5 Travel Writing Resources to Get You Started

Making money while traveling is every travel-lovers dream. Who wouldn't want to pay for, or at least off-set the costs of their trip if they could? It is for this reason that travel writing has become such a popular option for freelance writers and world travelers alike. The problem for budding or aspiring travel writers is that they're not sure where to turn to make money off their writing work. This article lists some great options for travel writers to submit their work, and start making money for traveling the world.

Before you start going through the list of options, you should understand that unless you have an amazing reputation, you're not going to start off making millions on your writing. Most travel writing projects simply aren't going to pay for your entire trip, at least not right away. Obviously it is the eventual goal to fund most, if not all the trip, but getting a foot in the door is important. Not only that, honing and perfecting your craft is also going to take a hot second. You don't have to be an excellent writer to start, but simple practice will help you to develop your voice as a travel writer.

Another great way to get started is by reading various travel writing around the web, in newspapers, or in your local bookstore. Reading is a great way to see what sorts of things work, what don't, and what sorts of things people are looking to see in your writing. For example, instead of simply listing places you went with brief descriptions, elaborate on points of interest. Describe your experiences there. Paint a picture with words that would make anyone want to be there with you. Elaborate, specific, and personal experiences make for great reading. If you're going to write travel guides, be sure to take down specific information about costs, open and close times, location, etc. Make it easy enough for someone to plan a trip around.

Now, that you're ready to get started, here are a list of places you can look to in order to submit your thoughtful and hard work.

1) Associated Content (Yahoo Contributor Network): If you're hear reading this, you probably realized that this is one of those great sites open to the public. It's a great way for freelance writers to get their work out there, and make a little money for it. AC pays around $3-$6 per article, with the added bonus of performance payment per page view. While it isn't a whole lot up-front, it pays off in the long run if you write enough and can drive enough people to view your articles.

2) Review Stream: Review stream is a casual review site where any member of the public can submit a review of just about anything. This site pays the most for those who add in personal thoughts, opinions, and experiences, so it's a great way to tell the world about a specific restaurant, attraction, or event while you travel. The pay is anywhere from $1.50-$2.50 for short review, not much, but a great way to off-set the costs of eating, staying in a hotel, seeing a tourist attraction, etc, since you can review all of these things.

3) Lost Girls World: This is a website geared toward women, women's travel stories, and great places for women to vacation. It's fun site packed with great travel ideas and stories you can take in before submitting your own content. This site has stricter guidelines which are detailed on the site, but they offer more than the previous sites for your work. They are mainly looking for travel guide type work, and pay around $12 per article.

4) oDesk: oDesk is a site designed to connect freelance writers to employers. You'll find an array of different jobs, but look specifically in the creative writing section and you'll find a number of great opportunities to apply for. You'd be surprised how many posts are up for Ebook writers, travel stories, and cultural experiences. Pay varies by employer and project, and you're able to bid for the amount you'd like to receive. Employers have a budget listed, so keep their budget in mind. It's also important to remember that not all employers are looking for the lowest bid, many want excellent quality work, so you're more likely to get paid well for your hard work. To up your chances of winning your bid for the job, submit a portfolio to the site and a clean, well-written sample with your bid.

5) Jaunted: This a site features various posts and videos, and you can submit either for some extra travel cash. Jaunted, like most other writing sites, requires you register before you can begin writing. They pay $10 for articles, and $15 for video content, but remember these have to be quality travel videos. This site is based around hip, pop culture, so you'll have to work within this area in order to get published on this site. However, it offers an interesting and different niche of writing for those interested in a fun and hip style of writing and video journalism.

References:

Associated Content (Yahoo Contributor Network).

Reviewstream.

Lostgirlsworld.

ODesk.

Jaunted.