Break Into Freelance Travel Writing

There are ads for freelance travel writers everywhere. You've probably come across them on job boards. You may have seen such postings and wondered, "What is freelance travel writing?" Freelance travel writing doesn't mean you have to travel. Really, people looking for freelance travel writers are looking for information that would appeal to travelers. This means, you can write about your own city's hotels, nightlife, landmarks, museums, or activities that would appeal to people traveling to your city. Of course, if you do happen to travel, you can also write the same type of material as related to the places you go.

The key to freelance travel writing when you're writing about your own city? Think like an out-of-towner. If you were only in your city for one day, what would you want to see? Beyond writing about the basics -- best restaurants, best hotels, must-sees (parks, stadiums, zoos, etc.) -- put yourself in other people's shoes. If you were a business person, where would you stay? If you had three children under the age of 12, what kind of activities would you plan? If you were a writer in town on assignment, which library would you recommend? If you were going to stay in a vacation rental property for a week, which would you choose? If you were an international student visiting for a few months on a tight budget, could you recommend a youth hostel or a low-cost housing situation?

If you want to stand out as a freelance travel writer, you'll have to bring something new to the table. Does anyone really want to read another article about the same four-star hotel that dozens of writers have already written about? Probably not. Will an editor to a travel magazine want to purchase a review of a vacation rental property for which hundreds of publicly posted reviews are available on free websites? Probably not. At least, not unless you can bring something really new, important, or otherwise compelling to the publication's readers.

Freelance travel writing isn't simply an easy way to make a few bucks by thoughtlessly spitting out your recollection of a bad hotel experience or the time when an airline lost your luggage. Freelance travel writing isn't the equivalent of spouting off your opinion of the last book you read on Amazon or the last movie you rented at Blockbuster. Real travel publications (the ones that pay) want writers who can really captivate their readers, offer a unique perspective, and deliver quality information.

If you want to break into freelance travel writing for travel magazines, be prepared to do your homework. Learning what types of articles appeal to each editor requires the same type of process as writing for any other type of magazine -- you have to be willing to read the magazines, get a feel for what they publish, get in touch with an editor to request an editorial calendar and/or to send a query letter.

If your local newspaper has a section for travel, you might try to break in there. You could also seek out national papers. The Chicago Tribune pays $150-500 for 500-2,000 words for its special Sunday travel section. You can search Writer's Market for many other listings.

Freelance travel writing for websites is a lower-paying, but easier, option. Check out general travel websites, vacation rental property websites, restaurant websites, or whatever type of website might relate to the type of travel writing you'd like to break into.

If you're serious about getting started freelance travel writing, or you want to land higher paying freelance travel writing jobs, consider starting a blog or website for your travel articles. Write about your own city or the places you've gone on vacation or business. This will give you practice and experience travel writing. You can send the link to your blog or website to editors or potential clients.