll show you how to get reduced-rate airline tickets and travel discounts around the world in -- Travel Around the World: How to Design, Book, and Enjoy the Ultimate Adventure... and Even Make it Pay for Itself. 3. Plus the easier-than-you'd-ever-imagine secrets to getting your stories and photos into those glamorous airline magazines. Not only is this a fun -- and lucrative -- way to fund your travels, but just wait until you see people's faces when you tell them you get paid to write for those glossies. (You don't have to explain that you simply opened up a hidden back door and waltzed right in!) All the how-to you need is laid out for you in our popular -- Breaking into Airline In-Flight Magazines: Secrets, Tips, and Tactics to Quickly and Easily Crack one of the Industry's Most Lucrative (and Glamorous) Markets. You'll find these three programs on sale this week here. -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. Cheap tickets come and go throughout the year, but the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop only happens ONCE. Readers are snatching up seats fast, so if you're ready to see your stories in print, score free vacations, and live the exhilarating life of a travel writer, sign up now, here. ]]> tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.502 2008-06-06T22:48:31Z 2008-06-25T15:53:10Z

Every credit card company, hotel, and airline has a travel rewards program. And, this weekend, I spent 15 hours researching them for this e-letter. Not all rewards credit cards are created equal. So, if you're looking for one that gives you free flights or hotel stays based on how much you charge to the card, here's what you need to know... FLYING FOR PEANUTS TIP #5: HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT REWARDS CARD First off, a general rule of thumb when comparing reward programs: If credit card companies give you one point for every dollar you spend on the card, then every point with that company is worth $0.01 (a penny a point). That said, every reward program is different in terms of WHAT and HOW they offer rewards. And that's where things get tricky. The American Express Starwood card, for example, gives you one "Star Point" for every dollar you spend. Then you can transfer those points into any frequent flyer program you choose. Want to take a U.S. Airways flight across the U.S.? That'll cost you 25,000 U.S. Airways Dividend Miles. If you've accumulated over 25,000 American Express Star Points, you'd simply ask them to transfer 25,000 of them into your U.S. Airways Dividend Miles account, and you'd book the ticket through U.S. Airways. The American Express Blue Sky Travel card, on the other hand, gives you points that are exchangeable for travel dollars. With this card, you simply buy your airline ticket as usual and charge it to your card. Once the charge goes through, you call the number on the back of the card and tell them you'd like to use your Blue Points to pay for that ticket. Blue charges 7,500 points for every $100 reimbursement. So, if your ticket is $300 and you want your Blue Points to cover the whole thing, they'll deduct 22,500 points from your account. With the penny-per-point ratio as our guide, you can see that both of these cards are a pretty good deal. Your 22,500 Blue Points equates to $225. So, you're essentially getting a $300 ticket for $225 worth of points. And 25,000 Star Points equates to $250. Yet the cheapest U.S. Airways flight I can find from here to my in-laws in Alabama is $648. So, I'm getting a $648 ticket for $250 worth of points (Note: This will always be true if the ticket you're redeeming costs more than $250 on the market. If you can find the flight you want to take for less than $250, it's not worth cashing in your points to buy the ticket). Here are a few other factors you should consider before choosing a card that's right for you: 1.) Annual fee. The Starwood card has a $45 annual fee and most other cards don't. 2.) Hotel stays. The Starwood card gives you a GREAT deal on hotel stays if there's a Starwood property where you're traveling. Starwood properties include Sheratons and Westins among others. They're generally nice hotels that are divided into categories. You're not likely to stay in a Category 1 Sheraton because they're in remote towns across the U.S. But Category 2 hotels start in places like Orlando, Quito, Shanghai, and Dubai, and they'll only cost you 2,000 to 3,000 points ($20 to $30 a night). Category 4 hotels (usually priced around $200 per night online) are more widespread, but even they'll only cost you 10,000 points a night. Compare that to say, the Elite Rewards Mastercard from Bank of America that charges 7,500 points for one night at a Super 8 Hotel or Days Inn, and you're getting a pretty good deal. 3.) Tiers. Some cards like the Capital One No Hassle Miles operate on a tier system. Thirty-five thousand points buys you a ticket between $150 and $350. The nice thing about Capital One is that they offer you 1.25 points for every dollar you spend. The downside is that 35,000 points for a $151 ticket is an awful deal. And it gets worse as you progress up the ladder, with a $400 ticket costing you over 60,000 points. 4.) Blackout Dates. When you transfer miles into a frequent flyer program, your tickets are subject to blackout dates. There are only so many free seats available on each flight. With the Starwood card, for instance, it's not likely I'd get a free seat on Delta around Christmas time to a popular destination like Orlando. Whereas with the Blue Card, I might pay an exorbitant amount to get to Orlando on those busy days (maybe $600 for my ticket as opposed to $300 any other time of year), but I'd be able to use my points to get a reimbursement to offset some of that fee. 5.) Special deals. Every card has its own unique marketing strategy for getting you to apply. Some offer you 10,000 points on your first purchase. Others, like the Maximum Rewards Platinum Visa, offer you triple points on everything you charge that's travel-related (hotels, rental cards, flights - a great deal if a good portion of what you charge to your credit card is travel-related). And the Starwood card offers you an extra 5,000 points every time you transfer 20,000 points or more to a frequent flyer program to purchase a flight (a great deal if you consider the penny rule, because they're essentially giving you $50 worth of points every time you earn enough points for a flight). 6.) Interest rates. If you plan to carry a balance on your card, interest rates should be your first and foremost guide when you're deciding which card is right for you. Don't let any of these other things cloud those waters. Remember, you're only gaining a penny for every dollar you spend here. You'll spend much more than that if you carry a balance and are charged interest even once. And, of course, you should also consider what I like to call "the Visa factor." A Visa credit card is more widely accepted than American Express. And I wouldn't even consider the Miles by Discover card, no matter what kind of reward points they offer, simply because it's not as widely accepted as Visa or MasterCard. If you normally charge $20,000 worth of expenses to your credit card each year, then it's likely that all $20,000 can be charged to your Visa, earning you 20,000 points. With American Express, you can only charge $15,000 or so to your card, earning you only 15,000 points at the end of the year. All because AmEx isn't so widely accepted. So which card is right for you? Oh, if only it were that easy. I can tell you that these cards aren't worth their salt when you compare them to the others: ** Capital One's No Hassle Miles Rewards card ** Miles by Discover ** Elite Rewards World Master Card And that these are the cards I recommended to the girls here in the office (each person a different card): ** Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card by American Express ** Blue Sky by American Express ** Maximum Rewards Platinum Edition Visa ** Delta's Platinum American Express card (though my reasons for this apply to all airline-specific cards) So, tomorrow, as an end to our Flying for Peanuts series, I'll tell you why I recommended these cards to each of our staff based on their individual needs, and you can decide which one fits you best. Stay tuned. And don't forget about our Flying for Peanuts sale going on all this week on our three most popular Flying for Peanuts Items... When you get all three of them together, you'll save over 20% AND you'll learn everything you need to know to travel in style and earn a paycheck from what you see and do on your trip. Here's what you'll get with the package: 1. AWAI's exclusive online report, How to Get a First Class Seat - for Less - on Most Every Flight You Take. 2. Our report on using RTW fares to get reduced-rate airline tickets and travel discounts around the world -- Travel Around the World: How to Design, Book, and Enjoy the Ultimate Adventure... and Even Make it Pay for Itself. 3. And our most popular Breaking into Airline In-Flight Magazines: Secrets, Tips, and Tactics to Quickly and Easily Crack one of the Industry's Most Lucrative (and Glamorous) Markets. Travel writing can be a hard business to crack. But not with the way we've broken it down and the way Jennifer Stevens shows you how to get in. Our Breaking into In-flights Program is one of Jen's best-selling programs. She loves writing for in-flight magazines, and she can show you the back-way into the in-flight market. It really works. And it's a lot of fun. You'll find it on sale this week here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/nut/website -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. Here's an important update on our San Francisco workshop: We just heard back from the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. He'll be there with us Thursday night to talk shop -- and he's going to hang around for drinks during the cocktail party, so you'll get a chance to meet him and shake hands. Getting editors to put a face to your name is always a step in the right direction. For more details, click here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.501 2008-06-06T20:49:30Z 2008-06-26T12:37:56Z

I didn't think the mouse in the pink hat could catch me... but I often wondered what he would have done if he did. After all, what does a grown man in a mouse costume with a pink furry hat...

I didn't think the mouse in the pink hat could catch me... but I often wondered what he would have done if he did. After all, what does a grown man in a mouse costume with a pink furry hat do when he catches you? After college (though before my 23rd birthday), my roommate and I planned spontaneous weekend trips to random cities across the U.S. via Air Tran's X-Fare Program. Flights were cheap if you were under 23 and willing to fly standby. So cheap, in fact, that one weekend, we decided to fly to New Orleans and back just for dinner. Long story short, we landed late due to weather. Missed dinner. Had a crazy time in New Orleans that started with a man in a mouse costume chasing us down Bourbon Street. And we didn't make it back until the next day. That was my idea of a last-minute cheap weekend trip. And it was fun. Today, things are different. You can't get X-fares anymore. And even if you could, I'm willing to bet most of our readers wouldn't qualify for them because of the age limit. But you can still get cheap flights. And you can still plan last-minute, spontaneous getaways and find incredible deals on your flights while you're at it. These days, I use Kayak.com's new Weekend Search option. And Farecast.com's Graph Fares. Flying for Peanuts Tips #2 and #3... KAYAK.COM If I know where I want to go, but I don't care which weekend, I use Kayak.com. At the top of their search page, there's a button you can select titled: "weekend." With that button selected, you can choose upcoming weekends or search weekends within specific months. A flight from Washington D.C. to Las Vegas, for instance, is cheapest the weekend of June 13. It's $145 cheaper than it would be this weekend and $121 cheaper than it would be the weekend after. (Look at the top left corner for a list of the cheapest weekends once you put in your preferences, and hit "Search"). FARECAST.COM If I know where I want to go but I don't care what day I leave, I use Farecast.com's Graph Fares. There's a box on their homepage at the bottom right corner titled "Travel Tools." Click on "Compare Airfares." Then click on the tab that says "Graph - when to travel." Then simply put in your closest airport and the airport you wish to travel to and Farecast will show you a chart of the cheapest days to fly over the next 30 days. If I put in D.C to Vegas again, for instance, I can see that my flight would actually be $50 cheaper if I can leave on July 4. Of course, I don't want to leave on July 4, because it's a holiday. So I won't book this flight. But it's cool to see that it's an option. And if my schedule is ever a little bit more flexible, I use Farecast's graph to help me choose the best departure day. You can't search for first-class fares on Farecast, but you can on Kayak. I don't really worry about that, though, since I can usually get free upgrades on Delta. Tomorrow, in Flying for Peanuts Tip #4, I'll tell you how I do that and explain which travel rewards credit card is the best for free upgrades and free travel. Meantime, here are more details about our Flying for Peanuts Sale... You get: 1. AWAI's exclusive online report, How to Get a First Class Seat - for Less - on Most Every Flight You Take. 2. Our report on using RTW fares to get reduced-rate airline tickets and travel discounts around the world -- Travel Around the World: How to Design, Book, and Enjoy the Ultimate Adventure... and Even Make it Pay for Itself. 3. And our most popular Breaking into Airline In-Flight Magazines: Secrets, Tips, and Tactics to Quickly and Easily Crack one of the Industry's Most Lucrative (and Glamorous) Markets. You'll gain everything you need to Fly for Peanuts and earn a paycheck from your travels. Imagine booking a flight to Iceland, France, Amsterdam, and Italy for only $799 and later selling a story about your trip for a couple thousand dollars. With this bundle, you'll get all the insider tips you'll need to take advantage of such opportunities. Click here for details: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/nut/website -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. We usually get a rush of orders 30 days before the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop (when the Early Bird Discount expires). But because I've been writing about it so much in this e-letter, seats are filling up faster than ever. We're filling on average one to two seats per day right now -- which means we'll be sold out long before the Early-Bird expires. If you're interested in attending -- and you want tickets to the publications expo on Friday night -- don't wait. You can always schedule a payment plan so you don't have to pay everything at once. You'll find more details about the conference here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco And if you're interested in the payment plan you can email Terry at: terry@thetravelwriterslife.com. ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.500 2008-06-06T13:22:49Z 2008-06-25T15:54:11Z

Yes, jet fuel prices are rising. And yes, airline ticket prices are following suit. Don't panic. Like you, we love to travel and we love to save money. So, in lieu of our regularly scheduled e-letters, this week we're going...

Yes, jet fuel prices are rising. And yes, airline ticket prices are following suit. Don't panic. Like you, we love to travel and we love to save money. So, in lieu of our regularly scheduled e-letters, this week we're going to show you how, through these price-hike times, you can still fly for peanuts. (Excuse the pun.) Over the next four days, we'll reveal our best secrets on how to fly for cheap... sometimes even for free... without sacrificing quality and comfort. Starting today, with... FLYING FOR PEANUTS SECRET #1: Make your flight cheaper by taking a Round-The-World, or RTW, ticket. I've told you about RTW fares before, and I still think it's one of the best ways to get a great travel deal. RTW tickets seem to defy logic. How could it be that adding destinations to your itinerary makes it cheaper? Amazing as it is, you can get unbelievable deals on flights to Australia, South Africa, South East Asia, Europe, and more on a Round-The-World ticket. HOW IT WORKS: RTW booking agencies, like Airtreks.com, work with almost every airline in the world to combine the cheapest flight segments they find into attractive, inexpensive itineraries. And they buy so many tickets, they can negotiate low-low fares. Say you want to go to Australia... With an RTW ticket, you could fly to the Cook Islands, Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia from $1,499 plus tax. The cheapest round-trip ticket I found from Los Angeles to Sydney on Expedia.com is $1,639. So not only is the RTW ticket cheaper, you also get to fly to New Zealand and the Cook Islands for free. RTW tickets open up so many doors to travel that is otherwise out-of-this-world expensive. For example, if you want to go from New York to Bangkok, Thailand, you could pay around $1,780 for a round-trip ticket (from Expedia.com). But, if you take an RTW ticket, you could do New York - Singapore - Bangkok - Rome - London - New York starting at $1,749 plus tax. Again, it's like getting an extra continent into your itinerary for free. If continent-hopping isn't your thing, sometimes you can leave stops off of your itinerary, altogether. Check with your booking agent to find out for sure. ** Tip: Waiting until the last minute to book RTW tickets won't get you the best deal. Since the ticket agency has to figure out the cheapest tickets for your route, you'd do best to book as far ahead as you can. ** Tip: Pay attention to the high-season and low-season in your travel destination. Some RTW tickets charge a supplement for high-season. RTW fares aren't hard to book. But I do suggest you do your research before you dish out your credit card number. I could have saved $2,000 on my last RTW ticket if I'd have known then what I know now. So I wrote a book about it...to help you avoid the same mistakes. It's called Travel Around the World: How to Design, Book, and Enjoy the Ultimate Adventure... and Even Make it Pay for Itself and right now I'm working out the details to include it in a trio of resources to help you "fly for peanuts" even when the airlines raise their prices. In tomorrow's eletter, you'll find "Travel Around the World" bundled with two of our other most popular "flying for peanuts" guides, packaged conveniently together at a savings of over 20% when you order all three. I don't have the details today, but stay tuned... -- Lori Lori Allen Director, AWAI Travel Division P.S. Before you start planning your next Round-the-World vacation -- or even your next trip to Aunt Thelma's -- come to the Ultimate Travel Writer's Workshop this July 24-26 in San Francisco and learn how to turn every kind of vacation -- short or long -- into a paycheck. If you hurry, you can still get in before the Early Bird Discount ends! Sign up here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/sanfrancisco ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com tag:www.thetravelwriterslife.com,2008://1.499 2008-05-31T15:15:17Z 2008-06-04T19:40:28Z

HOW ONE READER SCORED TWO PAID VACATIONS AND 41 PUBLISHED BYLINES: AN INTERVIEW WITH AWAI MEMBER SANDRA KENNEDY By Bonnie Caton in Arlington, Virginia BONNIE: Hi Sandra. I'm a new writer here at AWAI. I, too, attended one of AWAI's...

HOW ONE READER SCORED TWO PAID VACATIONS AND 41 PUBLISHED BYLINES: AN INTERVIEW WITH AWAI MEMBER SANDRA KENNEDY By Bonnie Caton in Arlington, Virginia BONNIE: Hi Sandra. I'm a new writer here at AWAI. I, too, attended one of AWAI's Travel Writing Workshops before I started working here in the Travel Division. After attending that first event, I did exactly as Jennifer Stevens instructed and my success was exactly as she said it'd be. I landed a few un-paid clips, which lead to paid clips, and now I can say that I'm a published writer. What I haven't done, and what I'd like to talk to you about today, is turn my skills into paid vacations. I understand you've done a lot of that. So can you tell us a little bit more about how you got started and how, specifically, you went from sitting in a chair at the workshop to sitting in an airplane seat on your way to an all-expenses-paid trip to Ecuador? SANDRA: Sure. I'm happy to tell you about it. It began, as you said, with the Ultimate Travel Writers Workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina back in 2005. Initially, I didn't realize how much the workshop had affected me. But when I returned home, my mind started racing with possible ideas for articles. I arrived in Buenos Aires a week early and rented an apartment there. When the workshop started, I moved into the hotel where the workshop was held. I told Steenie Harvey, one of the instructors on that trip, about my experience in the apartment and she encouraged me to write about it. So I did. It helps so much to have that additional support when you're starting out. The article, "Live Like a Local," was a lengthy "how-to" on renting an apartment in BA, accompanied by photos. Escape Artist published it soon after I returned to Oregon. I was so thrilled to see my first article and photos in print. Everything after that took determination, curiosity, perseverance, and lots of reading and writing. You must be able to accept rejection and keep on "keeping on." BONNIE: Speaking of rejection... what about the fear of failure? Has it ever been a problem for you? SANDRA: Basically, I have always had to fight my fears every time I tackled something new. In fact, it was more like "terror" at times. But travel writing is one of my passions in life. So I work hard to put away those doubting thoughts and just go for it. This is an aside. Throughout my life, I have had an image of me on my deathbed. I never wanted to be saying to myself, "why didn't I risk following my dreams?" It seemed that I would feel such regret. Many times in life, such as when I first went to Europe at age 20, my life changed. There was an entirely fascinating world out there to explore. At that point, I decided that I would teach in Europe one day. That dream never left me. First, I went to Peru. After that I taught in Europe for seven years. It is the same with travel writing. It had been a dream through the years. BONNIE: So, after all those years of hesitation, how did you get started traveling and writing "on spec," landing free stays in resorts and destinations around the world? SANDRA: My first “comped” trip was to a hotel in Idaho for three nights. I think it was through Mediakitty.com. By then, I had the two clips from Argentina. I used those in my query... and they responded immediately. By the way, my first two “comped” trips were all set up but unforeseen circumstances prevented me from taking them. Hurricane Wilma kept me from one and I had to cancel the other for personal reasons. In March, I had a “comped” individual press trip to Guatemala for nine days. It was through a tour company. All my expenses were paid except airfare, lunches, and dinners. It was an absolutely amazing experience. That trip was not listed anywhere. BONNIE: How did you manage to find it, if it wasn't listed anywhere? SANDRA: I was inquiring about a possible "media rate" on a trip to Ecuador last year. Turns out the company remembered me and invited me on the trip to Guatemala. BONNIE: Do you have any press trips planned for the near future? SANDRA: Recently, I was invited to go on a circular tour of boutique hotels in Mexico! Travel writing can "snowball" on you. As you get published, you gain more confidence. I felt like such a fraud at my first press trip. I don't feel that now. I know that even if I am not writing for Travel & Leisure, I will provide good coverage for all these places. It does take a great deal of time and creativity. I work very hard to do my best. BONNIE: Do you have any last pieces of advice for newbie travel writers? SANDRA: Push for your dream. It is possible. Yes, there is a lot of competition, but you bring your own background, experiences, and skills to it. Ultimately, you must persevere in your querying and writing. ************************* Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/eletter ************************* The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends. (c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc. 245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102 Delray Beach, FL 33483 Phone (561) 278-5557 Fax (561) 278-5929 memberservices@awaionline.com To LEARN MORE, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com http://www.thephotographerslife.com ]]>